Tramp Stamp - Clown Shoes

Bighuge

Minnesota

4.43/5  rDev +13.3%
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

morimech

Minnesota

4.43/5  rDev +13.3%
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

InebriatedJoker

Ohio

4.4/5  rDev +12.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Thanks to DNuggs for sending me this one.

Poured from bomber into Duvel Tulip - Bottled first week of January 2011.

A: Poured cloudy golden orange with two finger head that lowered into a thick lace with great webbing, lots of bubbles, Good looking Ipa.

S: Citrus with light hops and pine resin.

T: Bitter hops with light orange hints, decent malt backing , slight pine notes.

O: Overall this is a well put together Belgian Ipa, the flavors work well together. definitly would have this again.

Serving type: bottle

05-01-2011 00:36:35 | More by InebriatedJoker

cosmicevan

New York

4.4/5  rDev +12.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

picked this up the last time i was in chicagoland.

a - opened and filled my duvel taster tulip. very nice amber orange with a generous belgian frothy ipa head. very foamy and lots of lacing. visible carbonation...looking great.

s - some candied sugar and clove with a bit of bubblegum. subtle, but very nice.

t - very bubblegum again. really nice belgian ipa.

m - a bit thicker and syrupy compared to what i had expected, and somewhat heavy for the style, but an easy drinker.

o - overall rather impressed by this one. nice belgian ipa, a bit heavy and thick and syrupy for the style, but that doesn't seem to take much away from it. would definitely have this again.

Serving type: bottle

09-03-2011 23:08:19 | More by cosmicevan

tbeckett

Ontario (Canada)

4.4/5  rDev +12.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Hyped bottle from the beer guy at the Potsdam IGA.

A - Dark golden with a strong haze. Good carbonation. Two fingers of frothy white head. Good chunky rings of lace with good retention as well.

S- A nice orange with a little yeast, mustiness, noticeable resinous and citrusy hops. Very fresh orange zest kinda aroma. Nice.

T - Fairly hoppy with lot's of orange and yeast, a little musty again. Citrusy hop. Orange and musty notes come first then the hops punch hard.

M - Hops in the finish leave a nice bitterness. Nice tingly carbonation and a medium body.

O/D - A really nice Belgian IPA. Fruity, hoppy, and not too boozy. Well crafted and easy to drink. Really solid.

Serving type: bottle

10-27-2011 00:54:19 | More by tbeckett

Liverpool08

Massachusetts

4.38/5  rDev +12%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

This is just a great beer. Aroma of hops and a hint of oranges. A great blend of clean crisp hoppy bitterness with an ever lingering sweet orange/lemon flavor. Each sip is a new taste. The bitterness just plays really well off of the citrus hints. Alchohol is hidden very well, and makes this a Very easy drinker. Plus at 5.99 a bomber its a great deal.

Serving type: bottle

02-17-2011 21:36:10 | More by Liverpool08

Retail1LO

Pennsylvania

4.38/5  rDev +12%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

First Clown Shoes offering...and it didn't disappoint. Split a 22 oz. bomber with my friend over a Tombstone pizza while watching the Steelers-Eagels preseason game. I hadn't read the description of the beer on here or on the bottle prior to drinking this. It poured a beautiful, largely translucent/opaque orange with a decent head, accompanied by an abundance of lacing that has some real staying power. Beautiful beautiful hop aroma on the approach. When I got my first taste, the first thing I though was "Saison with a strong hop profile." Well, it's not a saison, but the hops are front and center. Wonderful citrusy, piney, grapefruity taste, with a nice light mouthfeel. I love this beer. I'm glad I was able to procure some of this in a couple trades. Wish it was distributed to Philly. Get some if you can. Solid beer.

Serving type: bottle

08-19-2011 00:35:38 | More by Retail1LO

SWMeyer4141

Texas

4.38/5  rDev +12%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured into Maudite Tulip.

Appearance-Pretty dark orange with a two finger creamy white head. Retention is pretty good and lacing is very nice.

Smell-Wow. Different from the few other Belgian IPAs I've had. Juicy grapefruit, orange and lemon. The Belgian characteristics come out but this really shines as an IPA aroma. There are definitely some belgian yeast aromas once the beer cools down, but it lets the citrus really be the star.

Taste-Upfront It's pretty bland with some belgian yeasts, that spiciness. A little sweetness mid-palate and the finish is just a bitter grapefruit/orange rind. Finish is very dry.

Mouthfeel-Medium bodied, easy to drink with carbonation thats not over powering. Very nicely balanced.

Overall-Stone's Cali-Belguque is the only other Belgian IPA I can think of that I can get for this price, and I think this was a buck cheaper at 5.99. I enjoyed this beer more as well. I can see this beer being a go to beer for me, too bad no 6 packs.

Serving type: bottle

09-16-2011 00:31:20 | More by SWMeyer4141

Immortale25

Florida

4.38/5  rDev +12%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Poured into a Shiner Bock pint glass. Had only heard of this brewery before but wasn't in a hurry to try any of their beers until I found out they're a part of Total Wine's "Brewery Direct" deal where they get beers direct from the brewery, so there's a discounted price. Didn't know they were based out of Massachusetts, which is intriguing.

A- Pours a dark copper color with a 1/2 inch head that slowly drops down to an 1/8 inch head with good lacing retaining nicely, and has patchy foam patterns clustered on the surface.

S- Fresh hops that meld with the Belgian yeast character nicely and provide a sweetness that's very pleasant. Detecting a sort of astringency that could be the alcohol, the yeast or both.

T- I love this style. A nearly perfect mixture of the grassy, oily hop flavors with the strong, vibrant Belgian yeast flavors. The sweetness isn't as prevalent in the taste as the aroma but that's nothing to complain about. There are actually, in contrast, a lot of spice and black pepper notes. Multidimensional indeed. Has a metallic aftertaste that doesn't detract from the overall enjoyment of the beer.

M- Has a prickly feel that's common in BIPAs which is part of the reason I like them so much. Also has a buttery viscosity which is also a plus.

O- What an unexpectedly awesome beer! I must say that given the name of the brewery (goofy) and the name of the beer (gimmicky), I was expecting something not-so-good. But the BIPA is just about my favorite style and these guys just about nailed it. I look forward to trying more of their beer. Kudos.

Serving type: bottle

11-15-2011 02:22:21 | More by Immortale25

BrewCrew2010

New York

4.35/5  rDev +11.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A: Pours a hazy orange with an off-white/orange tinge head; great lacing.

S: A nice citrusy nose with notes of other tropical fruits and banana. A lot of clove, yeast, Belgian sugar, and a hint of hops and light grainy malts. Some pepper in the backbround as well.

T: Taste like candy oranges. Great Belgian flavor in which the clove and tropical fruits really come out. The hops are more floral then bitter, and sweet pale malts balance it out. Finishes dry and spicy from the Belgian yeast.

M: Prickly texture; medium body; appropriate carbonation.

O: Really enjoyed this beer. Thanks Jared and Chad for suggesting it. I'm definitely going to get more and would recommend this to others. A must try.

Serving type: bottle

07-07-2011 12:48:15 | More by BrewCrew2010

Duff27

Illinois

4.35/5  rDev +11.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A- Two fingered head, orangish/red hue, Clumpy lacing and very nice head retention.

S- Spices/fruity.

T- Starts off with the spice then quickly to a citrus (think oranges) backed hop assault. Quite a bit more complex than i was expecting. Well hidden alcohol.

M- Tiny bubbly carbonation on the tongue. Medium mouthfeel.

D/O- I split this bomber but would've had no problem taking down it in it's entirety, quite drinkable. Every sip left my mouth watering for more. Highly recommended if you like your Belgian yeast/citrus hops combos.

Serving type: bottle

07-28-2011 05:55:13 | More by Duff27

Brad007

Vermont

4.35/5  rDev +11.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Had at the Farmhouse in Burlington on 8/25/11.

Pours a beautiful amber color with a decent head into my glass. I just love the colors.

Aroma is of modest grapefruit from the hops followed by a wisp of buttery malt.

Taste? Lots of tart grapefruit that dominates the palate. Not malt-forward, which is nice when you just want to enjoy the hops.

There are more hops on the mouthfeel, though to a lesser extent.

Excellent choice for the hop lover.

Serving type: on-tap

08-28-2011 23:31:32 | More by Brad007

Chincino

Massachusetts

4.33/5  rDev +10.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I have really enjoyed beers I've tried from Clown Shoes before so I decided to try this beer yesterday when I saw it was on-tap at Julians in Providence.

This was a truly good beer in my opinion. It poured a golden yellow. The beer had a hood strong aroma-traces of lemon and a sweet orange smell to it-also a strong maltiness to the aroma.

This beer had very good drinkability.

I would definitely recommend this beer. Another good job by Clown Shoes.

Serving type: on-tap

02-07-2011 12:28:15 | More by Chincino

Billolick

New York

4.33/5  rDev +10.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

22 ounce bottle, $6.50 at Spirit Haus, Amherst, Ma.. "Bottled the first week of January, 2011" on the side of the label.

Pours lightly hazed dull tangarine amber, frothy medium tan head, shows good retention, thick sheeting, and ample lacing.

Orange peel, malt and resiny hops in the nose.

Citric notes abound. Pineapple, orange, candied fruits, malt support in the midsection and more citric hop bite all over the finish.

Well done, complex and simply delicious take on an exciting and pleasing style.

Serving type: bottle

02-24-2011 03:35:21 | More by Billolick

GbVDave

Illinois

4.33/5  rDev +10.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a 22oz bottle into two pint glasses. Thanks to HeatherAnn for the assist!

Bottled the end of April 2011.

A: Pours a really murky dark amber color with tons of suspended sediment that left an oily slick all over the inside of the glass.

S: Hints of bitter citrus peel and boatloads of American hops get balance from unknown spices and a strong toasty/biscuity malt backbone.

T: See above with more of everything. The hops take on a seriously piney bent with an extremely generous helping of spices and clove.

M: Starts pretty full and juicy before getting extremely dry and prickly during the long middle and finish. Actually sizzles a bit in the mouth.

O: Another killer Clown Shoes beer! Excellent bitter/prickly spice, hops, and citrus peel blast. Niiiice!

Serving type: bottle

05-23-2011 23:46:19 | More by GbVDave

cbutova

Massachusetts

4.33/5  rDev +10.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A- Hazy orange-amber into a pint glass. Creamy white head forms to a nice two fingers in size. Good retention and spotty lace.

S- Very nice straight up citrus hop feel, bouquet of orange and lemon. Slight Belgian yeast spice and bread.

T- Again, a nice citrus, grapefruit presence up front with some good additions. More hop notes of floral, pine and earth. Nice Belgian yeast spice, coriander, clove and bread.

MF- Creamy moderately thick ale. High carbonation gives it a nice silky, foamy feel. Slight bitterness finishes it off.

Really nice citrus flavors going on and just enough Belgisn yeast influence. Clown Shoes knows how it's done.

Serving type: bottle

07-30-2011 04:12:04 | More by cbutova

elNopalero

Texas

4.33/5  rDev +10.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This pours a tan-straw color with a light amount of foam. There’s a grassy-piney hop aroma and flavor to it. The grassy piney hop flavor comes across sharp as knives (or tattoo needles?)—in my notes I wrote sharp three times—but it’s matched by a floral hoppiness from the Belgian yeasty esters. This gives the flavor some fruit spiciness and a floral, hoppy, pungent flavor that finishes strong.

Serving type: bottle

01-09-2012 21:52:36 | More by elNopalero

BeerCon5

Pennsylvania

4.33/5  rDev +10.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Pours a slightly hazy amber color with about 1 1/2 fingers of fluffy white head with good retention.

The scent is of citrus, mild hops, and biscuity malts.

The taste is of citrus; orange, grapefruit, and some lemon notes. Other tropical fruits are present also. Moderately bitter citrus hops and biscuty malt are also notable.

Medium body, smooth feel with a dry finish, moderate carbonation.

Overall this is a very good beer, the balance of sweetness and the bitterness of the hops is perfect. I would go for this again.

Serving type: on-tap

03-22-2012 18:15:14 | More by BeerCon5

EtOHMD

Massachusetts

4.33/5  rDev +10.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured from 22oz brown bomber into pint glass.

A: Clear. Warm orange color. Thin white head but lots of lacing. Tons of visible carbonation. 4.

S: Pine. Floral. Citrus. Grass. 4.

T: Very nice. Moderate hops but well balanced. Mildly astringent alcohol on the back end provides a nice bite. Mild grapefruit in the finish as well. 4.5.

M: Initially creamy and then finishes crisp and dry with warming alcohol. 4.

O: Very good Belgian IPA from excellent local brewery.

Serving type: bottle

06-07-2012 00:16:19 | More by EtOHMD

DavidST

Texas

4.33/5  rDev +10.7%
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

zeff80

Missouri

4.3/5  rDev +10%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A - Poured out a clear, golden amber color with a one-finger head of off-white foam. It left sticky patches of lace on the glass.

S - It smelled very fruity and yeasty. A mild funkiness in the nose too.

T - It tasted yeasty and fruity with a spicy bitter bite. It had a sweet caramel backbone.

M - It was crisp and smooth. A medium bodied ale with a sharp, dry finish.

O - This is a really good Belgian IPA. I'm glad I got my hands on this one from Clown Shoes.

Serving type: bottle

08-02-2011 02:43:55 | More by zeff80

micromaniac129

Pennsylvania

4.3/5  rDev +10%
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

woodychandler

Pennsylvania

4.28/5  rDev +9.5%
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

WojoVT

Vermont

4.25/5  rDev +8.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Coming from a bomber with an interesting label, Tramp Stamp pours a deep gold to almost an orange color. It gives (i mean has) nice head with nice lacing around my pint glass. Moderately carbonated.

To the nose you get the fruity / spicy hints coming from its Belgian White side with a nice, not overpowering hoppiness from the IPA.

Once Tramp Stamp hits your mouth you can really get a full sense of the hops from the IPA style. It has a nice bitterness to it complemented well by it's Belgian counterpart. It is a sweeter IPA but not overly malty like some of the DIPA's can be.

Tramp Stamp has a nice body, not too thin, but not to thick. Enough said...

Much to my surprise I really enjoyed Tramp Stamp. Though I usually prefer IPA's and DIPA's with 80 + IBU's, Tramp Stamp is a great mix between two great styles.

Serving type: bottle

07-22-2011 00:35:42 | More by WojoVT

CSQ1111

Kentucky

4.25/5  rDev +8.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

The label might get your attention, but it's what's inside that will really get you going.

I had read about Clown Shoes brews (Clementine & Hoppy Feet) in B.A. Magazine and was anxious to try one of their offerings.

Being a Hophead and a HUGE fan of American IPA's, I thought why not give this Belgian Style IPA a try.

From the smell to the first sip, I thought WOW what a GREAT beer.

The Belgian yeast stands out, but compliments the other flavors very well.

If you're a Hophead looking for something different, give the Tramp Stamp a try.

Serving type: bottle

07-23-2011 16:17:26 | More by CSQ1111