Hoppy Feet - Clown Shoes

jonvan04

Pennsylvania

2.4/5  rDev -38.8%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 4 | overall: 2

Picked up a bottle on a trip to Boston. This was my first beer I've had from this brewery. The beer was bottled on 9/2011. It poured a very dark brown with a thin tan head. The aroma was grassy and dry, almost resembled a dry sponge. The taste was of overwhelmingly vegetal hop flavors without much of a malt presence. The carbonation and mouthfeel were appropriate for this style. Normally I love this style and I love hoppy beers, but the grassy hop flavors made it very difficult for me to finish the glass.

Serving type: bottle

12-15-2011 02:43:38 | More by jonvan04

andrewinski1

Maine

2.48/5  rDev -36.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

The bottle says it was bottled in the first week of February. Poured into a tulip. Nice dark black color. Light colored almost mocha colored but not quite head. The lacing is nice and sticky. The head is about half an inch large.

The aroma is a 50/50 split between burnt char and orange juicey hops. The burnt aroma doesn't really work well here for me; it seems a bit harsh and a bit much. It reminds me a bit of burnt bacon a bit.

Despite their best efforts, the hops are overwhelmed with roasted bitterness. The hops merely add a hint of mint and herbal qualities in the finish; though not enough to warrant the advertised hoppiness. Though I can't site anything offensive in the taste, it is very underwhelming.

The body is relatively light and the mouthfeel is slightly crispy, allowing for a nice drinking experience. Overall, this is not a very good example of a hoppy black ale. I can think of a few others I would much rather have.

Serving type: bottle

03-02-2011 06:28:19 | More by andrewinski1

kingcrowing

Vermont

2.53/5  rDev -35.5%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.5

22oz bomber poured into a sampling glass.

Pours a dark brown with hints of dark ruby, a small business town head. Nose is a bit off, it's malty and a bit astringent and just not exciting.

The taste has an iron flavor along with some light astringency, there is a light hop bite on the finish. The Mouthfeel is fairly thick and rich but it's just not an impressive beer.

Serving type: bottle

08-18-2011 01:46:04 | More by kingcrowing

Ncpogs

Illinois

2.7/5  rDev -31.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Not what I expected in a black IPA. Had a very deep chocolate color and poured with a great deal of head. There was too much roasted malted taste and not enough hop for my liking. A decent beer but not the IPA I was looking for. Would recommend for a stout drinker.

Serving type: bottle

09-29-2012 02:38:00 | More by Ncpogs

gfreed

Massachusetts

2.73/5  rDev -30.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

A whopper of a head is probably the most notable thing about this beer-- it's tall, dark and thick, sinking at the edges and lasting forever in the center. With the deep dark color of the beer, it looks for all the world like a good stout. A somewhat toasted aroma is mixed with rubber and some tart citrus. Thick body, which goes well with the color and the head, but the taste was sadly overshadowed by vinyl and burned wheat toast. The hops tasted raw and dry and way too bitter, and the edges were quite sharp. Get rid of the sharpness and the vinyl and this could be a decent beer in an IPA style. For the time being, however, it's a pass.

Serving type: bottle

02-15-2010 02:35:54 | More by gfreed

Jammies

Illinois

2.78/5  rDev -29.1%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

A - pours black with about a quarter an inch of foam which slowly dissipates.

S - slightly dank smelling. A leafy and swampy odor overwhelms the sweet smells.

T - weet and grassy. Not as hot as Hoppy Feet 1.5, but still malty and not that impressive.

M - Not too heavy. medium body and the malts do not linger as much as expected. A slightly coarse finish.

O - pretty disappointed. More tolerable than the 1.5, but Stone's Black IPA is still my favorite for this style.

Serving type: bottle

11-26-2011 18:22:04 | More by Jammies

TMoney2591

Illinois

2.88/5  rDev -26.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.5

Served in a tumbler at The Tribes.

The Accidental Highway to Hell Tour continues! This stop pours a dark garnet-tinged black-brown topped by a finger of dusty tan micro-foam. The nose comprises chocolate, light roasted malts, dry pine needles, and very light sand (honestly, what my brain associates with this smell is sand...). The taste holds notes of coffee, darkly roasted malts, light leather, light char, sharp pine resin, and lime skin. Things come off decidedly bitter and acrid, to the point that my face evinces my body's inner wincing. The body is a light medium, with a very light moderate carbonation and a smooth feel. Overall, what seems like a good beer decides to go all Mr. Hyde on my tongue, ruining everything. I'm not sure what happened, but it's just too darkly bitter and astringent for my liking.

Serving type: on-tap

11-08-2011 22:46:46 | More by TMoney2591

sweethome

Illinois

2.93/5  rDev -25.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Pour is a nice dark coffee color. Nice tan head, fluffy. Nose is big floral blast of grapefruit. A hint of roast.

Entry is medium bodied, astringent hop bite. Little development of flavor due to astringent bite. The most astringent and bitey beer I have had that was not homebrew. Yes, that it what it reminds me of, one of my first attempts at an ipa.

The finish is equally harsh....enough said.

Serving type: bottle

05-14-2011 03:51:31 | More by sweethome

TK5150

Maine

2.95/5  rDev -24.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2

On draft at the GLB

A- Dark brown with some ruby/light brown highlights. Small beige head consisting of small bubbles.

S- Dark malts with hints of piney american hops.

T- Dry cocoa powder and the bitterness from piney hops and roasted malts. The bitterness becomes the major taste of the beer as I continue to finish off the glass. I really enjoy dark hoppy beers, and this was majorly disappointing. Not much hop flavor, nor much complexity.

M- Medium bodied and low carbonation. If this had higher carbonation I probably would not have finished the beer, so in this case it helped.

D- Not conducive to drinking another glass. Liked it less and less as I drank. Will not get again.

I have only had two beers from Clown Shoes, this and Brown Angel. Brown Angel was very nice, this was not.

Serving type: on-tap

02-27-2011 19:25:14 | More by TK5150

MbpBugeye

Ohio

2.95/5  rDev -24.7%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 2.5

Thanks to neorunner for this. "Bottled the middle of April 2011". Poured into a Minneapolis Town Hall flute.

Appearance
The pour is a dark root beer color. The glass allows the deep reds and browns to collect in a satiny black. A tall, pale tan head fades to an uneven layer with lots of doily looking lace.

Aroma
There really isn't a whole lot going on here that I like. Some ashy, almost smokey dark malts with a slight roast to them. Hops are just all pine, but aren't bursting out like I would hope. It doesn't smell bad, just not interesting. There's no wow factor.

Taste
The hops are giving off at least a little bit of citrus here, but its still predominately pine. Coffee and cocoa roastiness build the charcoal laden malt base. The finish is a nice, clean, even bitterness that is style appropriate.

Mouthfeel
The feel of this beer is the best part. It's carbonation is nicely dialed back. The body is smooth, very creamy for a black IPA. The finish is long and very dry. It goes well with the bitter cocoa and pine aftertaste.

Overall
Nothing too special here. There isn't anything wrong with it, its just not memorable.

Serving type: bottle

07-09-2011 03:56:02 | More by MbpBugeye

Thorpe429

Illinois

3/5  rDev -23.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Bottle provided by Huhzubendah. Thanks, Matt. Served in a tulip.

Pours near black with a fairly-good off-white to tan head. Mild lacing and a thin cap. The nose brings forward some slight roast as well as a bit of hoppy character--mostly a bit of pine. Some toasted malt in the background as well. Nothing really seems to gel here. The taste follows along the same lines. There's some roast and there's some pine, but I don't really get anything coming together. The finish has something off with a very strange dryness. A bit too much chocolate for the style. The finish is a bit astringent. I liked their brown much better; something about this one just didn't really work for me.

Serving type: bottle

01-04-2011 02:49:02 | More by Thorpe429

TheGordianKnot

Tennessee

3/5  rDev -23.5%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Nice beer received from lnashsig. Poured into globe tulip...

A- Blackish brown, two fingers of a light brown head. Not incredible lacing, but a few clumps stick to the glass here or there.

S- Very tart. Not fully infected, but its on the verge? Reminds me of that damn chalky pacman yeast, made famous by Rogue.

T/M- Fairly dull and character-less bitterness. Its there, but its just there; doesn't seem to contribute much to the flavor posdible as a whole. Again, chalky. Slight roast, with a grassy and floral hop offering. Body is exactly what you'd expect- medium, slightly acidic, well carbonated.

O- It was ok... Not great, not bad... Just an ok beer. Wouldn't give another go I think. Didn't have any substantial differentiating factor. I was looking forward to trying Clown Shoes, bit of a let down... Maybe Eagle Claw Fist will change my mind

Serving type: bottle

09-01-2011 19:58:23 | More by TheGordianKnot

nas5755

Massachusetts

3.03/5  rDev -22.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

On tap at the BBC.

The pour revealed a black beer with a nice head on the lighter side of tan. The lacing was spectalur and followed the beer all the way down the glass. The nose has citus hops and a slight tinge of dark malt. The taste was light on the citrus hops, one dimensional malts(porter like) and a bitter afterbite that was quite pleasant. This beer was smooth with a good carbonation level. Overall, this was a decent beer.

Serving type: on-tap

09-18-2010 23:09:46 | More by nas5755

andylipp

Massachusetts

3.05/5  rDev -22.2%
look: 4 | smell: 2 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

22oz bottle poured into a Corsendonk tulip.

Appearance -Not black, as one might expect from the name, but a deep brownish red that unwillingly allows light through. Mocha colored head of about ¾ inch formed in my tulip taster, and it faded pretty quickly. The second pour (after it warmed a bit) produced a much more impressive head, yet is still subsided swiftly. A bit of lacing, but not a bunch.

Smell -I noted a spicy, piney hop scent and not much else. Perhaps a bit of malt sweetness in the nose as it warms.

Taste -It's interesting how the initial hop taste was of a compost-y variety; not unpleasant but not your typical IPA hop profile, either. Heavy on the pine, with a bit sweet malt aroma. That sweetness dies a quick death, though. The roasted grain character rears its head in the middle but disappears as quickly as it arrived. There's a dry-ish finish that gives way to an even later bitter hoppy aftertaste.

Mouthfeel -The mouthfeel is quite creamy, yet not as viscous as, say, a Baltic porter. Carbonation is perfect; spot-on for the style.

Drinkability- The hop profile is not to my liking. Still, the interesting malt bill and dry finish makes it pretty drinkable in my book.

Comments- I would have liked to have seen much more roasted malt character in this brew to balance out the pine-sol hop profile.

A baseball analogy seems appropriate for this beer overall: not a swing and a miss, but this one only has warning track power.

Serving type: bottle

02-16-2010 23:11:22 | More by andylipp

corby112

Pennsylvania

3.05/5  rDev -22.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Pours a very dark brown that appears pitch black and completely opaque in the glass with a one finger light beige head that slowly fades into a lasting ring.  Spots of lacing left behind.  

Earthy hop aroma with hints of grass and pine countered by a roasted malt character.  More malty than hoppy with hints of burnt malt, chocolate, coffee bean, oatmeal and toffee.  Theres a floral hop presence but it's a bit too malty with no citrus or sweetness and the hops are overpowered by the roasted notes.  

Medium bodied with a nice bitter, dry hop presnce up front with hints of floral hops and earthy pine.  Underneath there is a prominent roasted malt character with hints of burnt toast, coffee bean, dark chocolate and oatmealal.  Slightly acrid but not overly bitter.  Faint sweetness and subtle lactic cream but overall the bitterness from the hops compliments the roasted malt.  A bit bitter, dry and earthy but not from the hops.  Too malty to be an ipa and not enough complexity to be a hoppy dark beer.  

Serving type: bottle

07-03-2011 17:17:12 | More by corby112

FishGetter

Massachusetts

3.18/5  rDev -18.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Trying to explore different IPA's I'm excited to see a few offerings of Black IPA's at the local store. This is the first tasting.
Light barley able to show through, dark toasted grain color. Thin frothy head dwindles slowly.
Medium amount of citrus hop aroma backed by a mild toasted grain. Great twist on a IPA. Nice ballance of malt and hops, slight favor in the hops.
Toasted grain hits right up front. Throws ya for a loop. More like a porter. Some coffee notes pop in mixed with mild citrus-piney hop flavor. Reviewer would perfer to have a hoppier profile. Finishes much like a stout with clean grain flavors and some bitterness.
Somewhat thin mouthfeel. Builds only slightly. Needs improvement. Some hop resins cling to mouth.
Offering didn't meet reviewers expectations. Nice crafted offering, but would rather see a bigger body with a higher IBU.

Serving type: bottle

03-11-2010 19:09:51 | More by FishGetter

justintcoons

Pennsylvania

3.2/5  rDev -18.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

12oz bottle poured into a shaker pint.

Appearance
Cola-colored black with ruby red highlights. 1 finger of off-white head with good retention.

Nose
Tangerine, pine, caramel and Tootsie Roll.

Taste
Bitter pine with notes of tangerine and lemon. Caramel, Cola, charcoal and cocoa nibs. Pine needles are full force in the finish along with some grapefruit zest.

Mouthfeel
Medium bodied, oily, bitter and dry.

Overall
It's okay. Nothing that I would buy again though.

Serving type: bottle

05-11-2013 21:06:21 | More by justintcoons

OakedCanuck

Washington

3.25/5  rDev -17.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

22oz bottle poured into cervoise

A - Straight black with brown edging. Tannish head that left decent sticky lacing

S - Coffee roast, pine and lemon hops, smoke

T - Very smoky. The roasted malts almost are bordering on burnt. The citric hops are there, and are nice but they are a bit overshadowed by the ashy smokiness of it.

M - On the thinner side. Effervescent, and the smokiness leaves a weird aftertaste

D - Just another average BIPA. Nothing overwhelming but it isn't too bad. Could use a bit less smoke but not too hard to drink.

Serving type: bottle

03-23-2011 14:04:01 | More by OakedCanuck

legalpete19340

Virginia

3.25/5  rDev -17.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

A: Poured a nice dark black with with dark khaki head. Head stuck around for a while and did respectable lacing.

S: Great big pine. Like a great healthy wet forest. Juicy grapefruit swings in the back. Very fragrant. It smells dark with a bit of burned molasses and over toasted wheat bread.

T: Boom bitter. This thing is hugely bitter from start to finish. The bitterness actually overwhelms the actually hop notes of pine and mild citrus. I can tell the dark malt is there but its hard to distinguish from the bitterness. Some burnt toast and dark roasted malt.

M: Solid. Its not syrupy but fizzes a little on the tongue. Bigger than medium.

O: This one has elements of a great Black IPA but the complexities and nuances seem overwhelmed by the extreme bitterness. I dont think I will reach for another as the bitterness tended to grate on me from the very beginning.

Serving type: bottle

05-20-2011 20:28:37 | More by legalpete19340

frognot

Texas

3.25/5  rDev -17.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Appearance: Dark chocolate brown with a thick foamy khaki head

Smell: Roasted chocolate and coffee

Taste: Hops predominate over the roasted maltiness. I'm a hop-head so this is one of the better black IPAs that I've tried.
Started good but finished kind of flat.

Mouthfeel: Moderate body with adequate carbonation.

Drinkability: Fairly drinkable black IPA.

Serving type: bottle

10-01-2011 00:53:26 | More by frognot

shoky01

Texas

3.25/5  rDev -17.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Pours pitch black with white head and lacing.

Smells hoppy and malty.

T: Yeah, its an IPA, strong hops but luckily it doesn't stick around. Some malts but Hoppy feet is a prevalent name.

MF: Leaves a bit of a film or hops.

OA: nope not so much, not gonna drink it again.

Of the Clown shoes I tried I liked this one the least but won't hold it against them, I'm not a hop-head after all.

Serving type: bottle

10-03-2011 19:46:45 | More by shoky01

spicelab

Australia

3.25/5  rDev -17.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Bomber from Slowbeer. Not sure of the brewing date.

Dark mahogany on the pour. Modest beige milkshakey head, recedes gradually to leave a 1cm raised ring and film.

Nose is quite roasty and nutty, showing chocolate milk, liquorice, baked caramel and hints of candy sugar. In time, a refined herbal hop character emerges, alongside some mild plasticy phenolics. Nice definition overall.

Slightly milder flavours. Lots of dry roast, bay leaves, mild pine, earthy herbal edge. A bit pallid overall.

Light body for 7% Pleasant silky carbonation, and a restrained bitterness which seems equally contributed by roast and hops.

Sound, drinkable and approachable, but it underachieves - especially as something purporting to be a black IPA. Strikes as more a regular stout or even a Schwarzbier.

Serving type: bottle

12-27-2012 11:58:07 | More by spicelab

kzoobrew

Michigan

3.28/5  rDev -16.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Bottle courtesy of cadaugherty, Cheers my friend!

Poured into Stone IPA glass. Even with a careful pour a monstrous four finger cafe au lait head develops. The retention is very impressive. Broken moth eaten lacing is left clinging to the walls of the glass. The body appears black until the glass is held to the light. With the light beaming down a deep crimson brown color is shown. Very good looking American Black Ale.

The aroma is much more subdued than what I expected. The roasted malt sits pretty heavy, not a good sign in my opinion. The aroma is not really showing me what I would expect from the style, the malt is outweighing the hops. Pine and subtle soft citrus hops seem to be submerged by the malt. An issue of balance here, the beer smells good but is just out of balance.

Out of the glass strong roasted malt and dark chocolate coat the tongue. The piney hop flavor develops mid palate and is very complimentary but does not develop the intensity I expect. The roasted flavor is a bit bitter and astringent on the back of the palate. The flavor is not bad but just leads to confusion, not sure what style this is but it is not a Black IPA as labeled.

Medium bodied, moderate carbonation. While the deep roasted flavor lays of the tongue, the finish is quite dry.

Not a bad beer but a poor example of the style. With some expectations for the style this beer did not meet them. I can easily finish the bomber but it is just not what I wanted. I am not sure I would enjoy more than a single serving of this beer, not my thing. Glad to have had the opportunity.

Serving type: bottle

03-05-2011 03:29:38 | More by kzoobrew

DavoleBomb

Ohio

3.28/5  rDev -16.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Poured into a snifter. Big thanks to Hojaminbag for this.

4.5 A: As with other Clown Shoes, this one has a good bit too much carbonation. Took several pours to get a full glass. Black in color. Three fingers of creamy/pillowy light brown head with very good retention and a good bit of lacing.

4.0 S: Piney hops foremost with grapefruit, earthiness, and a light citrusy component. Almost nearly as strong is a dry roastiness with slight touches of caramel and chocolate. Quite pleasant.

3.0 T: Hop bitterness combined with roasty bitterness is a bit overwhelming. Lots of pine, earth, and grapefruit with lesser amounts of of orange and nondescript fruitiness. Unfortunately, as with most black IPAs, the hop flavors clash with the roastiness. Again light caramel.

3.0 M: Lighter medium body. Carbonation is a bit higher than I'd like. Not nearly as creamy as I'd like with an ashy aftertaste.

3.0 D: I was really looking forward to this one after having the 1.5 version (which was the only black IPA that I can say I've loved) at a tasting. This is more along the lines of a typical black IPA, where nothing works well with anything else.

Serving type: bottle

07-15-2011 19:47:50 | More by DavoleBomb

mlazzaro

Massachusetts

3.33/5  rDev -15.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Looks black but not opaque. The color shinning through is a beautiful cherry. Light brown head started strong but is now having some trouble holding in the glass. Smells good, floral hop smell. I feel like I can smell the bitterness. Taste is quite bitter and surprisingly roasty in flavor. Very Porter-esk. I always think IBAs just taste like very bitter/hoppy porters. And get way better after aging, trying to tame the bitterness and flavor hops down, and bring out the maltiness. After reading the ABV of the beer, I can see why the flavors were so intense. Interesting beer, could use some adjustment for the sake of balance in my opinion.

Serving type: bottle

05-20-2011 12:36:08 | More by mlazzaro