Shakespeare Oatmeal Stout - Rogue Ales

jtierney89

New Jersey

2.3/5  rDev -45%
look: 2 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

This bottle has close to a years worth of age on it if not a years age. Pours a deep deep brown, basically black, but from what I can tell from the pour is relatively clear. Decent brown head which recedes pretty quickly. Dark fruit especially figs on the nose along with anisette and faint touches of chocolate. Gonna give it a moment to breathe. With a little time the malt comes across really nicely on the nose as chocolate chip cookie dough. Some other not so pleasant scents still arise however.

Chewy mouthfeel with a deep roasted character. A little watery on the finish with subdued bitterness. Classic rogue crispness. Flavors include chocolate, licorice, anisette, coffee, alcohol and touches of nail polish. More so all over the place then layered. Clean finish though. Hap hazard flavors and a flimsy body unable to pull them all together. Not sure if it's the age or just the pac man yeast that has ruined beer. At least it's different than most of rogues other offerings i've had.

Drinkable but I dont see what all the hypes about.

Serving type: bottle

03-08-2012 03:44:08 | More by jtierney89

BrianGaynor

4.6/5  rDev +10%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a 22oz bottle into a pint glass.

Appearance: pours thick, black as night with a light brown finger and a half head.

Smell: roasted malts and coffee! Not a very strong smell, though.

Taste: strong coffee and roasted malts. Very good taste. Alcohol taste lingers at the end.

Mouthfeel: thick in the mouth with a lot of carbonation

Overall: the more I drink the lower the score gets, unfortunately. The carbonation is off-putting to me. Still a great beer, though. I wouldn't hesitate to get it again.

Serving type: bottle

03-01-2012 02:22:54 | More by BrianGaynor

DM1293

California

4.35/5  rDev +4.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Saw someone mention this in the forums and was curious. I had looked over Rogue's stuff, but wasn't willing to try it...this one said "Oatmeal Stout" and the last one I had was fairly good, so I gave this one a shot.

I love the full-bodied taste and the sweetness that undercuts the bitterness. Its not enough to cut it entirely, and it does sit on the palate and bite afterward. But really, this is strong, rich and smooth. The chocolate-y coffee notes are there, and thus make this beer definitely a new favorite of mine.

Serving type: bottle

02-27-2012 00:59:21 | More by DM1293

CuriousMonk

Virginia

2.8/5  rDev -33%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Poured from 750ml bottle into a snifter glass. Pours opaque black with a thin beige head. The nose lacked rich, creamy chocolate and oatmeal that I expected. Picked up more coffee and some green herb notes instead. The taste is of more chocolate, going into a burnt cocoa or even liquorice or charcoal. The palate medium bodied, there is a creamy texture in the middle section and a dry (unfortunately slightly astringent) finish. Expected more out of this one bc of its high rating. Not going to be on the bandwagon on this one. Sorry.

Serving type: bottle

02-06-2012 22:47:51 | More by CuriousMonk

wac9

Pennsylvania

4.47/5  rDev +6.9%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

wonderful beer i think im out of my beer slump great taste nice on the tongue a beer worth drinking a beer worth looking for nothing else to say you neither like it or you dont drink and enjoy nothing more to say it black always good a mighty fine beer thats doesnt disappoint

Serving type: bottle

02-06-2012 03:05:41 | More by wac9

TechTriumph

Virginia

3.6/5  rDev -13.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

No freshness date; Poured in a snifter.

A - One inch of creamy, bubbly, khaki colored head with decent retention; Solid black in color; Just a bit of lacing left behind

S - Notes of oatmeal, licorice, brown sugar, dark chocolate, and just a bit of roastiness

T - Oatmeal and licorice flavors hit first; Afterwards, the licorice disappears, and more toasty, roasty, and mild chocolate flavors step forward with the oatmeal; Some bitterness and earthy hops come through from mid-taste to the finish as well

M - Just below moderate carbonation; Full bodied; Creamy and smooth mouthfeel; Leaves the mouth pretty dry in the finish

O - Overall, this was a decent stout, but not one that really stood out for me. The sum of all the aromas and flavors just didn't seem to come together quite right for my palate. That said, the look and mouthfeel of this beer were great, and I'm hoping the next Rogue beer I try will bring some redemption.

Serving type: bottle

02-04-2012 20:27:22 | More by TechTriumph

paulozanello

Brazil

4.18/5  rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Pitch Black dense color with a small mocha head. Average retention and lacing.

Aroma is of dark malts, coffee, dark chocolate.

Taste is an explosion of roastiness with dark malts, oats, roast grains, coffee and dark bitter chocolate. Ends with a huge bitter note from the roasted character and hops.

Body is huge and thick with and astringent bitter mouthfeel. Carbonation is medium to high. Abv is well hidden.

Extreme stout with lots of body, malt and roastiness. Almost no residual sweetness perceivable.

Serving type: bottle

02-04-2012 17:58:43 | More by paulozanello

Murrhey

Montana

4.63/5  rDev +10.8%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a bomber into a pint glass. Reviewed live.

A- Thin mocha head but nice retention and ringed lacing. Black in color. It's a frightening looking beer.

S- Chocolate, toffee, some grains I can only assume are oatmeal. It's complex and lovely. This is a perfect smell for me.

T- Smooth and creamy with a bittering aftertaste. The roast malts and graininess of the flavor really come out mid-taste. Quite well done.

M- Medium bodied and very smooth and dry. This is how stouts should feel.

O- I may have found a new favorite beer. All the aspects work in harmony. You devilish Rogue Ales.

Serving type: bottle

02-02-2012 04:26:30 | More by Murrhey

Swim424

Florida

4.47/5  rDev +6.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured from bomber into Houbrau mug

A-black with a chocolate colored head. very little if no light coming through.

S-fairly chocolatey. A little oatmeal.

T-oatmeal upfront finishing with chocolate. A bit hoppy but mostly just chocolate. Not getting much, if any coffee.

MF- fairly thick. not that carbonated leaving a slight oatmeal aftertaste.

O-really good. Much better than I was expecting when I bought it. I highly reccomend this one.

Serving type: bottle

01-28-2012 03:35:05 | More by Swim424

Siriusfisherman

Montana

4.23/5  rDev +1.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Appearance: Dark, just like it should be, and a lovely cappuccino colored head. There was some nice lacing, but it disappeared after a while, but there was always a ring clinging to the glass. Just a delicious looking stout.

Smell: Right up front a lovely blend of roast barley, hop, and chocolate bitterness, followed by bready smoothness and a little tinge of yeast. More great stuff.

Taste: Just fantastic, the bitterness of this beer is done so well, and the oats give that classic smoothness and the roast barley helps you tame that chocolate character. Yet again, more great stuff.

Mouthfeel: This is the only place I have a bone to pick with these guys, the carbonation is a little to forward in my opinion. However, this is easily cured by giving the beer a couple swirls in the glass and allowing it to warm to room temperature. Also, as stated previously, the oats work wonders in the smoothness of this fine stout.

Overall: Maybe my favorite oatmeal stout, just a fantastic beer to have with a desert, or even as a desert by itself. The wide availability of this beer makes it even better, an absolute must have in the stout category. If you haven't had this, grab it the next time you go to the store.

Serving type: bottle

01-26-2012 02:01:56 | More by Siriusfisherman

gatorguy

Virginia

4.3/5  rDev +2.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

A - Deep brown color, nearly black. has a light brown head, two fingers worth.

S - Coffee, chocolate, earthy oats

T - Well balanced stout here, all the flavors mesh great. Starts off with some coffee flavor, transitions to chocolate, then to the earthy oats. Hop bitterness is mild and compliments the brew well.

M - What you would expect for a stout, somewhat heavy but has good carbonation.

O - Excellent oatmeal stout, one that I will seek out more often.

Serving type: bottle

01-24-2012 01:02:45 | More by gatorguy

shand

Florida

4.08/5  rDev -2.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a 22oz bottle into a mug.

Funny how Rogue gets hated on all the time on BA, yet brews like this get very good reviews. One thing's for sure, this beers is a looker. It's a deep brown color with a large mocha head that leaves nice lace down the mug. The aroma is pretty stout-y, with plenty of roasted malts, coffee, chocolate, and a bit of grainy oat. The taste mostly follows this, with a nice amount of roasted malts dominating the show, with some roasty coffee and grainy oat on the finish. The mouthfeel is a bit thinner than I'd like, which seems to be par for the course for Rogue's stouts. The drinkability is quite good though. Overall, it's a solid stout that I think would be well-suited for six-packs. Let it hit warm up a bit, it really helps bring out it's flavor.

Serving type: bottle

01-23-2012 05:34:16 | More by shand

CrazyDavros

Australia

3.88/5  rDev -7.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Pours black with a large, lasting dark head.
Nose shows roasted malt, oatmeal, chocolate and soft coffee. Very appetising.
Same story with the flavours, roasted malt, faint chocolate and oats. Finishes with a roasty bitterness.
Nice soft carbonation.
Very easy drinking.

Serving type: bottle

01-21-2012 07:30:17 | More by CrazyDavros

ummswimmin

New Jersey

4.03/5  rDev -3.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

I picked up this beer as part of my attempt to try all 100 beers of fame. I used to have it regularly while living in Oregon, and it is nice to pick up Oregon beers while living in New Jersey.

The look is a perfect example of a oatmeal stout. It is too dark to see through, and the single finger of foam is that proper tan color.

The smell is great. You get the coffee roast coming off the top. The flavor is a ton of coffee. The feel was a little light and the bitterness of the coffee is never really balanced.

Overall an amazing beer. Rogue isn't lying with the label on the bottle stating: World Stout Champion.

Serving type: bottle

01-15-2012 21:00:39 | More by ummswimmin

cmq103

New Jersey

3.9/5  rDev -6.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a 650 ML bottle into a Duvel Belgian Tulip glass

Appearance: Dark pour, not overly thick, got me a decent 1/4" head with a semi-aggressive pour. The light brown head diminished to be thin and spotty within a few minutes. Lacing started off sticky, but slipped away to almost nothing as my glass emptied.

Smell: I expected more to the nose but what I was able to get was roasted malts and oats, though mild for an oatmeal stout. Mild coffee and chocolate too. Not bad, but I expected a little more.

Taste: Roasted oats are present but not overwhelming. Impressive blend of oats, malt, coffee and chocolate. I'm surprised by the presence of a moderately bitter finish. I wasn't expecting that with an oatmeal stout. Hops are there, which I think brings out the bitterness with this beer. Lightly sweet finish with the bitterness wanting to stick around on the tongue for quite some time after my swallow. As the beer warms the favors are more pronounced. I would suggest letting this one breathe a few minutes to get closer to room temperature. I think the bitterness lessened as the beer warmed.

Mouthfeel: Medium body with mild carbonation. Dry, but at times, creamy texture. The bitterness is present more in this beer that in other oatmeal stouts I've had in the past.

Overall: A pretty darn solid oatmeal stout, though my first "go to" would be Anderson Valley Barney Flats Oatmeal Stout. I haven't been disappointed by any beer made by Rogue.

Serving type: bottle

01-14-2012 00:47:03 | More by cmq103

SolipsismalCat

Pennsylvania

4.15/5  rDev -0.7%
look: 5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Poured into a pint glass. Reviewed alongside Breckenridge Oatmeal Stout.

A: Dark brown/black with three-finger, tan, frothy head that lasted a long time. Really good lacing.

S: Some chocolate, oats and hops. Mild.

T: Moderate sweetness and light bitterness. Very roasted flavor. Oats, chocolate, and coffee. Finishes the same as it starts.

M: Medium to full bodied with soft carbonation. Very creamy and smooth.

O: This is an outstanding Oatmeal stout. Wonderful head, perfect roasted flavor and so creamy. I wish the nose was a bit more interesting. Overall, I liked this better than the Breckenridge.

Serving type: bottle

01-09-2012 02:49:51 | More by SolipsismalCat

match1112

Illinois

3.58/5  rDev -14.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

starting off the new year with a rogue breakfast, having this and the hazelnut. after hearing lots of good things about this one, i feel let down a bit. poured a dark brown with a half finger of mocha colored head that leaves very little lacing as the drink disappears. smell and taste are both the same with faint hints of roasted coffee, chocolate and the oats seem to be the last thing you experience. maybe it's just me, but i like the oats to play a more prominent roll. has a medium body with ok carbonation and a bad bitter finish. wish it was thick and chewy so i could enjoy the oats. this is just an ok oatmeal stout.

Serving type: bottle

01-01-2012 17:06:39 | More by match1112

ChugginOil

Illinois

3.98/5  rDev -4.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Pours black with a fingers worth of tan head. Not much lace.

The nose has some cocoa powder and chocolate malt balls.

The taste has a touch of coffee roast, some chocolate, and roasted malts.

The mouthfeel is medium bodied with ample carbonation.

Overall, pretty good but wish the carbonation was a bit milder.

Serving type: bottle

12-22-2011 07:20:44 | More by ChugginOil

runner440

Maryland

4.2/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

This beer is pretty great. Big roast notes in this oatmeal stout. It is ridiculously drinkable, and this bomber is disappearing before my eyes. There are big notes of roast and coffee with a bit of chocolate in the taste. This stout should always been in any stout lover's refrigerator.

Serving type: bottle

12-22-2011 04:05:15 | More by runner440

lurpy1

Minnesota

2.48/5  rDev -40.7%
look: 4 | smell: 2 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2

My wife picked this one. She fell in love with Hazelnut Brown Nectar and now swears unconditionally by all things Rogue. As for me, my recent Rogue beers while not terrible, have been disappointing, so it's against my better judgement that we go forward with this one.

After an attractive pour, this one falls off a cliff, with a imperceptible, musty, dog-in-a-swamp odor that wards off all normal beer smells. The taste hits all the right notes at first with grains and roasty malts, but it drowns in a sea of, uh, stank. There is a lot of unpleasant bitterness that makes finishing a pint a real chore. Mouthfeel isn't bad, but doesn't have the thick smoothness I expect in an Oatmeal Stout.

Dammitall, Rogues have gone from blah to outright bad on this one. This beer is borderline lousy. Hope I got a bad bottle. Last time I reviewed a Rogue beer I swear I was taking a Rogue hiatus. Apparently the hiatus ended, but that goes double this time.

Serving type: bottle

12-21-2011 04:33:00 | More by lurpy1

brewcrew76

Wisconsin

4.33/5  rDev +3.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A - Deep black with a few finger creamy tan head that settles to a ring of foam.

S - Roasted malt, chocolate, coffee, dark cocoa and light smoke.

T - Roasted malt, bittersweet chocolate, coffee and oats. The bittersweet chocolate lingers into the aftertaste.

M - Medium to full body, creamy and smooth.

D - Very smooth and tasty.

Serving type: bottle

12-18-2011 01:29:38 | More by brewcrew76

JuicesFlowing

Kansas

4.38/5  rDev +4.8%
look: 3 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured into a standard pint glass. The beer is a coffee black in color, with a dark cream colored head that dissipates quickly. SOme light lacing. Smells of bitter chocolate, roasted malts, and vanilla. Tastes of bitter chocolate, roasted malts, vanilla, and oats. The mouthfeel is very smooth and medium bodied.

Overall, this is an excellent stout. It's got several flavors that come through and it's a good session beer, that is if you want to pay the $6 per bomber ...

Serving type: bottle

12-11-2011 18:48:19 | More by JuicesFlowing

Stinkypuss

Pennsylvania

3.95/5  rDev -5.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Rogue : Shakespeare Stout

22oz bottle. Pours black as night with a mocha head. Aroma of chocolates, coffee and some alcohol. In the taste, more of the aforementioned chocolate, vanilla, roasted malts, coffee, char, espresso and very little booze or alcohol. The oats have made this beer silky smooth and goes down very nicely and easily. This bottle had some age on it, and was still very nice. Overall, a solid oatmeal stout with good flavors that went well together. Would be a fine dessert beer to pair with chocolate.

Serving type: bottle

12-10-2011 02:39:35 | More by Stinkypuss

DaftCaskBC

British Columbia (Canada)

4/5  rDev -4.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: 1/4" light brown head over extremely dark brown / almost black liquid.

S: Coffee, chocolate, oats.

T: Bitter up front with toasted malt and coffee flavours which transitions to oats in the middle and a slight chocolate finish.

M: Medium to thin viscosity and a very high level of fine carbonation.

O: Another overrated and overpriced beer by Rogue. I expected more given the price tag, and I prefer Anderson Valley's Barney Flats Oatmeal Stout a lot more to this one.

Serving type: bottle

12-10-2011 01:50:03 | More by DaftCaskBC

ncsutton

Minnesota

4.28/5  rDev +2.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Serving Type - Bottle

A - Nice, very dark ebony color, a good thick head that last a good amount of time

S - Very robust, I'm getting chocolate and coffee smells

T - Great, can really taste the malts as well as the chocolate, it is overall very chocolatey which is good to me. I'm not really getting the oats but that's ok with this brew, very subtle on the hops

M - Very rich and creamy, extremely smooth

O - Overall a very solid brew, I personally like the chocolate taste of Stouts so this one was really good. Like i said earlier i never got the oats, but still very good.

Serving type: bottle

12-03-2011 03:35:45 | More by ncsutton