Shakespeare Oatmeal Stout
Poured from a 22 oz bottle into a mug. Pours an incredibly dark color, closest to pure black I've ever seen, with just the barest hints of brown around the edges of the glass. A nice tan billowy head with a little lacing. Smell is strong mocha malt, with a hint of alcohol, some nuttiness, a little chocolate, sweet molasses. Fairly bitter flavor up front, although not particularly hoppy until the end. Coffee flavor in the middle, with strong roasted malts coming through. A little sweet at the end, before the aftertaste. Body is strong and full, creamy, with solid carbonation; an oddly 'crunchy' beer, although I'm not sure if that makes any sense. It's a good beer, with a distinct, interesting flavor. For me it's a little too extensively bitter (a sort of coffee-like hoppiness, if that's possible) in the aftertaste, which makes it a little less drinkable. But overall, a good beer, quite tasty.