Tramp Stamp - Clown Shoes

MattyG85

Minnesota

4.16/5  rDev +6.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a 12 oz. bottle into a Sam Adams "Perfect Pint" glass. Bottle date of 03/08/13.

Appearance: Pours a deep and somewhat hazy copper amber orange. Lots of rising bubbles and a huge six finger off white head with good retention. Leaves a lot of lacing clinging around the glass.

Smell: A bright and zesty aroma of spicy yeast, fruits, and hops. Belgian yeast with candied sugar, funk, clove, and lots of pepper esters. Citrus hops with good hints of orange peel, grapefruit, apricot, mango, lemon zest, and pineapple. Also some floral, grassy, and piney hop hints. Soft bready malts with hints of wheat, grains, caramel, biscuit, and cracker. Also some hints of honey and banana fruit. Really solid smell.

Taste: Like the smell hints, a spicy and fruity Belgian tinged IPA taste. Belgian yeast with some funk, clove, and a big taste of pepper. Some banana esters. Hops with notes of citrus orange, mango, grapefruit, apricot, lemon zest, and pineapple. Some floral hops and grass along with a slight presence of pine. Sweet candied sugar and honey notes. Soft malt backing with notes of biscuit, wheat, caramel, grains, and cracker. A nice balance between the hops and spicy and sweet notes.

Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with a medium to high level of carbonation. Creamy, crisp, juicy, and pretty smooth. Finishes moderately dry.

Overall: A pretty good take on the Belgian IPA style. Solid use of spicy yeast and hops with a good balance.

Serving type: bottle

05-01-2013 06:47:44 | More by MattyG85

Fatehunter

Oregon

4.05/5  rDev +3.3%
look: 2.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

Thin head on a hazy, medium straw colored body.
The aroma is a nice mix of sharp citrus and cotton candy.
The taste has a biting lemon bitterness, then sweetened up with mandarin and finishes with a pine bitterness. A great profile.
The texture is crisp with moderate carbonation.
An enjoyable IPA, good twist and balance.

Serving type: bottle

04-29-2013 23:21:39 | More by Fatehunter

Halcyondays

California

3.91/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

12 oz. bottle,

A: Pours a hazy ochre with a soft white head leaving some thick lace.

S: Notes of peppery spice, lemon zest, yeast.

T: Nice mix of everything in a good balance. Orange and lemon zest, light tangerine with a moderate yeast component. Big hop finish.

M: Crisp, medium-bodied, frothy big carbonation without being over the top.

O: A well made tasty BIPA. Does it match the best, no, but a single is an easy choice. Something to buy again, though the label is quite tacky.

Serving type: bottle

04-27-2013 21:14:22 | More by Halcyondays

sergio1va

California

4.16/5  rDev +6.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Creative label and name brings attention to this beer.
Pours to a dark orange color with a small foam head.
Beer is cloudy with little to no carbonation.

Smells of flowers and citrus on the nose, gives hints of a wheat aroma.

Taste starts off with a slight bitter grapefruit, followed by a malty back end.
Mouthfeel tends to end with a slight dryness but with a pleasant mouthfeel.

Overall a great tasting beer with layers of recognizable characteristics and without the "over the top" hoppiness that makes you want to switch to another beer.

Serving type: bottle

04-24-2013 06:20:16 | More by sergio1va

UCLABrewN84

California

3.58/5  rDev -8.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5

Bottled 3/20/13.

Pours a murky dark orange with a foamy beige head that settles to a partial film on top of the beer. Thick swaths of lace line the glass on the drink down. Smell is of malt, grain, yeast, earth, and citrus zest aromas. Taste is much the same with yeast and spice flavors on the finish. There is a medium amount of citrus zest and spice bitterness on the palate with each sip. This beer has a lower level of carbonation with a slightly crisp and medium bodied mouthfeel. Overall, this is a pretty good beer but the yeast and spice presence is pretty intense in this one.

Serving type: bottle

04-20-2013 03:38:25 | More by UCLABrewN84

BGmpls

Minnesota

4.09/5  rDev +4.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

Poured from 12oz bottle to stubby Sierra Nevada tulip

A - Orange toned copper with a 1" head that lasted quite a bit. Settled to a solid 1cm with nice slightly off-white lacing

S - Dried fruit, pine, a bit walnut, caramel & banana

T - Orange peel, sweet agave a bit of clove. Pronounced hoppiness but balanced nicely by the malts. Nice LONG lingering aftertaste...the hop and spice qualities stick around which I really enjoy

M - Somewhat tight stinging carbonation which seemed to get in the way of the initial flavors but it mellowed out nice

O - Not getting a ton of initial Belgian vibe here but it's there if you look for it. Not hugely complex but some nice flavors here and overall a very drinkable beer.

Would happily drink again

Serving type: bottle

04-20-2013 00:20:10 | More by BGmpls

BarryMFBurton

Indiana

4.23/5  rDev +7.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

If this is anything like the last Clown Shoes beer I had (Hoppy Feet), then I’m about to be a very happy man.

Brewed almost five months before the date of this tasting (“BOTTLED ON 11/06/12”). While this is not ideal for an IPA, anything Belgian should be able to handle the age – right?

A: Fizzy orange body, slightly hazy, with a picturesque head of eggshell foam two fingers high. Hilly retention and bubbly lacing inundates the top of the glass.

S: A powerful mix of dank American hops and Belgian spice, loaded on the front end with fresh mango, pineapple, and white wine grape aromas; deeper down is a piney hop tone, oily enough to stand out among the fruits. Sweet orange zest, rose, and peppery, mildly bready funk lie lightly on top of the nose to provide a perfume character to the finish – complex, inviting.

T: More IPA than Belgian-style, with first impressions leaning towards chewy caramel malt and layers of thick hops – tastes of sweet rolls and maple juxtapose with an herbal, earthy flavor of lemon peel, pine, and metals from the hops. Soon it moves to a character not unlike orange juice, with notes of ripe cherry mixed in, as well, tart and juicy in a way only fruit can provide. Once again from Clown Shoes, this is all natural and refreshing as ever. Finishes with just a little bit of dry, flowery yeast flavor and a touch of white pepper.

M: One of the most satisfyingly frothy beers I’ve tasted; something about the softness of the carbonation makes the bitters not as jarring, keeping this squarely in the plane of drinkable, almost sessionable.

O: Somebody put this in a six-pack! I’m in love. I haven’t had a brewery excite me this much since I started digging into Anchorage Brewing – and that’s saying a hell of a lot, believe me. The Blaecorn Unidragon in my fridge just keeps looking better and better…

Serving type: bottle

04-03-2013 02:12:54 | More by BarryMFBurton

eric5bellies

Australia

2.89/5  rDev -26.3%
look: 3 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Drank from my Duvel tulip

A - Pours a clear copper colour with almost no head that remains as a film

S - Piney hop

T - Hops and malts, not much Belgian here

M - Medium body and carbonation.

O - This is not a BIPA for me. The style should have far more candied sugar, and Belgian yeast qualities and be balanced. This is a hop driven beer that could pass for an APA or IPA. The original style was developed by Belgian breweries and was distinctly different to traditional IPA's. Nonetheless a very nice beer in its own right. Had to mark down because of the style.

Serving type: bottle

03-29-2013 11:28:33 | More by eric5bellies

micromaniac129

Pennsylvania

4.3/5  rDev +9.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

When i poured it into my glass I got a nice tall head, thick and frothy with excellent head retention. The color was a rich amber that was clear and had desent carbonation.
The nose had an awesome hop bouquet, fresh with floral and piney notes.
The taste is fresh and clean with notes of piney hops some fruitness from yeasty esters.
The finish is semi dry and alittle bitter.
An excellent brew from start to finish. This brew had a hopper profile then what I was expecting which really suprised me. Very good.

Serving type: bottle

03-17-2013 11:17:31 | More by micromaniac129

DenverLogan

Colorado

3.83/5  rDev -2.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.75

From 22 oz bottle picked up in Las Vegas several months ago...bottled 1/2012.
Poured into a medium sized Duvel glass.
Copper gold color with medium head.
Aroma of honey, amber malts, white bread.
Medium carbonation and mouthfeel.
Flavors of grassy hops, rich malts, funky Belgian yeast esters, bitter fruit rind. It's bold with grassy hops and a mouth puckering bitter cream of tartar profile. Probably tastes quite different fresh from the brewery.
Apr. 5, sampled again...12 oz bottle...new in Colorado.
Copper gold color with small head in St Bernardus chalice.
Aroma of liquorice, cherry vanilla, honey, sweet malts.
Medium carb & mouthfeel...a bit penetrating on the tongue though.
Flavors of grassy hops and pretty much what I wrote above. Still very bitter and dry throughout and in the finish. I'm lowering my mouthfeel a notch...this is more rough than delicious for me.

Serving type: bottle

03-17-2013 03:50:53 | More by DenverLogan

JackieTH

Minnesota

3.94/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.25

Amber orange with a unrepentant blanket of dense foam. Curtains of lace obscure the glassware. Very, very nice. Oranges and more oranges on the nose. Sure they smell like they've gone over, but it's quite a rich melange just so. Also, is that soy? Or salt? Or possibly Earl Gray. Not sure but it's a very intriguing combo. Taste is similar, over-ripe oranges, tea, lemon, funk, bitterness. Firm palate. Nice soft carbonation. Funky but pretty dang good.

Serving type: bottle

03-16-2013 04:36:32 | More by JackieTH

woodychandler

Pennsylvania

4.28/5  rDev +9.2%
look: 3.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

Hey, man, if you are hung up on your Old Lady having or getting a tramp stamp of her own, perhaps you should hang up and pass her on. I dig chicks with tats and a pair of low-riders that emphasizes her wares is so much the better. I love a good fashion show with both of us getting as unclothed as possible to show off and see the ink. Tattooed people do it in color and redheaded, tattooed people are the most colorful of all.

From the bottle: "Like a stamp on a tramp, this brew is about not so subtle seduction. Soft but complex malts, Chambly yeast, sweet orange peel, Columbus, Amarillo, and Centennial hops have merged to create a bodacious Belgian-style IPA."

All right, I added a student this past week named "Tawny" and for now, she seems to be dominating my beers. This one looked like the top of a soft-serve vanilla ice cream cone by the time that I was done. Tawny, rocky and with great retention, it really slowed me down. Fall, dang you! Color was a deep coppery-amber with NE-quality clarity and loads of CO2 bubbles in evidence. Nose had a bitter, citrusy mustiness, as though they had commingled all of the ingredients above so as not to overwhelm one or the other. I call it a) truth in advertising and b) just what I like. I am tiring of hearing people that do not like hoppy, bitter IPAs moan about the current dearth of malty beers. Yo, hops is what sells, currently! Move on. This was nice. Mouthfeel was medium, but the taste was superb. It had a tea-like characteristic that reminded me of orange pekoe. Orange and black powder, plus must. Wow. I remember my Pops' one-skillet Chun King meals with orange pekoe tea when I was a child and this really took me back. Man, but Pops could cook. I was totally inspired by him in high school and took four semesters of HomeEc (Foods). Finish was semi-dry, offset by the sweet orange peel and if you think that I could not perceive it, think again! I remember that one of the criteria for Overall asked if you got your $'s worth. In this case, for six bone for a bomber, the answer is "Hell, yeah!".

Serving type: bottle

02-18-2013 03:43:49 | More by woodychandler

TCMike

Minnesota

3.88/5  rDev -1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.75

Produced a fluffy 3-finger off white, head. Nice lacing. Beer color is a medium gold. Translucent.

The aroma was of bread, citrus, hops, and honey.

The taste is the same. Has a relatively low bitterness, for an IPA, but still some bite.

Nice beer, would buy again.

Serving type: bottle

02-12-2013 20:54:32 | More by TCMike

philbe311

Pennsylvania

3.69/5  rDev -5.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A - Three fingers worth of lush fluffy virginal white head comprised of lots of big chunky bubbles... Excellent retention ultimately gives way to an uneven splotchy veil of lacing and a thick collar... The color is a very light bronze... Mostly still with just a couple of stray streaks of carbonation... Gobs of chunky lacing cling to the glass...

S - Pleasing scents great the nose... Orange zest... Sweet oranges... A pleasant mix of hops... A light caramel base lies beneath the surface... A very subtle mix of rye and spice is present as well...

T - The flavors that materialize on the palate don't quite nearly the complexity or pleasantness of the aroma... The hops are at the forefront, but are fairly understated... Some light pale malts... The rest of the components of the aroma are missing in action... No orange... No strong malt base... No spice or rye subtleties... A bit of a let down...

M - On the lighter side of medium bodied... The carbonation is light and almost non existent... Goes down very easily, almost too easily... Not bad, but doesn't really add much to the equation...

D - A promising Belgian IPA to start with nice appearance and aroma before quickly turning average at best... The flavor and mouthfeel prove to be a bit of a let down... The overall result is an average at best ale that I would neither recommend nor seek out again, though I wouldn't turn it down if offered again... Like an actual tramp, try to enjoy once and then kick it to the curb...

Serving type: bottle

02-03-2013 02:03:04 | More by philbe311

beerthulhu

New Jersey

3.6/5  rDev -8.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5

- Columbus, Amarillo, & Centennial. Bottled 8/12. Consumed 1/13.

A: Blood orange coloring with a healthy dose of carbonation. A huge rocky, foamy, 3 finger soap stone colored head sits steadily. Meaty stickage for lace adores the vessel.

S: Huge blast of sweet citric oranges, some lemony hints. The strength quickly dimishes thereafter. Some sweetened pale malts are left behind.

T: Sticky sweet toasty speciality grains are met with some spicy orange peels. Citrusy centennial hops are bright, the pungent flowery nature of the columbus a bit more restrained adding subtle nuances in the background. A touch of toasty pine, buttered toast, lemony peel hints. The belgian yeast is fairly clean, perhaps only a modest hint of dry tartness upon warming. Acidic.

M: Good carbonation presence, malty, dry finish.

O: Overall a good show of hops, though when i think belgian ipa i think a sharp spiciness and some belgian yeasty character which this lagged a bit behind enough so to garnish just good regards.

Serving type: bottle

01-11-2013 00:20:40 | More by beerthulhu

Tomhet

Illinois

3.5/5  rDev -10.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Appearance: Pours a medium, opaque orange/amber color that looks incredibly full. Initial two-finger slightly off-white head dissipates at a moderate rate and leaves very nice lacing.

Aroma: Hops right up front, some citrus notes along the lines of lemon and grapefruit with a hint of pine. The malt presence is worth noting as it kind of just hangs in there in a rather overbearing fashion; this kind of foreshadows the (frankly, a little strong) yeasty taste.

Taste: Hops hit you right up front and reveal a bit of the orange peel taste that the label describes. This is a Belgian-style IPA, but it just doesn't handle the synthesis of the spiced fruit hop notes with the malts in a good fashion. Instead, you get a bit of a mish-mash of the two fighting against each other for a bit of an undefined taste. Finishes pretty smooth with a bit of coffee-ish malts on the back. A medium body and low carbonation make this quite nice. Note: As this warmed up, the clovish spices coalesced with the malts in a much more unified way and gave rise to a much better taste. Serve this slightly above the recommended 40-45 degrees F for maximum taste. Tasty, but nothing exemplary.

Serving type: bottle

01-05-2013 06:54:54 | More by Tomhet

WastingFreetime

Wisconsin

4.18/5  rDev +6.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Reviewed from notes.

Now this is much more in tune with my preferences than Muffin Top was. It's a straightforward Belgian IPA with good sweetness-bitter-yeast phenol three way balance right in my personal sweet spot. If anything, I'm only really disappointed by the slight lightness of body, and I'm being rather nitpicky about that. The head could also be a bit more stable. But it's got a great sense of just the right amount of herbal / pine / citrus hopping and phenols to accent a nice bready caramel malt into something better than most of the usual domestically produced BIPAs for sale in my local market. Absolutely no boozey burn, either. Check this one out if you can.

Serving type: bottle

12-30-2012 02:51:23 | More by WastingFreetime

Gobzilla

California

4.1/5  rDev +4.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: poured a bright golden orange in color with yellow highlights and a finger worth of fluffy head that left plenty of bubbly lacing sticking to the glass.

S: I actually like the hop profile considering it is a belgian style IPA but also had good citrus notes, a little bready maltiness that brought out a little sweetness, hints of yeast, grains and grapefruit character.

T: the orange peel twang was more pronounced on the palate alongside a good hoppy profile consisting of resinous, grassy and piney traits, bready malty sweetness, grapefruit which added to the nitterness factor and a touch of sweet yeast.

M: the brew was medium in body with a good amount of carbonation which had a hoppy, citrusy, mildly sweet, slightly toasty, piney, semi bitter and crisp finish.

O: honestly have to say that it is one of my favorite belgian style IPA of all time. I have not ran into one that had a hop profile like this brew.

Serving type: bottle

11-23-2012 18:45:50 | More by Gobzilla

morimech

Minnesota

4.43/5  rDev +13%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Dark golden color with a slight haze. A massive head forms before slowly settling to a thick cap. Moderate amount of sticky lacing is left down the glass.

Very aromatic with citrus and spice. Actually can smell the orange peel beyond the hops and yeast qualities.

Amarillo hops and orange peel is a great combination so I wonder why more brewers do not use the combination. Plenty of citrus that I would say is a combination of grapefruit and orange. A lot of yeast flavors, and malt, to help balance. Moderately bitter with a dry, bitter finish.

Medium body with lively carbonation. Not overly carbonated but maybe could be improved if toned down a bit.

This beer showed some creativity and finesse with its execution. Really impressed with Clown Shoes with this beer. I will buy more of their expensive bottles if they are this good.

Serving type: bottle

11-21-2012 23:16:22 | More by morimech

hardy008

Minnesota

4.05/5  rDev +3.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Cloudy orange with a 3 finger off white head with good retention and lacing. Smells like citrus zest, tangerines, and lemons.

Tastes like there is citrus zest, lemons, tangerines, caramel malt, spice, and yeast. There is a nice mixture of bitterness and sweetness, with bitterness being more dominant.

Medium bodied with high carbonation, and a dry, slightly bitter finish. This is a nice beer, with good bitterness, sweetness for balance, and some spice to make things even more interesting.

Serving type: bottle

11-02-2012 01:07:00 | More by hardy008

DavidST

Texas

4.33/5  rDev +10.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a 750 ml bottle into a tulip glass, bottled on 8/12. This pours a cloudy mid brown color with a mid-large off white head which leaves a lacing and keep a finger thick retention. The smells are nice, you get a load of pine and floral hops with a nice sweet caramel ending, a little funk and some other belgian yeast esters like banana and bubblegum. The feel is medium. The taste is excellent, a highly bitter load of hops but a little yeast esters and caramel to attempt to balance out.

Serving type: bottle

10-29-2012 04:01:40 | More by DavidST

Bighuge

Minnesota

4.43/5  rDev +13%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Hazy golden body with a fluffy off white head. Lace is pleasing enough. Aroma brings bright citrues and bready belgian yeastiness....as does the flavor. I love this style and the breweries that do it right. Clown shoes does this style right. This is in my personal Top 5, maybe Top 3 of Belgian IPAs. It has a nice balance of juicy, citric, fruity hops and doughy, bready belgian yeastiness. Nice little accent of belgian yeast spice as well. Nicely carbonated and medium-full body. 2nd beer from Clown Shoes. 2nd winner.

Serving type: bottle

10-09-2012 20:02:59 | More by Bighuge

BEERMILER12

Maine

4.03/5  rDev +2.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bottled 7/2012

A: Pours a very slightly hazy golden copper color with a generous 2 fingers worth of puffy head

S: This is more on the American side in terms of hops, with some nice citrusy and grassy hops along with Belgian yeast in the background that imparts a nice spicy fruitiness that goes great with the hops

T: Juicy citrusy hops along with a slight Belgian yeast influence and a lingering bitterness are the highlights, with the alcohol nowhere to be found. Definitely clean for the style

M: Medium bodied with moderate-high carbonation

O: A solid Belgian IPA that borders on being a little too bitter but is constrained a bit by the nice malts and fairly reserved (in terms of flavor profile) Belgian yeast. Abv is just right, and makes this bomber a perfect serving. If you're looking for a nice middle-ground Belgian IPA, look no further

Serving type: bottle

09-21-2012 04:17:00 | More by BEERMILER12

ADZA

Australia

3.9/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Love the name and it pours a hazy golden orange hue which leaves a two finger creamy head that stays and leaves sudsy clingy lacing everywhere,the smell is orange peel,caramel candy,butter popcorn and resinous piney hops,the mouthfeel is medium bodied and well carbonated with tastes of boiled candy,toffee,citrus,kumquats,mango and finished bittersweet with piney bitterhops and sherbet,overall its quite drinkable and i would drink again.

Serving type: bottle

09-19-2012 04:42:08 | More by ADZA

KajII

North Carolina

3.7/5  rDev -5.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

[Suggested Glassware: Tulip Glass]

The pour was a hazy medium orange with a brownish hue and a large (2-3 finger) white fluffy head that was mostly diminishing, leaving behind a few loose puddles with a medium collar and good sticky lacing.

The aroma was of herbal hops, a toasted grain malt and a soapy Belgian yeast with notes of caramel, citrus (orange) and a mild fruity ester.

The taste was mildly bitter-sweet with a hint of caramel and a light fruitiness early on, becoming a tad hoppier and a bit yeasty with a slight citrus peel presence towards the finish. The flavor lasted a good long time following the swallow, with a mild fruity bitterness that was left to linger for a while longer.

Mouthfeel was just past light in body and dry in texture with an almost medium carbonation.

Overall a very well balanced brew with a decent hoppiness, which was offset slightly by the mild sweetness and funky Belgian yeast...

http://www.facebook.com/KAJIIsBeerReviews

Serving type: bottle

09-14-2012 21:07:45 | More by KajII