Hoppy Feet 1.5 - Clown Shoes

danieelol

Australia

2.4/5  rDev -41%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2.5

Pours black as night with good head/lacing.

Smell is pine, but it's not hugely hop forward. Vegemite and Smarties. Lots of toasted/scorched malt in the aroma, more reminiscent of a barleywine or old ale rather than a black IPA. Also pineapple/orange hop, coffee and alcohol. Little bit medicinal, herbal, even sarsparilla-like.

Taste is more pineapple/orange hop. Alcohol. Big, bitter coffee.

Mouthfeel is like thin, watery coffee. Not a whole lot of carbonation.

I find this beer universally underwhelming. More alcohol than it needs and it has a thin, watery and excessively bitter mouthfeel. Too much herbal coffee character, needs more carb and thicker mouthfeel.

Not hoppy enough where it counts. If you're going to make a 10% BDIPA you need to hide and integrate the alcohol better.

Serving type: bottle

10-04-2012 01:23:19 | More by danieelol

DrinkingDrake

Massachusetts

2.6/5  rDev -36.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 2.5

Black with a semi creamy/big bubbly head. Foam disappears quickly and leaves a ring around the glass. Aroma is mostly sticky pine and some subtle amounts of heavily roasted chocolate. Almost like a sugar-free liquor because of the high abv. Flavors pop with a big carbonation tingle as soon as it hits your tongue. Mostly cascade at the start and then some light semi-sweet chocolate comes forward. Thin malt bill it seems and only one type of hop characteristic. Ok at first, pretty average flavors but then man does it get intense. In a bad way. So much bitterness and astringency. Too much hop bitterness of sticky pine resin and another layer of overwhelming black patent bite. It just clings to your tongue and sticks to the back of your throat. I could only get through 1/4 of this beer. One thing on the positive side is the 10% abv isn't too noticeable. Maybe with a year this might get better but I'm not optimistic.

Serving type: bottle

01-07-2012 01:34:45 | More by DrinkingDrake

Chico1985

Massachusetts

2.65/5  rDev -34.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

I was a bit skeptical about this one, but got it (at the somewhat ridiculous price of $10/bomber) due to the good reviews so far. It's about a month old at this point.

Pours just about black, barely any highlights when held to light. Nice creamy tan head with lots of bubbles. Retains great at a finger leaving blankets of lacing.

Piny, dirty, danky hops and kind of Irish Dry Stout-like notes of chocolate and dough in the scent.

Taste is quite a hop assault. Specifically HUGE pine and grapefruit, very much hop-forward with any of the 'black'-ness buried or appearing randomly. Taste is extremely bitter and full of resiny hop oils, also quite a bit of alcohol showing through. Malt is mostly just roasted, caramel, some unsweetened chocolate. Still some bready notes showing through in the finish.

Mouthfeel feels a bit thin for 10%, but a more worrisome feature is every sip stings and burns with hop bitterness and booze. Just feels very messy.

Bleh...WAY overhopped to be enjoyable. The smell seemed decently balanced but the taste is just way too bitter. It's scathing and just not very enjoyable, a bomber is a chore. I enjoyed the original Hoppy Feet much more.

Serving type: bottle

01-31-2011 01:51:37 | More by Chico1985

TMoney2591

Illinois

2.75/5  rDev -32.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 2 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.5

Served in a Three Floyds tulip pint glass.

Thanks to taiyed for sharing this bottle!

Part one of the SwillFest 2011 after-party. It pours a dark ruby-tinted brown topped by a finger of tan foam. The nose comprises chocolate-covered pretzels, light roasted malts, blueberries, black grapes, balsa, and juniper berries. The taste holds notes of dark chocolate, rubber, vinyl, Pine-Sol, molasses, and menthol. Whoa, what happened here!? The body is a rather light medium, with a light moderate carbonation and a scratchily dry finish. Overall, a nice-looking and -smelling beer, but it just tastes downright awful to me.

Serving type: bottle

07-03-2011 19:53:49 | More by TMoney2591

Philousa

California

3.06/5  rDev -24.8%
look: 2.75 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.75

Pours an inky black, coffee brown around the edges against the light, with a thin off white head that stays around, though wispy thin. Aroma starts with lots of chocolate followed by cream. Also get slight citrus and yeasty tang if looking hard enough. The flavor is dominated by dark chocolate with a little coffee, a healthy bit of burnt toast, with some creaminess coming after. The bitterness sets in and remains barky in the back of the tongue. The hop flavor really isn't there for me, even in the burp. Feel is slightly caustic, but no noticeable alcohol burn. Finish is dry.

This is more like a really alcoholic roasty porter than an IPA of any sort. I still like it OK, but it could come down a notch.

Serving type: bottle

05-31-2013 04:52:15 | More by Philousa

DeanMoriarty

California

3.1/5  rDev -23.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Picked up a 22oz bomber as a gift from some friends out in Chicago for my birthday and poured it into a Brouwerij 't Ij branded tulip glass - paired with some fresh baked apple pie that the wifey made with apples grown organically by our next door neighbors here in Ocean Beach, CA.

A: Pours dark as shit with a fat tan head that sticks for a few sips leaving fairly good lacing from start to finish.

S: Sweet malt up front, fresh cut grain, roasted espresso beans, dark chocolate, slight hint of hops - label claims double black india pale ale - far from the mark in regards to an IPA of any sort - for shame east coast!

T/M: Medium bodied, smooth and creamy with light bitterness from the hop. Way more malty than hoppy and extremely roasted like a porter or a stout (the hop character is completely muted and lost in the mix). As mentioned, the hop is there but beat down by sweet malt and roasted grain. Booze is mild which is surprising for a 10% ABV, but really - where's the hops fellas???

I hate to hate...but really - trying to put IPA anywhere in the description on this one is just misleading. Strictly an imperial black ale that is dry hopped - nothing more, nothing less.

Hardly exceptional!

Serving type: bottle

11-19-2012 05:51:56 | More by DeanMoriarty

billshmeinke

California

3.15/5  rDev -22.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Pours a solid dark brown, pretty much black. Couple fingers of off white head. Retention and lacing are solid.

Smells of candied fruit, apple perhaps. A touch of bakers chocolate and chalk. Over ripe tangerines and a nice earthy note as well.

Chalk, bakers chocolate, some slightly acrid/burnt smokiness. Over ripe tropical fruit, tangerine again. A hearty earthiness as well.

Mouthfeel is fine, could be slightly more carbonated, but otherwise good.

An ok black ipa, but the acrid roastiness becomes more and more pronounced with each sip consequently making the beer less and less enjoyable. Couldn't finish more than about six ounces, or didn't want to anyway.

Serving type: bottle

10-30-2011 20:11:21 | More by billshmeinke

andrewinski1

Maine

3.18/5  rDev -21.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured into a tulip. The body is black; the head is tan and about a quarter inch thick before thinning out. The lacing looks super sticky.

The aroma has mostly citrus hops and a bit of roasted coffee. The aroma isn't particularly powerful though, I have to stick my nose in there more so than most hoppy beers.

The taste is a little chocolatey and slightly bitter. The hops are a little bit grassy and slightly citrusy in the finish.

The body is medium to light, the carbonation medium.

This is okay; it's like a slightly hoppier porter but it still doesn't quite scratch my hop itch.

Serving type: bottle

05-03-2011 04:20:44 | More by andrewinski1

SaCkErZ9

Florida

3.19/5  rDev -21.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 2.75

Fresh from the brewery, bottled in 8/2012 (is that really fresh?). 22oz bottle pours into an IPA pint glass a nearly opaque black color with chocolate highlights. Topped with a nice looking, mocha colored head of about one finger in size. Looks like a nice stout.

Aroma is hoppy, with the roastiness kept to a minimum. Reminds me of Dubhe from Uinta; piney hops, slight roastiness, sweet alcohol (almost solvent like), strong esters.

I like the flavor profile. The piney hops smack me in the face first off. The bitterness is kept under control, and I assume that is attributed to the age of this one. The bitterness is a nice accompaniment to the alcoholic bite. There is a little more roasty flavor than indicated in the aroma. Still, the alcohol kind of absorbs this one. Hot.

Due to the alcohol, a sipper for sure. Not bad, but probably a little better when fresh: the bitterness may counteract some of the sweet alcoholic flavors. Not sure if I would have another.

Serving type: bottle

04-12-2013 20:30:41 | More by SaCkErZ9

HardTarget

Texas

3.2/5  rDev -21.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Appearance: Dark black glass holds a thin tan head that leaves loads of sticky lace down the glass.

Smell: Alcoholic, heavily roasted (burnt) grain, worty sweetness with an edge of yeast that I'm starting to associate with the Clown Shoes line.

Taste: Sweet start quickly goes over to the dark roasted grain then back to a cloyingly sweet finish with a long alcohol burn. A bit of citric orange hop pokes it head up before getting beat down by the almost syrupy malt. Some good flavors here, but the alcohol really plays a big part.

Mouthfeel: Oily as all get out. Heavy body, chewy before it evaporates in an mist of alcohol.

Overall: Some big flavors here, and they aren't all bad. Would kind of like to see what some age would do to help mellow out the fusel alcohol, but would be worried that the hop character would go with it. Kind of a train wreck at the moment.

Serving type: bottle

10-09-2011 01:26:56 | More by HardTarget

Jammies

Illinois

3.2/5  rDev -21.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

A - pours black with about an inch and a half of foam. Excellent retention

S - very sweet with a light citrus and grassy odor.

T - Sweet, but a hot finish

M - slightly watery. Malty aftertaste coats the entire mouth

O - Not terrible, but too hot.

Serving type: bottle

11-26-2011 17:39:21 | More by Jammies

tut2528

Illinois

3.2/5  rDev -21.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

A: pours a deep jet black with about ¼ fingers worth of mocha colored head formation. Completely opaque even when held directly up to the light.

S: very weird aroma on this one and I can’t quite figure it out. I pick up on a lot of woody characters, chocolate, a mild touch of dark fruits, and roasted malts.

T: wow. Big, very big roasted malts dominate the palate. Coffee, slight chocolate, hops are the other main players but definitely fall behind the roasted malt. It has a very dry hoppy finish that pulls away some of the roasted notes, but not much. I also pick up on a touch of smokiness and it reminds me of a bon-fire smell.

M: full bodied, leaves a very potent roasted malt/smoke flavor on the palate with a mixture of hops.

O: it’s a unique brew, but I think the balance is off. Its very bold in taste, but the complexity is lacking and I feel that my taste buds are pulled differnet ways with each sip making it average at best.

Serving type: bottle

09-24-2012 02:35:03 | More by tut2528

brentk56

North Carolina

3.23/5  rDev -20.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Appearance: Another fine pour from the Clown Shoes folks, with a massive tan head that sits atop the black liquid, leaving strands of lace behind

Smell: Burnt chocolate roast and piney hops

Taste: Lots of fusel alcohol, up front, that overwhelms both the roasty malt and hop flavors; underneath, there are some nice elements but it is hard to discern them

Mouthfeel: Full bodied with moderate carbonation and considerable heat

Overall: I am giving this beer the benefit of the doubt as I suspect I may have an off bottle; would like to try this again sometime but I am having a hard time drinking this one

Serving type: bottle

12-05-2011 02:00:43 | More by brentk56

Thorpe429

Illinois

3.3/5  rDev -18.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Picked this bottle up at Julio's before EBF. Served in a Bruery tulip.

Pours nearly black with a light tan head and some good spotty lacing. The nose brings forward some piney hops and a bit of roast. There is a mild earthiness to the nose as well. The flavor has many of the same characteristics, but also has a bit too much alcohol flavor. Quite a lot too much, actually. Bitterness and alcohol layer with a medium body. Lots of bitterness carries through the finish. Decent, but not something I would seek out again.

Serving type: bottle

03-20-2011 20:21:26 | More by Thorpe429

Beatnik4913

Rhode Island

3.38/5  rDev -17%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

This is just not as good at regular Hoppy Feet. It's not as rich and creamy, and is more bitter all the way through, rather than on the finish, and the alcohol is very prominent. The lacing isn't as good either. Just rings rather than the whole glass.

The increased alcohol is more noticeable in the taste and mouthfeel (it is 10% alcohol after all). What I liked about the regular hoppy feet is what I don't like about this beer. No creamy stout like body and mouthfeel, to much alcohol taste. They did manage to make it smell better though, due to the double dry hopping.

If you see the regular and the 1.5 for sale get them together and taste them side by side.

Serving type: bottle

04-01-2011 00:37:24 | More by Beatnik4913

tjkinate

Texas

3.43/5  rDev -15.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Moments of greatness left me feeling cheated.

A: Massive foamy head from a hard pour into my snifter, resembling the foam on top of hot chocolate, black bodied brew with loads of lacing.

S: Sweet caramel malts are most prominent, but floral hops do follow and are quite pungent themselves and accompanied with dark fruits.

T: Loads of malts and hops up front mix beautifully, so far amazing. Unfortunately, the aftertaste is far to bitter, and really overwhelms the rest of the flavors.

M: Medium bodied, some carbonation.

O: Tone down the medicated backend bitterness and this black ale will be elevated to Sublimely's level.

Serving type: bottle

10-23-2011 16:44:24 | More by tjkinate

Beerandraiderfan

Nevada

3.5/5  rDev -14%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

It never gets tiresome writing the appearance portion of a black ale. Pours. . . black. With tan head too! (Gasp). Aroma was much a fruity alcoholic whif on the first attempt. Came back around, pulled a little bitter roastiness out of it complimented with some pine in a faint way.

Taste, alcohol not as in your face as I thought it would from the aroma, but the hoppy notes still are kind of like they always seem to be with Hoppy Feet, there, and not "skimped" but also not giving any type of green vegetal/dry or flavor hop addition situation, just bittering c hops apparently. Maybe its just the substantial amount of black and chocolate malt to the beer, but the hoppiness just doesn't stand out here like I would like it to.

A pretty big beer, a worthy adversary, maybe a second level black ale.

Serving type: bottle

01-01-2012 07:44:57 | More by Beerandraiderfan

scruffwhor

Illinois

3.58/5  rDev -12%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

The color is a dark cola brown and garnet. Vibarnt tan foam after the pour that recedes to a thin ring after a few sips. The foam lets you know theres some nice carbonation in this beer.

This beers aroma makes me think of roasted, citric hops, with lots of carbonation.

The taste starts bitter and finishes bitter. The middle adds some roasty malts, but thats it. Roasted hop citric bitterness and maybe some burnt flavors too. The heat from the abv. add to this beers overall bitterness.

Serving type: bottle

07-13-2011 03:50:07 | More by scruffwhor

smcolw

Massachusetts

3.58/5  rDev -12%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Beige head with a Guinness-like cascade. Beautiful. Nice ring lace after each sip. Near black color where no light shines through.

Nice burnt caramel aroma. Semi-sweet cocoa. No notable hop nose.

Powdered sweet chocolate flavor. It's chewy with a low level carbonation. The swallow gives a shot of bittering hop that balances the overall darker flavors. Overall, very flavorful, but not my style.

Serving type: bottle

08-28-2011 01:29:34 | More by smcolw

onix1agr

Pennsylvania

3.58/5  rDev -12%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

On Tap at Blue Dog

Very dark red with some brown and black mixed in as well, looks kinda sludgy. Much darker than the original hoppy feet. Ring around the glass. Semi slight dots of lace, nothing extraordinary. Smell is piney, grapefruit that's sharp, semi boozy even with the low ABV, malts are in the forefront. Taste is a black IPA alright, sharp taste of grapefruit and oily hops, resinous. Some malt in the back, not terribly complex. Medium bodied, highly carbed, kinda prickly on the tounge there, bitterness is noted. I kinda liked this stuff, it did not blow me away, but I will look for it again, maybe.

Serving type: on-tap

02-12-2012 08:48:34 | More by onix1agr

hardy008

Minnesota

3.58/5  rDev -12%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Pours dark black with a two finger tan head with good retention and lacing. The aroma has plenty of grapefruit, along with dark chocolate and roasted malt. The citrus aroma is dominant, as it should be for a double black IPA.

It tastes much like it smells. The hops are dominant, and taste just like ruby red grapefruit. There is also a combination of dark, bittersweet chocolate and roasted malt to play their supporting roles. Has a decent balance of bitterness and sweetness. The dark roasted malt leaves a bit of a charred aftertaste, but it is not overly intrusive.

Medium bodied with average carbonation, and the alcohol is pretty noticeable. A decent, but not great beer. I like the regular Hoppy Feet better than this beer, but it is still worth trying.

Serving type: bottle

10-20-2012 17:53:01 | More by hardy008

deepchills

Texas

3.6/5  rDev -11.5%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Very black pour in which no light passes through, big tan head.

Sweet roasted malt nose with molasses and a little coconut, not piney or bitter in any way.

Strong bitter taste, leathery and some alcohol burn. Odd pepper like flavor as well.
Turns out this beer needs to warm significantly to get it’s best. I would say about 60 degrees. Then you get coffee and cream, chocolate and resin.

The mouth feel is mostly good, though I felt there was a grittiness to it. Much worse when the beer is cold, it lessens as the beer warms.

Overall I’m not a huge fan of this beer, all the things that I like about IPAs have been stripped out of this Black IPA. I guess it’s just too black. I liked this style originally, but the black IPA is loosing favor with me. Even though I will rate this beer high in looks and smell, this Double Black IPA won’t be in my fridge again.

Serving type: bottle

01-26-2012 01:24:52 | More by deepchills

rowingbrewer

Massachusetts

3.65/5  rDev -10.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Poured from 22 into snifter

Pours nearly pitch black with little head

there is a strong hop aroma with an even stronger burnt malt aroma

taste is a bit too burnt for my likings, can definitely taste the hops and malt but it is really really burnt

mouthfeel is decent with medium carbonation

drinkability is average

i prefer the original hoppy feet

Serving type: bottle

01-14-2011 16:40:44 | More by rowingbrewer

Rhettroactive

Virginia

3.65/5  rDev -10.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

From 22oz bomber to Bruges hybrid glass on 4/15/11
*From notes

A: Robust charry prune skin in color. A good pour yields a massive 2.25 finger head which, had I not know any better, I'd swear was an Impy stout by the look. Great lacing rims the glass for the duration.

S: An immediate flood of intense hops that intermingle with some nicely toasted dark roast. As my snout digs a bit deeper, I find an odd mix of fennel roasted game hen and duck confit. It's really quite strange. The booze shows up a bit as it warms.

T: Like hop concentrate. This is almost overly hopped, as it's extremely intense. Bitter through and through, though the smokey malt peaks it's head out here and there. A twang of earthy copper hangs around on the finish, which doesn't mesh well with the 11% ABV.

M: Superb. This is a really creamy and well balanced brew. Properly carbonated, though I would really love to sample this on nitro tap.

O: Clown Shoes Hoppy Feet 1.5 is a hard brew to classify. It drinks like a stout but it's hopped like a DIPA...crazy.

I liked this, but I didn't love it. I had a tough time getting past the fowl essence I detected on the nose, and that metallic finish on the palate was unwelcomed. Having said that, I would sample this again if given the opportunity, and I continue to be impressed by the boundary pushing brews that Clown Shoes continues to create.

Serving type: bottle

04-22-2011 18:22:41 | More by Rhettroactive

nasty31

Indiana

3.65/5  rDev -10.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

22oz bomber pored into a nonic

A-Very dark brown almost black in color with three fingers of thick tan foamy head. Fairly good lacing and retention on this beer.

S- Strong roasty malt scent hits me first with only a very slight hoppy smell. The roasted flavor kills the hop smell on this.

T- Extreme roasty flavor that masks the hops, It doesnt taste bad, just not really my idea of how a black ipa should be. The hops are there but the finish is just all malty.

M- Thick and a slight over carbed.

o- This beer is not terrible. just woudlnt be one of them i would go back to over and over again. Once every so often would be plenty. Also reminds me of a porter not so much a Black IPA.

Serving type: bottle

05-12-2011 05:24:49 | More by nasty31