Brown Angel - Clown Shoes

William85

Texas

3.26/5  rDev -14.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 3.25

Overall, I found this beer to be only slightly better than average -- certainly better than say, Newcastle, but not as complex/interesting as I thought a 'double' brown ale from Clown Shoes would be (I'm still not sure what 'double' means in this context, aside from being a bit hoppier and having a marginally higher ABV than most browns).

Given that my favorite styles are DIPA, American Black, Barleywine and Imperial stout, it's possible that I am underrating this beer due to purely personal preferences. However, it also seemed to be significantly over-carbonated, resulting in a suboptimal mouthfeel.

Serving type: bottle

05-15-2013 23:07:45 | More by William85

beergoot

Colorado

3.7/5  rDev -3.4%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Dark amber body displaying a thick, creamy and sticky light tan head. Deep, rich malt nose; caramel, roasted nuts; touch of spicy hop scents. Strong roasted grain flavor; slight burnt undertone; some alcohol notes; decent hop bitterness at the finish. Solid medium body.

A rather good brown ale. The alcohol heat becomes increasingly more noticeable after a few sips and somewhat distracts from the malt and hop character, but by and large, it lives up to its “double” styling with big, bold flavors.

Serving type: bottle

05-02-2013 23:47:04 | More by beergoot

acevenom

Louisiana

3.65/5  rDev -4.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Poured into a snifter glass. Pours opaque dark brown with a thick beige head that dissipates very slowly. There are lots of visible streaming bubbles that can be seen on the side of the glass. Lots of lacing is left on the side of the glass during consumption. There are aromas of brown malt, toffee, nuts, chocolate, and some floral hops hit the nose. The flavors do follow the nose. There's some mild toffee sweetness with some nuttiness and roastiness from the malts. I get some faint chocolate notes and plenty of back end bitterness from the hops. There are also some citrus notes. The body is light to medium with strong carbonation. The hops and malt roastiness remain in the aftertaste for a little while. This is a good beer.

Serving type: bottle

02-07-2013 01:16:40 | More by acevenom

beerthulhu

New Jersey

3.79/5  rDev -1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

A: Opaque nature in the vessel with a frumpy khaki oatmeal textured like head of modest statue. Retention was worthy, as is the thin skim coating that enhances the vessel for lacing.

S: Nice brown malting upfront jumps up at you. Quick flash of flowery hops preceeds with a spicy kent finish on the nose. The hop boutique doesnt stick around with any longtivity, while the roasty and nutty nature of the malt soon rears its dominance in a heavy handed dose of aromatic display.

T: Spicy cola, nutty fresh roast depth is the first impression. Fresh wet coffee grains has a lingering effect and a dry touch on the finish. The hops are harder to pick up on then was with the nose. Some gentle spiciness rings through but it is surely the deep malt base that is to be appreciated here. The deeper into the drink the more prominent the wet coffee roast grounds appear lingering with some dry creamer notes after the swallow. Nice level of roasty bitterness.

M: The mouthful is creamy, roasty, nicely bitter,with a spicy coffee touch.

O: Oveall a hearty coffee roast, fresh, dark grounds, nicely bitter, with a deep nutty brown malt base is the highlights here. While i like the unique usage of the columbus and kent hops, they are but most only briefly appreciated on the nose and have little influence on the flavoring.But then again the malt should be the showcase in any brown especially a double one.

4 3.75 4 4 4

Serving type: bottle

01-24-2013 23:28:18 | More by beerthulhu

Tomhet

Illinois

4/5  rDev +4.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance: Nearly black, slightly dark brown body with a one-finger copper/brown head that dissipates quickly and leaves decent lacing. A very slight amount of light gets through.

Aroma: Nutty dark chocolate/coffee/toffee blasts the nose straightaway and strikes a perfect balance between the three main notes. I can't distinguish any sort of hop character, but I'm not complaining.

Taste: Delicious. The aforementioned triumvirate of dark chocolate/coffee/toffee hits you in sequential order, each of them permeated by a sweet caramel tinge that many others have noted. The nuttiness found in the aroma is present throughout the entire brew, and it reminds me of a pecan at times in the way it complements the overall creaminess of the beer. As the beer warms, a spicy hop presence becomes increasingly notable, much like the Tramp Stamp ale. Body is actually pretty light, and there's little to no carbonation to offer a bite on the tongue. Finishes incredibly smooth with a slightly "wet" mouthfeel; I could drink this all night.

Serving type: bottle

01-05-2013 07:02:23 | More by Tomhet

blackcompg

Illinois

3.9/5  rDev +1.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Enjoyed in a pint glass at The Beer Market in Lincolnshire

A - pours finger of khaki head, body is an opaque mahogany, nice lacing

S - dark ripe fruits, cocoa powder, and pumpernickel bread

T - Tart plumskins, dark unsweetened chocolate, juniper berry, dry pumpernickel bread, wonderful rye flavors long onto the finish.

M - Almost medium, medium carb is somewhat cleansing, makes way for the more bitter, sour and dry nuances - very smooth and drinkable overall

O - very balanced and complex, flavors are on the bold side and leave me contemplating each sip, an extremely well done brown ale, I recommend this one

Serving type: bottle

11-17-2012 01:10:55 | More by blackcompg

CommanderOfAwesome

California

4.05/5  rDev +5.7%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a bomber, no bottled on or freshness date.

A: Pours a dark nut brown color with a tremendous 3.5 finger head. Can't see through it one bit. Nice thick creamy head that holds up well and tons of lacing on the glass.

S: Tons of chocolate malt, caramel and toffee flavors. Hint of nuts.

T: Chocolate roasted malt, some piney hop taste as well. Bitter dry finish.

M: Full bodied, tons of carbonation, creamy texture on the palate.

O: Very good Brown ale, might be my favorite esp for a category that I typically find dull. Great fall beer on a cool night. Bittness works well with the chocolate malts.

Serving type: bottle

10-28-2012 02:19:52 | More by CommanderOfAwesome

Bighuge

Minnesota

3/5  rDev -21.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Chestnut brown body with slight haze. Fluffy beige head leaves sporadic, droopy lace. On the nose I get light roast, some brown malts and a little sourness. Flavor is malt centric with caramel/roasted blend of flavors. Again, I perceive a little sourness, acidity... which is not very welcomed by me. Body is medium at best. LIghtly carbonated. Very average.

Serving type: bottle

10-12-2012 03:55:31 | More by Bighuge

mjryan

Minnesota

4.05/5  rDev +5.7%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Clown Shoes. New to Minnesota. Grabbed a bottle today after reading the label and thinking it sounded pretty good. Hoppy brown ale. Why not? It's brown, so far so good. Smells really nice. Very fruity and hay like, almost reminds me of a well hopped pilsener oddly enough. Slight "brown" aroma as well. Toasty and roasty. A bit of cold press coffee there. Hops at the vanguard. Citrus, floral and grassy. Well defined. Fruit contribution seems to come from the yeast. Subtle apple/pear esters. The "brown" is mellow. Faintly roasty. Shit, I've had black IPA that was roastier than this beer. There is a caramel character in there that's adds a nice layer to the hops. Transitions into a wonderful bitter, estery finish. Great body, carbonation and mouthfeel. Just perfect. This is one hoppy brown ale and I'm glad I picked it up. Not the first Clown Shoes beer I've enjoyed and I'm sure not my last.

Serving type: bottle

09-27-2012 01:22:23 | More by mjryan

Durge

Connecticut

4.38/5  rDev +14.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

From the bomber into the pint glass this is an opaque dark brown colored ale with a giant mound of root beer float tan head and plenty of lace remnants. The aroma is a very tasteful chocolate malt and fruit nougat with a minty, herbal accent. Add a touch of pine skunk and you have a classy nose hit. The flavor follows with a neat marriage of sweet chocolate malt and funky cabbage-pine hop bite. Really interesting and tasty with a creamy feel, medium bodied with subtle carbonation. The hops are very classy here, not smashmouth at all, sort of swampy-veggie, but a definite key to this wonderful flavor. Smooth, flavorful and different. Very nice.

Serving type: bottle

09-17-2012 16:06:54 | More by Durge

ChrisPratz

3.93/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A: Deep dark transparent brown color pours to three fingers of nice light brownish/tan colored head that really sticks around and clings the entire way down the glass.

S: Very aromatic roasted malts. Nice caramel and toffee flavors along with some nice citrus piney hops scents. Very enjoyable.

T: Chocolate roasted malt right from the get go with some other dark roasted malt flavors. Leads into the piney hops that was observed on the nice. Very slight piney hops but leads into a nice hop bitterness that balances it all out.

M: Medium carbonation works well with the roasted malt and hop bitterness. Leaves a light creamy feeling on the palette that moves to very slight dryness at the end.

O: Very nice brown ale. Bit more bitterness then i expected but it worked well with the dark roasted malts. Clown Shoes keeps kicking out nice brews and this is no exception.

Serving type: bottle

08-20-2012 01:23:31 | More by ChrisPratz

bluejacket74

Ohio

3.53/5  rDev -7.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

22 ounce bottle, bottled 7/11. Served in a mug, the beer pours a dark reddish/brown color with a half inch tan head that stayed around for a little while. There's also a good amount of lacing. It smells like toasted malt, brown sugar, toffee, nuts and some citrus. Taste is similar to the aroma, it tastes like nuts, toasted malt, caramel, brown sugar, and some floral and citrusy hops. There's a slight bitter finish. Mouthfeel/body is medium, with there being a moderate amount of carbonation. I think it's a decent enough brew, a buddy of mine picked this up for me on a not so recent trip out of town so it was nice to try it. Hopefully next time I'll have a fresher bottle.

Serving type: bottle

08-16-2012 21:15:13 | More by bluejacket74

ehammond1

California

3.65/5  rDev -4.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Bottle (2011)

(Aged for 1 year)

Clear dark amber and brown with a big khaki colored head that lasts and lasts, eventually leaving sheets and irregular lines of lace down the glass. This appears much heavier and substantial than most browns. Very, very pretty.

Mild aroma of roast, bready, and mild caramel. There's very little hop presence, but that could be my fault for letting this one sit for as long as I did.

The flavor is very roasty, especially for the style. There's good amounts of bready and some toffee, but this is decidedly roasty for any beer, and especially for a brown ale.

Medium bodied with moderate-high carbonation, and a touch prickly.

Good, but I did this beer no service by sitting on it for a year.

Serving type: bottle

08-08-2012 23:41:24 | More by ehammond1

vickersspitfire

Texas

4.33/5  rDev +13.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This is a very dark brown beer with hints a red hues toward the bottom of the glass, the head is fairly thin (roughly one and a half fingers thick) and wanes considerably into a layer of bubbles and lacing. Medium carbonation and a slight haze fill the inner body of this beer. Coffee, dark chocolate, roasted coffee bean, fig and raisins all fill your nostrils as you breathe in the sweet aromas emanating from the nectar of the gods. The mouth feel is rather light and dull, but the carbonation is very present. The flavor is mild overall, sweet, bitter when it hits the sides of your mouth and it fills your tongue with roasted coffee bean (mildly) roasted malts, very mild hops. The aftertaste lingers long after you swallow, it’s a bit harsh and slightly bitter and is dominated by roasted malts, brown sugar and mild hops. I think I just found my new favorite brown ale!

Serving type: bottle

07-30-2012 04:13:14 | More by vickersspitfire

PicoPapa

Connecticut

3.88/5  rDev +1.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

22oz bottle with Bottled 4/2012 on the side. Pours a dark, murky brown with an inch of frothy tan head. Lots of lacing. Aromas of caramel malts, earth, brown sugar, and a hint of citrus. Taste is mostly of caramel malts with floral hops at the end. Maybe some hints of chocolate. Silky mouthfeel. Tastes a bit boozier than I would have expected. Overall, one of the better Brown Ales out there. Well done.

Serving type: bottle

07-12-2012 03:40:54 | More by PicoPapa

tdm168

North Carolina

4.35/5  rDev +13.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A - dark brown with a reddish hue; soft, dense, off white-brownish head that has great retention

S - caramel, nutty, faintly roasty

T - nutty, caramel, toffee, coffee, roasty, faintly citrusy

M - medium bodied, smooth, crisp, well carbonated

This is a really solid brown ale. It has great flavor and great drinkability. The malt character is spot on with just enough hop character for balance. I wish this came in six packs, I would buy them for sure.

Serving type: bottle

06-24-2012 01:37:53 | More by tdm168

kangarooAdam59

Maine

4.93/5  rDev +28.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Bottled last week of January 2011:

Out of a 22 ounce bomber and into a pint glass:

A: deep brown colored body with a light cream colored one finger head leaving some nice ringy lacing. The body is too dark for any carbonation to be seen

S: nuts and roasty chocolates with some slight caramels backing that up. A bit of brown sugar comes in with the hops telling you that this is a beer.

T: superb with a roasty, sweet, malty caramel, chocolate flavor. The nuttiness doesn't take any backseat as it powers through into the taste, everything is there.

M: medium but still well done between wet and dry on the tongue. It is very smooth and creamy, just like any Brown should be.

O: there is barely a single thing I can say that is bad on this, this is an exceptionally well done beer. I know I'm biased towards browns, but is this really this good?

Serving type: bottle

06-19-2012 00:00:16 | More by kangarooAdam59

Beerandraiderfan

Nevada

3.55/5  rDev -7.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Yeah, I'm giving it an extra .5 point on appearance because of the label. Damn, it looks so good. As a fellow fan of brown angels, this one really floated my boat, image wise. Aroma was nutty, and relatively hoppy for a brown ale for sure.

Plenty bitter taste via the hop delivery. Still picking up plenty in the nuttiness department as well. Decent enough malt bill for a brown ale, isn't super thin or thick, kind of in the goldilocks range, a little reminiscient of Mammoth's double nut, except hoppier. Usual toffee, nutty and caramel malt aspects to mention.

By the end of the 22oz, I was ready to change it up, but I think simply the notion that I was able to drink 22oz of any brown ale, kind of speaks for itself, as I fall into the typical, kinda "meh" on the brown ale style these days.

Serving type: bottle

06-14-2012 18:34:54 | More by Beerandraiderfan

UCLABrewN84

California

3.08/5  rDev -19.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Thanks to DrAwkward82 for sharing this one at drewone’s tasting.

Bottled 4/2011.

Pours a murky brown with an explosively large khaki head that eventually settles to a thin cap on top of the beer. Small streaks of lace form around the glass on the drink down. Smell is of toasted malt and nutty aromas. Taste is very much the same with a medium amount of bitterness with each sip. This beer has a very high level of carbonation that is just too much. Overall, this is a pretty average beer as it stands and I think there may be a slight infection issue with the huge head and extreme carbonation that this particular bottle has.

Serving type: bottle

06-05-2012 01:09:02 | More by UCLABrewN84

cindyjeffsmith

Georgia

4/5  rDev +4.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance: deep dark brown. Nearly black but with some reddish highlights round the edges. Wisp of an off white head.
Smell: heavy malt typical of a brown. Pretty full hop presence too.
Taste: full malty brown with a slightly bitter finish.
Overall: not bad, not great. Can't help but compare to dfh Indian brown which is a go to brown for me.

Serving type: bottle

05-31-2012 00:23:44 | More by cindyjeffsmith

VelvetExtract

Massachusetts

4.03/5  rDev +5.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 5 | overall: 3.5

A-Pours a deep luscious brown color. Transparent but decently dark. Light cream colored head is of respectable stature. Head leaves plenty of lacing.

S-Nutty and roasty. Chocolate covered caramel and brown sugar. Love the nutty element. More than enough hops in the nose too. Plenty to like here.

T-This is a very flavorful Brown Ale. Roastiness is stressed. Cola aspects. Lingering nuttiness meshes very nicely with some bittering hop flavors. Powdered cocoa and brown sugar.

M-A big Brown Ale, but the body is lighter than I was expecting. Plenty of carbonation. Lightly drying on the palate.

O/D-An amped up Brown Ale. Several flavor components. I am starting to appreciate Brown Ales more and this is one of the better Browns I have come across. Plenty of flavor but still fairly light in body for a rather high ABV brew. Clown Shoes is very consistent with their offerings.

Serving type: bottle

05-26-2012 18:23:00 | More by VelvetExtract

trxxpaxxs

New York

3.08/5  rDev -19.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

A: Pours out a rich dark mahogany. There are slight hues or dark reds through the beer and about two full fingers of light khaki colored head. The foam settles fairly quickly leaving some big lacing along the edges of the glass.

S: The nose is roasted malt, seaweed, prunes, and booze. This beer might be a bit old, and it kinda smells that way. It's a weird mix of scents.

T: The initial hit is stale bread, roasted malt, a bit of sweetness, and a good amount of booze. It starts out ok, but I really lose it in the middle and the finish. I'm missing that familiar roast/nuttiness that brown ales are known for.

M: Medium bodied beer. It starts and finish pretty dry. This might be caused by the higher ABV, but I'm not sure.

O: Not a fan of this beer. The flavors are just way off, and the higher alcohol level doesn't really help this brew out. I don't think I'd buy it again.

Serving type: bottle

05-10-2012 23:30:53 | More by trxxpaxxs

tweeder263

Pennsylvania

3.33/5  rDev -13.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Pours out a medium brown beer, huge ass head, i didnt pour too hard to induce it either.Smells very nice , has major porter scents to it, coffee,roasted scent. Tastes rather like a porter also, not that i care, its good.Semi sweet ,malty, hoppy. An ok beer as i get closer to finishing the bottle, im beginning to find it a bit average.

Serving type: bottle

05-01-2012 01:29:44 | More by tweeder263

oline73

Maryland

2.2/5  rDev -42.6%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2

Poured from a bomber into a standard pint glass.

Appearance: Pours a dark brown color with a hint of red when the light hits the bottle. There is a ton of tan head that stays around for quite a while. This one might be a bit over carbonated.

Smell: This is a mild smelling beer considering the abv. Some mildly roasty malt, to be honest it's slightly soapy. Getting a real faint brown sugar smell.

Taste: Not very sweet at all. Some slightly roasty malt, no nutty or caramel note. The finish is bitter and there is some alcohol presence as well. Not my favorite of this style.

Mouthfeel: Medium body with an extremely high amount of carbonation and a dry finish.

Overall: This is a very subpar brown ale. Over carbonated and no real malt presence. I will never have this one again.

Serving type: bottle

04-27-2012 01:31:54 | More by oline73

ChainGangGuy

Georgia

3.68/5  rDev -3.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

22 ounce bottle - $5.99 at Total Wine & More in Kennesaw, Georgia. Bottled 1/2012.

Appearance: Pours out a deep, dark medium-brown body beneath a tall, foaming, light tan-hued head.

Smell: A central deep breadiness, fairly toasty in the scent, streaked by hoppy notes of spice (white pepper), florals, and pithy tangerine peelings.

Taste: Bread, toasted grains sliding towards a roasty chicory-like taste given a thin layer of sprinkled toasted ground nuts. Near nil sweetness, though a very, very low hint of brown sugar that races by the tongue. A mix of florals and spice wrapped up in a big orange, tangerine-flavored bow. Moderate bitterness. Scant grassiness. Drying, bitterish, toasted finish with a light lingering hint of mint leaf.

Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied. Medium carbonation. Smooth mouthfeel.

Overall: As expected, it was a hoppy brown.

Serving type: bottle

04-19-2012 18:31:52 | More by ChainGangGuy