Tramp Stamp - Clown Shoes

mikesgroove

South Carolina

4.58/5  rDev +16.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

another one i have been trying to track down forever. i opened this one up with dinner and split it with my father in law.

nice hazy orange color on the pour with a small, minimal head that did not produce much at all in the way of lacing. nice carbonation could be seen throughout the session.

aroma is loaded with light citrus and fruity tones that are layered on a lightly spice belgian yeast. really quite nice and very light and clean. crisp and clean taste here as each sip seemed to play off the one before it, again very well done and i was more then pleased with this. light orange, pineapple and tangerine all came together quite well and the light feel and smooth, medium dry finish sealed the deal.

overall a more then solid offering here and something i grately look forward to be able to try again.

Serving type: bottle

03-28-2011 00:20:51 | More by mikesgroove

TheManiacalOne

Rhode Island

4.47/5  rDev +14%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

On-tap 3/19/2011 at Doherty's East Ave Irish Pub in Pawtucket, RI, served in a US tumbler pint glass.

A: The beer is a bright golden brown color, with a short off-white head that fades slowly and leaves a thick lace on the glass.

S: The aroma contains Belgian yeast, floral hops, bananas, citrus, caramelized malts and some spices.

T: The taste starts bready with a strong Belgian yeast flavor and a hearty malt character. Then a strong hops bitterness comes in followed by complementary flavors of bananas, citrus and a touch of spices creating a very good balance. The after-taste is slightly bready and slightly bitter.

M: Crisp and very smooth, medium body, medium carbonation, finish is clean.

D: Very tasty with good complexity, goes down quite easily, not too filling, good kick, very good representation of style, this is definitely one of the better Belgian IPA's that I've had.

Serving type: on-tap

03-21-2011 16:10:03 | More by TheManiacalOne

wburch1967

Massachusetts

4.68/5  rDev +19.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

22 oz bomber date February 2011.

Great label!

Appearance is orange, hazy, with a thick cap that leaves rings of lace. It smells of oranges and fresh bread. The taste is very complex, with orange rind, bitter hops, barely noticeable alcohol, and a juicy citrus finish. This beer is terrific.

Serving type: bottle

03-21-2011 11:49:03 | More by wburch1967

portia99

Massachusetts

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

22oz bottle (bottled first week of 2011) poured into a Duvel tulip.

A - Pours a yeasty dirty brownish orange color with fine yeast particles suspended throughout the body. A finger of tannish off-white foam with pretty good staying power lingers on top for a couple of minutes. Loose, foamy lacing coats the glass in an uneven fashion.

S - Fruity and estery, spicy cloves with some cinnamon, earthy with some mild funk and some citrusy hops. Very good smelling Belgian IPA.

T - Clovey, spicy up front. Tons of Belgian yeast character...tastes like there is some brett in here too (although it doesn't say anything about it), a bit sweaty, some citrusy oranges. A crisp bitterness - very good.

M - Light/medium body...tons of carbonation - very prickly and active on the tongue. Earthy and funky flavors abound here. Great sharp bitterness and spices linger past the swallow.

O - This is a case where the overall outweighs the individual components for me. I have to admint that I've been loving the Americanized Belgian IPA style - definitely becoming one of my favorites. This one has quite a bit going on - lots of flavor nuances, lots of character...I'm gonna be going back to this one frequently I think.

Serving type: bottle

03-18-2011 23:30:38 | More by portia99

Damian

Massachusetts

3.75/5  rDev -4.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

Drank on-tap at the Sunset Grill & Tap, Allston, MA
Served in a cervoise

The beer poured a slightly hazed, crimson-amber color with a one-finger head of off-white foam. Thin sheets of sticky lacing clung to the sides of the glass.

Citrusy hops came through strong in the nose. The hops were very potent initially but they seemed to trail off a bit as the beer warmed. Notes of orange peel, grapefruit, peaches and mango were quite apparent. A dry, powdery yeastiness was also detectible.

The taste was super hoppy and bitter from start to finish. Citrusy, West Coast-style hops dominated. Grapefruit peel was most noticeable. A biscuity malt presence was discernible but it made little headway in this hop-centric brew. Pine sap appeared in the pithy and dry finish.

The body was super plush and creamy with a fine bubbled, zippy effervescence. Super smooth and pillowy on the palate.

Drinkability was where this beer seemed to falter. Belgian IPAs are typically a nice marriage of phenolic, powdery yeastiness and slight candi sweetness (the Belgian part) and crisp, grassy, noble hops (the IPA part). This beer however reminded me more of dry, bitter, West Coast-style IPA. I really would have liked to see more of that typical Belgian character come through.

Serving type: on-tap

03-06-2011 07:42:02 | More by Damian

rudzud

Massachusetts

4.08/5  rDev +4.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Finally found a bottle of this, at Kappy's in Leominster! Poured into my Duvel tulip.

A - A beautiful crystal copper, though with a bit more orange colour than usual. A wonderful fluffy two finger white head atop the brew that very, very slowly fades always leaving a nice white blanket atop with some sticky side lacing.

S - Your usual belgian IPA aromas here. Very light hop aromas, pine and citrus. Have to really focus to get the orange peel though.

T - This is good stuff. Much like the nose there is that tasty american hop qualities, pine and citrus, mingled with light malts. Great bitterness and citrus mixing.

M - Surprisingly high carbonation, I think, for this style. Nice and tart and crisp an dry.

D - This, like pretty much every Clown Shoes, is just delicious. Really great appearance, solid flavor profile, and a great mouthfeel. Definately would buy again.

Serving type: bottle

03-02-2011 06:25:49 | More by rudzud

getgetgettleman

Massachusetts

4/5  rDev +2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Reviewed from notes of 2/25/11

A = Moderate amber to orange color. 2 finger froth and bubbly lace with patchy marbeling.

S = Mello hop slight earthy note. Tanin/resin/pith that overpowered any citrus smell.

T = Hop and soft malt. Triple hop blend seems like a safe combination for flavor dependability. Subtle citrus and pith.

M = Sparkely front end that is creamy. Dry clean finish.

D = Well crafted IPA. Being familiar with Clown Shoes Clemintine, I expected a stronger taste of citrus in this IPA. What I got from the orange peel, was a stronger taste of the orange peel pith. Which did work, but not what I expected.

Serving type: bottle

02-26-2011 23:33:37 | More by getgetgettleman

Billolick

New York

4.33/5  rDev +10.5%
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

Fluke828

Massachusetts

4.22/5  rDev +7.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Was really happy to find this on cask at BBC in Walpole, of all places. Poured a gorgeous orange into a tulip with great, off-white head and fabulous sticky lacing. Very nice smell on this beer. Hoppy and orange with some yeasty-ness coming through the nose. Malty taste with a tart bitterness to balance it out. Orange peel is definitely present maybe even some tangerine?
Feels tart deliciously hoppy with all the flavors masking the 7%. This one actually caught me a little off guard. Overall a terrific brew.

Serving type: cask

02-24-2011 01:26:30 | More by Fluke828

morebeergood

Massachusetts

3.83/5  rDev -2.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

On tap at Canary Sq. in JP. Served in a standard pint glass. Dark orange color, with a small white head. Smell had a fresh aroma of hops to it. Flavor was really loaded with citrusy hops. Mouthfeel was smooth, with a bit of sweetness, but then a bit dry at the end. Alcohol was hidden well for a 7% beer. Nice overall flavor and body, so I'd have one again sometime.

Serving type: on-tap

02-21-2011 16:48:55 | More by morebeergood

DrJay

Massachusetts

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

Crystal clear orange colour with a half inch cap of fine beige foam. Sticky, spotty lace, good head retention. Nice aroma, fruity and bready, orange and citrus, banana, hint of bubblegum and cloves. Sturdy bitterness was backed up by bready and toasty malt, some sugary sweetness, citrus and spice. Light alcohol notes were apparent in the finish. Medium bodied, moderate carbonation, light dryness, nice texture. I liked this one.

Serving type: bottle

02-18-2011 23:24:11 | More by DrJay

Liverpool08

Massachusetts

4.38/5  rDev +11.7%
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

jbertsch

Massachusetts

4.55/5  rDev +16.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Pured into a glass that's a cross between a tulip and pilsner style.

Poured a vibrant amber in color with golden hues. Head is frothy in texture and nicely caps the beer until the end. Good lacing.

Aroma is of a clean, vibrant hop medley. A faint orange citrus note is present as well a noticeable yeastiness.

I tasted a fresh (almost wet-like freshness) burst of hops at first, followed quickly by citrus flavors of orange and even a little lemon. Semi sweet malt flavor provides a backbone to the hops. Hop bitternesss takes over on the finish, but doesn't overpower.

Mouthfeel is pleasantly crisp and nicely carbonated for my tastes. Drinkability gets 2 thumbs up - it's inviting to sip over and over again, but the bitterness in the back demands slower enjoyment.

I had been trying some new brews this week, and the last few were let downs for me. Thankfully, this one pressed the reset button nicely. Very enjoyable, and great quality. I'll definitely seek it out again.

Serving type: bottle

02-17-2011 14:23:44 | More by jbertsch

stonermouse

Massachusetts

3.2/5  rDev -18.4%
look: 5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

From a bomber into an oversized mug.

Wow, I have high hopes for this brew from the look. A gorgeous cloudy amber-orange. Looks like something you could chew. I love when beers look like this.

Smell has a touch of clove, but it's mostly just plain Belgian-yeasty. Decent and inoffensive.

Taste is mostly Belgian yeast, which is your standard spicy, clovey-type flavor. Which is not my bag, but is fairly clean and nice. However, there's nothing else going on. This should have been labeled a Belgian Ale at best, because I'm not exactly sure what the hops are doing here to make this an IPA. Gets decent grades, however, because it's a nice representation of Belgian flavors, without too many bells and whistles to get in the way.

Mouthfeel matches the look; dense and almost-creamy. I wish there were more flavors and more complexity here, because this mouthfeel would present them well.

Drinkability is OK. I almost gave up on my bomber at one point, but the warming mellowed everything out to just plain OK, and I managed to finish. Decent, unspectacular offering from a cutting-edge brewery.

Serving type: bottle

02-12-2011 02:20:54 | More by stonermouse

joehiatt

Maryland

3.08/5  rDev -21.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 2.5

Poured from a bomber bottle into a Sam Adams glass.

A - Gorgeous burnt orange colors, creamy white head

S - I have a cold, hard to tell, but not too powerful aroma. Some muted stonefruit aroma and dates

T - Good. Not as bitter as some members of the style, like Houblon Chouffe. Some of the complexity more associated with Belgian pale ales, ie Bruges Zot

Serving type: bottle

02-11-2011 22:23:28 | More by joehiatt

Chincino

Massachusetts

4.33/5  rDev +10.5%
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

BenjieK

Massachusetts

4.7/5  rDev +19.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Had this on draft at Canary square in JP.

A: Bright orange with amber and gold notes. Big fluffy head. Great lace.

S: Bready, orange peel, citrus, and really, really hoppy. hard to imagine a beer smelling much better.

T: Orange peel, mild hops, complex flavors from the yeast. a really complex and well balanced beer.

M: Well carbonated and creamy, with a little linering bitterness on the tongue.

D: You really don't taste the 7% at all.

Serving type: on-tap

02-06-2011 20:46:49 | More by BenjieK

BeerMaverick

Massachusetts

3.93/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

A - Pours a deep and dark golden tone into a Stella glass. Head starts out nice and thick, but dissipates pretty quickly. Leaves a nice lacing on the glass...I also enjoy looking at the graphic on the bottle...

S - Spicy and hoppy esters dominate the aroma in both the bottle and the glass. The hops are not in your face like many IPAs.

T - The taste reflects the aroma in that spicy and hoppy dominate...pretty good representation of a Belgian IPA. Some woody and earthy notes as well, especially in the aftertaste.

M - Not much of an aftertaste because the entire flavor dissipated before I was able to describe it and I have to take another sip. The spiciness lingers a little, but not as long as many Belgians.

D - This is a very drinkable beer and the 7% abv. is hidden pretty well...however there are definitely better beers of this style out there.

Serving type: bottle

02-05-2011 00:10:23 | More by BeerMaverick

Duhast500

Massachusetts

4.5/5  rDev +14.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Got this at Berman's in Lexington over the weekend.
Thanks Greg!

Poured from the 22oz. bottle into a Chimay chalice.

The color is a hazy copper with a good amount of carbonation and a finger of foamy white head and some thin lacing on the glass.

The smell is Belgian candy sugar in aroma. Some nice malty aroma is there with some sweetness giving a citrus flavor that is deep and complex. There is a touch of strawberry and so sugary taffy.

The taste is has a sweetness that hits the tongue and then washes over a bit. There is a bitterness that seems to bring a candy like sweetness with it, hitting at the same time, it's hard to gauge which way the flavor is going. Bitter hops, then sugary sweetness and back again, there is a great bitter flavor that reminds me of La Fin Du Monde. I am intrigued with flavors of figs, dried bananas and a touch of Clementine.

The feel of this beer is complex but medium is size, the scope is not too big to handle but is well layered for most beer enthusiast tastes. It has a smooth finish that is quite refreshing going down.

Serving type: bottle

02-02-2011 05:20:24 | More by Duhast500

BeerMusketeer

Massachusetts

4.58/5  rDev +16.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Another very impressive effort by Clown Shoes, now one of my favorite breweries. The beer is orange with a big thick head. The smell is yeast, citrus, and hops, my god it smells good! The taste was a balance of sweet and bitter hops with a gorgeous backbone of oranges and soft malts. Super duper drinkable!

Serving type: bottle

01-25-2011 21:00:48 | More by BeerMusketeer

ambluhm

Massachusetts

4.93/5  rDev +25.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

This is sitting DIRECTLY in my wheelhouse!

This beer pours a gorgeous copper-reddish color with a slight haze to it. The head is a taupe-colored mess of goodness. I had to put my finger into it when I saw it and taste the foam and it was yummmmy.

The aroma, for me, is probably it's most stunning asset. Beautiful citrus fruits like grapefruit, tangerine, and blood oranges come through in wonderful fashion. A hint of pine and mint are mingled in there, with a touch of caramelized sugar to round it out.

The mouthfeel was rockin' as well. The fruits that are in the nose hit me almost instantly with a great fresh acidity and balance. Then a strong, but beautiful bitterness came in just in time (Like I said, "in my wheelhouse").

This is most definitely a beer that I will purchase again. It is something that instantly struck me as perfect for Asian cuisine and I will be making that pairing very soon. Cheers!

Serving type: bottle

01-19-2011 15:39:18 | More by ambluhm

Reagan1984

Massachusetts

4.15/5  rDev +5.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Well, it doesn't hurt that this has one of the best labels I've ever seen. Just fantastic.

There is a 3 finger foamy off white head that forms and shows decent retention. The beer is a slightly cloudy amber color with some orange notes. Some sticky lacing remains.

Aroma is a mix of citrus hops, spices and yeast notes. Almost smells like Tang. (not a negative) Definitely get orange citrus notes here. This is the first indication of the flavor to come. Yeast is pretty prevalent.

Nice little beer here. Citrus peel off the bat, hop bitterness, back to some orange and then the yeast notes. There is a moment near the end where you can detect the abv with a hint of the flavor of alcohol. Vanishes with more pithy citrus peel and hop bitterness. Since I enjoy orange citrus fruits I am intrigued by this. The yeast flavor is certainly center stage and this melds with all the other flavor notes.

Almost a powdery feel to the beer. Pretty dry and almost crisp. Very delicate and appropriate carbonation.

This beer grew on me as I worked through the glass. Another nice effort by Clown Shoes.

Serving type: bottle

01-16-2011 04:03:32 | More by Reagan1984

brewandbbq

New Hampshire

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

22oz bottle with "bottled the first week of January 2011" clearly on the label. BIG props for the bottling date and being on the shelves within a week of bottling!

Pours hazy, dark copper and an inch-plus head of beige. Moderate amounts of roped lacing throughout the glass as well as a partial skim coat.

Aromatics lead off with a blast of pungent phenols, apricot, pine, candied grapefruit, and tangerine. Sweet malt in the back with hefty tropical fruit, pine, cloves and bubblegum up front.

Medium bodied with a crisp, drying mouthfeel. A bit leafy and resinous.

Juicy, plump citrus nails the palate followed quickly by a jack-hammer bitterness. Pine sap, grapefruit pith, tangerine rind, and apricot pits. Cotton candy studded with orange Jolly Ranchers ride atop a somewhat coarse, sustaining bitterness.

Finishes with bitter clove dust, warming alcohol, pine resin and shades of Grand Marnier.

This is one serious Belgian IPA. Dial back the bitterness, up the finishing hops, and you'de have a block buster.

Serving type: bottle

01-15-2011 22:28:59 | More by brewandbbq