Shea's Extra Stout - Rock Bottom Restaurant & Brewery

CaptYellow

New York

3.48/5  rDev -11.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

{N.B.- I had it casked, which took longer to get, which resulted in the waitress giving it to me for free along with a sampler. :) }

A: Dark, of course, but I still more transparent than Guinness. It had I nice foamy head that lasted to the bottom of the glass and left lacing along the way.

M: Medium mouthfeel. Not heavy like a bigger beer.

T: Enjoyable. Not alot of flavor, but nicely balanced between the sweet and the bitter.

S: Smell. Same as the taste- not strong but malty and the familiar hoppiness of an Irish stout.

D: The lack of heaviness and complexity in the beer seems reasonable given that it is very drinkable. Perhaps a little more so than Guinness. It manages not to taste watered-down. This beer (seems to me) to be built to be drinkable. So I enjoyed it with the meal but wouldn't chose it to savor.

Serving type: cask

05-25-2010 15:20:05 | More by CaptYellow

morebeergood

Massachusetts

3.85/5  rDev -2.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Stopped by RB in the Theater District for a quick beer on Saturday night. Served in a standard pint glass. Dark brown color. Fairly large tan head. Not a bad looking pint. Smelled a bit like a rich hot chocolate. Taste was quite pleasurable. Dark roasted malt, but on a very small scale. Also had a sweet cocoa underlying flavor. Mouthfeel was a bit on the thin side for a stout. A nice example of an Irish Dry Stout that is brewed to be quaffed quite easily. Mellow flavor, low abv, and smooth mouthfeel all add up to a nice stout by Rock Bottom.

Serving type: on-tap

11-23-2009 23:22:17 | More by morebeergood

fitzy84

Massachusetts

4.2/5  rDev +6.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Had in the sampler at the restaurant. The appearance had thick lacing, clear black look to it and a thin, creamy head. Smoked cocoa aroma was the dominant flavoring and boy was it appetizing after my meal. The drink was light, creamy and dry, perfectly airy and sweet. The mouthfeel perfected a creamy, delicious stout that was not overpowering: solid body and something of a joy to drink. Overall, one of the best drinks I had at Rock Bottom.

Serving type: on-tap

07-27-2008 03:56:05 | More by fitzy84

jmz62565

Connecticut

3.98/5  rDev +0.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

This is a beauty!! It pours a jet black with a large foamy head, half Guiness and half rootbeer float. The smell is very aromatic with roasted malt,coffee, and dark fruit. The taste is dry with coffee, chocolate ,and a creamy cola like flavor. The m/f is medium with a thin aftertaste. Other than the thin aftertaste, this is a damn good beer.

Serving type: cask

07-24-2006 20:22:58 | More by jmz62565

arizcards

Arizona

3.85/5  rDev -2.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

While doing the nickel tour of Boston on a tour bus in late September, spotted a Rock Bottom on Stuart Street and decided to hop off for lunch and a couple of pints.

Was a very dark beer with a nice head and OK head retention. Nose is of roasted malts. Taste is more of the same with a nice dry finish. Mouthfeel was a bit thin but adequate. Overall drinkability was good-a nice beer to enjoy the scenery of Stuart Street.

Serving type: on-tap

11-11-2005 22:53:45 | More by arizcards

RBorsato

Virginia

4.05/5  rDev +2.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Tasted On-Cask 09/30/05 at the Boston, MA location.

A lightly hazy dark brown color with a decent but lower creamy tan head. Primary characteristics are roasted malts with light chocolate in both aroma and flavor. A fairly robust Irish stout in true Irish fashion; not a bastardized American version which is nice to see. Light-medium bodied.

Serving type: cask

10-10-2005 17:38:59 | More by RBorsato

rousee

Massachusetts

3.85/5  rDev -2.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Pours a cola-brown with a 1/2 inch cap and remains nice and foamy throughout. Good head retention.


The smell is the thing on this beer. It has a burnt wood type of smell with burnt roasted malt coming through too. I don't think it is burnt but just extra dark roasted. This only applies to the cask version --I tried the colder CO2 version and it lacks this characteristic completely. That's why I am reviewing the cask and that's why I am giving it high scores. It is very unusual in both smell and taste.


Taste is almost the same as the smell except it seems like cedar -this woody taste. It also reminds me a little of burning leaves--very autumnal. Sticky finish but nothing too sweet or syrupy.
Mouthfeel is fuzzy,woody, and sticky.

Drinkability is average cuz this thing is way out there in terms of taste - I'm almost scared to have more than 2 for fear that I might taste the burnt wood in my mouth for the rest of the day/night after.
This is not a typical stout. While I gave it slightly lower scores on my notes from a couple days ago, it reminds me of a good movie, where it takes you a while after watching the movie to realize it was good.
And I am looking forward to returning for another try much sooner than I originally would have thought.

Serving type: cask

10-09-2004 15:33:56 | More by rousee

mschofield

Massachusetts

4.2/5  rDev +6.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Pours dark brown, topped with a two finger khaki head. Leaves thick puffy rings of lacing.
Great aroma - chocolate, coffee, can smell it from a foot away.
Roasted malt, expresso like note.
Dark chocolate, earthy, roasted malt, touch of herbs, burnt caramel/dark sugar. Chocolate aftertaste.
Medium-full, creamy mouthfeel, still manages to be dry. Good full flavored session beer at that ABV. It had been tapped right before I arrived.

Serving type: cask

08-11-2004 22:30:17 | More by mschofield

PatandDavid

Massachusetts

4.13/5  rDev +4.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I was with David and Jimbo when we all tasted the stouts, this is a review of the 'cask' version...pours black and opaque. Aroma is reminiscent of chocolate. Taste is all roasted barley and chocolate, not bad, whatever the heck the 'cask' set-up happens to be. pat

Serving type: cask

10-12-2003 16:03:17 | More by PatandDavid

UncleJimbo

Massachusetts

3.93/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Sampled at the Boston, MA, Stuart St. location.

This stout poured completely black with a persistent creamy, tan foam head that clung to the glass. The smell was a pleasant, dark roasted malt aroma, but the smell was more muted in this nitrogen tap version. The taste was malty, dark and roasty with a hint of sharpness. There were notes of coffee and cocoa in the flavor. The mouthfeel was smooth and creamy and dry. The body was medium with modest carbonation. The finish left tastes of coffee and cocoa. This was a nice, smooth and relatively clean dry stout. When the tap/cask and the nitro tap versions were sampled side by side, there was not a huge difference.

Serving type: nitro-tap

10-06-2003 02:10:12 | More by UncleJimbo