Rogue Shakespeare Stout

I'm going to take this opportunity to review one of my very favorite beers. Is it presumptuous to say Rogue is one of the world's great breweries? The Oregon experimenters have produced some crap in their day (I absolutely detest Hazelnut Brown Nectar, and I think Dead Guy is one of the most overrated beers in the US), but their wild and uninhibited experimentation has also led to the creation of some of America's finest craft brews.


Rogue Shakespeare Stout
Rogue Ales, Newport, OR
Grade: A+

22 oz bottle poured into standard pint glass. Luscious, thick, creamy mocha-colored two-finger head hangs out forever, leaving beautiful and persistent lacing all the way down the glass. Deep brown/black and opaque, with a touch of deep ruby red translucency at the bottom of the glass. Complex and evocative aromas rise from the pour, including bittersweet cocoa, toffee, tart fruit, earthy grasses, mushrooms, and wood smoke. Flavors are just as complex - the coffee and chocolate notes inherent to the style are present and beautifully balanced, along with sweet toffee, butterscotch and a welcome brushstroke of flowery hops. An impression of smoked meat and rich desserts lurks underneath the surface. Unbelievably smooth, almost cream-like mouthfeel with a gently lingering bitterness that appears at the last moment. This beer should serve as a benchmark for American stouts, and stands as one of the great achievements of American craft brewing.

I had the opportunity to try this beer on a nitro tap at the pub in Newport - if you see Shakespeare on nitro, DO NOT PASS IT UP!! While the bottled and carbonated version of this beer is spectacular, nitrogen shoots it into the stratosphere, giving it an even thicker, creamier, richer head and an insidiously decadent texture.

À votre santé,

Andrew