Rogue Shakespeare Stout... #83

As I previously posted, it's time to start making a dent in the highly rated beers I've acquired and proceeded to sit on. I didn't feel like anything too high in alcohol tonight after work so luckily a Rogue Shakespeare Stout was in the fridge. The funny thing is, Rogue is so ubiquitous out here and I haven't had anything from them in a couple years. This stout is ranked as the #83 overall beer on Beer Advocate and is probably the highest ranked regular old American stout. It clocks in at 6% ABV and comes in a 22 oz bottle.

It poured with a tremendous head, and pretty dark at that, although I've seen darker (ie Deschutes Abyss). The smell was rock solid, with up front roasted barley and a bed of caramel and chocolate that smelled super smooth. The taste switched it up a bit, hitting with a roasted coffee first with still a lot of sweet crystal caramel malt and some chocolate. The finish is actually pretty clean, with a little lingering roastiness but no real astringency. The only problem I had with it was the mouthfeel which had really tiny prickling CO2 bubbles that felt kinda off. The body wasn't too bad though, not too thick, not too thin. 4.4/5 and a good start to this new beer drinking project of mine.