Rogue Brewery has a solid reputation for making high quality beers. I reviewed their Mocha Porter back in February and liked it. So, when a few readers suggested I review the Shakespeare Stout I felt like it would be well worth my time. I picked up a 22oz bomber bottle at my local Total Wine And More. I also decided to pair it with some burgers off of the Big Green Egg. Here’s the review:
ABV 6.0% (instead of the 7.5% I said in the video)
Appearance: It pours very dark with a nice head that sticks around til the end. Lacing is excellent as well.
Smell: The smell is very forward with tons of dark roasted malt which gives it a toasty, slightly bitter smell. There’s a bit of smoke, coffee and chocolate as well.
Taste: The taste is just like the smell. Dark roasted malt flavor is prominent along with some espresso. It has a bit of hops and is slightly acidic with a hop bite. The finish is dry.
Drinkability: This is a very drinkable beer. it goes down very nicely and leaves a hint of bitterness but not so much that it is a negative.
Here I go again with another fantastic beer. I hate it when I have so many good beers in a row. Maybe my next review should be “Old English 800″ Malt Liquor 
The Shakespeare Stout has a great balance of flavors and smells. This is not a chocolate or coffee stout but it has hints of both. It looks great in the glass, has the right aroma, and a taste to back it up. This beer went excellent with my burger. The cow symbol on the bottle didn’t lie.
Here’s how I scored it:
1. Appearance- 9 points (out of 10)
2. Smell- 9 points (out of 10)
3. Taste- 17 points (out of 20)
4. Drinkability- 8 points (out of 10)
Total 43 (out of 50) Points -4 Mugs
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Thanks for this review, Mark!
In “The Big Sleep” (meaning the 1946 film version – I haven’t read the book), there’s an early scene in which the private detective Philip Marlowe is encouraged by his elderly client to drink a glass of brandy on the grounds that the old man (due to his declining health) can only enjoy his vices by proxy. “I enjoyed your drink as much as you did, sir,” he proclaims at the end of the scene.
I find, when reading or watching beer reviews, that they come in several different categories. Some are about hearing another person’s perspective on a beer I already know. Others inform about a beer I’ve never heard of before. And others (such as the present review) deal with a type of beer which I know about and want to try but haven’t yet had the chance – the “proxy-tasting” category! And this category, naturally, is particularly well served by the video (as opposed to written) format.
I like the Rogue brewery. Some of their products have been available here in the UK recently (Mocha Porter, Dead Guy Ale, American Amber and – my favourite – the exquisite Brutal Bitter). There seems to be a rapidly increasing number of American beers being imported here (my delivery today includes several Victory Brewing beers, Anchor Bock Beer and Sierra Nevada Bigfoot – all new to me), so I hope the Shakespeare Stout will turn up in due course.
I wish I could say, like General Sternwood, that I enjoyed your drink as much as you did, but I think I’ll have to settle for having my appetite whetted…
You’re welcome Michael!
Great comment. I never thought of my reviews as being able to let people enjoy beer by proxy but it makes sense. My goal when creating this site was to take the typical written beer review and “transfer” it to video. I think being able to see the beer being poured, tasted, and evaluated, adds to the usefulness of the review. I know I’m having fun doing them and hopefully others find the reviews helpful, and slightly entertaining, to watch.
I have really enjoyed the Rogue beers that I’ve had, but I haven’t had a lot of them yet. I still need to try the Brutal Bitter, for one. I think you will really like the Shakespeare Stout. Hopefully, you can try it soon.