Rogue Shakespeare Stout

Brewed by Rogue Ales
Style: Stout
Newport, Oregon USA

Bottle... Poured black with a huge brown head, kept a nice steady head throughout the pint. definitely some barley-malt on the nose, very toasty and nutty. Not as silky as I would like for a stout, but still enjoyable feeling in the mouth. You kind of get everything all at once with this one, and than you can start to dissect the flavors after you swallow. It was well hopped, but you get chocolate, oats, roasted barley and malt, and smokiness that’s amazing. A nice juxtapose of sweet and bitter.

Pours very dark with large brown head. Aroma is hops, chocolate, and smooth oats. Flavor unfortunately was not very strong. The body was smooth and the rolled oats were present, which I enjoyed. But much of the beer consisted of a weak-watery sweetness. Chocolate flavor is mellow and not overdone, also nice. Bitterness is low, but overall just to watery to score high in my book.

Draft. Nearly opaque with a nice head that lasts fairly well. Aroma is chocolate and spice. Flavor is blandish: some chocolate and maybe some smoke. Palate is medium bodied and watery.

To beer or not to beer that is the question. A brew worthy of carrying the Bards name. Sweet poetry for your palate. Creamy head that retains throughout consumption. Pure black in color, thick consistency. Sweet to the touch with a medium bitter finish. A stout you will appreciate more with each passing sip until alas, it is gone. Parting is such sweet sorrow.

Bottle from ’onlyfinebeers’ Pours jet black with a lovely bubbling brown head that rises then swiftly fades to leave you looking at a dense pool of blackness like walking across the moors and looking into a ’Grimping Mire’. The nose is assaulted by a bombardment of coffee aromas and the first mouthful has coffee, burnt, and chocolate flavours all rolled into one. This was a quite wonderful stout just getting better with every mouthfull, a lovely dryness was another great characteristic of this beer but the chocolate and coffee along with nice oatiness kept flooding back through, great beer really glad it was a 660ml bottle.

Bottle. Boy, what a disappointment. Aroma is very dry. Charred malt, some sweet, creamy oat as well. Pours pitch black. Big, brown head. Good lacing. Flavor is dry, bitter and simple. Lots of charred dark malt with just a tiny hint of oaty sweetness. Medium bodied. Very dry and not too complex.

On draught at Barrel House in Knoxville, TN on 10/12/07. Pours black with a medium-sized tan head. Nose is chocolate with some soy sauce and molasses. Flavor is sweet and chocolatey with a little bit of salt. I used to love this beer, but now it seems a little less complex. Still think this is very good, but not quite elite status.

Black with big light brown creamy head. Lots of roasted malt and salty licorice in the aroma. Tastes of smoke, licorice, chocolate. Bitter finish. Smooth, thick and well balanced. Shakespeare would be proud.