Eagle Claw Fist - Clown Shoes

Metalmonk

North Carolina

3.8/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Really good looking beer, this Eagle Claw Fist. The lightly tanned head is creamy and stiff and lasts a long while, leaving big strings of lace in nearly complete circles. Color is an entrancingly dark burnt red, sort of rosewood. As dark as red gets before becoming brown, really. [Addendum after tasting: I wonder what malt they used here? The head and liquid color suggests way more malt presence than what you actually taste. Interesting.]

Clean citrus aroma with a bit of a sugary edge. Sharply herbal too. Simple and straightforward, really nothing more to glean from it. From the aroma alone, I'm wondering if this is going to be one of those hugely hopped ambers just dying for some more malt?

Yep. Throw more malt at this and you'd be in Arrogant Bastard territory. I'm reminded of Bear Republic's Red Rocket here, a very citrus-centric, nearly one-sided affair. Hops are almost abrasive but kept in check by a brown sugar and bitter herbal tea tandem. Incredibly bitter finish with just a hint of sugar sweetness in back.

Thinner body but pleasant enough, nearing creamy despite being on the thinner side. Rides that bitterness on through easily. More malt (here I say "more malt" again) would have nicely propped up the body, as well as the taste. But I get what they're going for here, and okay, it's pretty good.

This is not bad...at all! But it's yet another American craft offering that forgets that some of us beer geeks, even the ones who totally love hops (I do), also dig some malt character. You can argue that's not what they were going for here, but had they, they'd have an even better beer on their hands.

Serving type: bottle

12-15-2011 00:06:44 | More by Metalmonk

megamass

New Jersey

3.5/5  rDev -8.1%

05-18-2013 04:29:53 | More by megamass

blknikon

Massachusetts

3.5/5  rDev -8.1%

05-07-2013 22:40:19 | More by blknikon

sparx1100

Minnesota

3.5/5  rDev -8.1%

05-07-2013 03:48:51 | More by sparx1100

jayhunter357

Massachusetts

3.5/5  rDev -8.1%

05-06-2013 02:35:01 | More by jayhunter357

BigBarley

Texas

2.85/5  rDev -25.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 2 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3

Pours a muddy amber, with a cap of white foam floating atop

Aroma is sweet, fresh tropical fruits, pineapple, mango, and grapefruit. Nice aroma with some nice caramel hidden way way beneath for balance.

Unfortunately the hops and tropical fruit from the nose are covered up by a complete messy execution. The hops are there, and they're bitter, but they don't blend well, and the malt tastes like barrel-aged RIS minus ALL the flavor... just that after burn of odd oaky madness. This beer is weird and disappointing and that makes me sad. I don't think it held up very well but it's lacking a bottling date, so... this kinda sucks!

Mouthfeel is decent but not enough to save it.

Believe me, if you find it fresh, try it. But uh... yeah, I think the older bottles taste awful by this point.

Serving type: bottle

05-05-2013 08:52:45 | More by BigBarley

Kelp

New Hampshire

3.75/5  rDev -1.6%

04-29-2013 05:48:55 | More by Kelp

Keith_R

Georgia

3.75/5  rDev -1.6%

04-08-2013 01:39:33 | More by Keith_R

Zach136

Georgia

3.75/5  rDev -1.6%

04-08-2013 01:31:53 | More by Zach136

animal69

Louisiana

4/5  rDev +5%

04-06-2013 04:05:24 | More by animal69

bluerabbit

Massachusetts

3/5  rDev -21.3%

04-01-2013 21:26:36 | More by bluerabbit

lovindahops

New York

4/5  rDev +5%

03-31-2013 21:17:51 | More by lovindahops

RickDeLucio

Illinois

3.25/5  rDev -14.7%

03-31-2013 00:42:27 | More by RickDeLucio

barefoot71

Texas

3.75/5  rDev -1.6%

03-25-2013 22:28:52 | More by barefoot71

ejimhof

Pennsylvania

3/5  rDev -21.3%

03-23-2013 17:48:51 | More by ejimhof

Ted

Texas

4/5  rDev +5%

03-23-2013 01:43:02 | More by Ted

match1112

Illinois

3.25/5  rDev -14.7%

03-17-2013 16:01:52 | More by match1112

JackieTH

Minnesota

4.03/5  rDev +5.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Amber red pour with a khaki foam that dissipates to a quarter inch of very persistent head, copious lacing. Malty and earthy nose, light caramel. Taste, similarly, is earthy, caramel, spicy, astringent, moderately bitter..grapefruit, grass, floral. Medium body creamy mouthfeel. This red ale brings on the rye and hop. Good stuff.

Serving type: bottle

03-17-2013 03:47:58 | More by JackieTH

rosschive

Massachusetts

3.75/5  rDev -1.6%

03-17-2013 00:37:48 | More by rosschive

thekillingtree

New York

3.75/5  rDev -1.6%

03-11-2013 03:18:43 | More by thekillingtree

Gagnonsux

Texas

3.5/5  rDev -8.1%

02-23-2013 03:42:08 | More by Gagnonsux

juicebox

Massachusetts

4/5  rDev +5%

02-21-2013 16:21:31 | More by juicebox

Blanco

Pennsylvania

3/5  rDev -21.3%

02-19-2013 04:59:24 | More by Blanco

Pando

Connecticut

3.5/5  rDev -8.1%

02-16-2013 04:37:15 | More by Pando

gatornation

Minnesota

4/5  rDev +5%

02-15-2013 22:41:32 | More by gatornation