The Brew SiteShakespeare Stout
I’ve written about Rogue‘s Shakespeare Stout before. In particular, I named it one of the "50 Beers to Drink Before You Die" and also mentioned it as a desert isle pick. Since it had been awhile since I’d drank one, I picked up a bottle back in March (which is also when I had it). As good as always.
Appearance: Thick and black with a creamy brown head of foam… almost a motor oil kind of appearance.
Smell: Malty and dark and yeasty. Reminds me of a warm, mild and dark bread. Hints of molasses, licorice.
Taste: Bitter chocolate, something very soft and lightly fruity and mellow but I can’t place it… dried fruits? Rose hips? Some effect from the oats? It’s subtle and delicious. Dry roastiness and a fruit-infused chocolate effect. It’s remarkable.
Mouthfeel: Thick and chewy and full-bodied. Nice drawn-out dry finish with hints of that unknown fruit character.
Overall: Simply one of the very best.
On BeerAdvocate, it accordingly scores an A grade. On RateBeer, it similarly scores 3.91 out of 5, and is in their 98th percentile.
One of my favorites too. Rogue really knows what they’re doing. Shakespeare was one of the first stouts to convince me I could enjoy a stout. Nice review.
I have to say I love stouts, and for some reason this one leaves me a little flat. I’ve bought two bottles, two different tastings and it just didn’t give me the true super beer that I was encouraged to believe it was. Some of the rogue products hit me that way, it was the same experience with the chocolate stout which I was using for a dessert beer paired with a chocolate pot au creme. I suspects its just me, since everyone raves
However, at the same price point, but with more alcohol, I’d rather drink Stone Russian Imperial. It’s sort of like comparing oranges and tangerines, but it gets the job done.