Lubrication - Clown Shoes

bashiba

Iowa

2.95/5  rDev -18.5%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.75

Poured a deep dark brown with light mahogany highlights and a thin tan soap ring of head.

The smell is lightly roasty with a touch of cacoa and a bit of brown sugar sweetness.

The flavor is one dimensional burnt roasted malts with a bit of smoke. Has a bit of an oily bitterness in the finish.

The mouthfeel is light with a long dry finish.

Very odd beer, its like drinking a smoked porter without any underlying caramel sweetness to balance out the roasted barley. Overall a bit boring and cloying after a while.

Serving type: bottle

02-20-2013 23:49:16 | More by bashiba

KajII

North Carolina

3.43/5  rDev -5.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

[Suggested Glassware: Tulip Glass]

The pour was a very dark black with a large (2-3 finger) light brown rocky head that slowly receded, down to a thin scattered film with a medium collar thus creating good sheets of streaky lacing.

The aroma was a little on the mild side with a burnt grain malt, pine hops and an earthy yeast and had notes of bakers chocolate, roasted coffee, citrus (grapefruit) and a bit of licorice.

The taste was a malty bitter with a note of coffee and bitter chocolate early on, progressing with a slightly bitterer hoppy taste and a light citrus peel presence with a hint of licorice towards the end. The flavor lasted an average time proceeding the swallow, with a nice dark hoppiness that was left lying on the back of the tongue at the finish.

Mouthfeel was a hair below medium in body and dry in texture with a nice mellow carbonation.

Overall this was a mildly hoppy Black Ale, with just enough roastiness to create a nice smooth drinkability...

http://www.facebook.com/KAJIIsBeerReviews

Serving type: bottle

11-27-2012 14:24:17 | More by KajII

mactrail

California

2.93/5  rDev -19.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

A nice sudsy pour with a dark brown color. Smells of the basement with some burnt barley.

Very dry with something not entirely unlike chocolate. Lots and lots of charred grain flavors. The malt seems to be thoroughly fermented in this brew. Just a hint of something like rusty plumbing. The aftertaste is pretty bitter. Some dusty hops and the sourish notes of charcoal. If the added flavor is orange peel, I get mostly the bitter rind and some acidity. I'm not sure what the theory is here, but after a thought-provoking couple of sips, I'm ready for something less punishing.

From the 12 oz bottle bought at H and H Beverage in Abilene.

Serving type: bottle

11-12-2012 02:39:17 | More by mactrail

LiquidAmber

Washington

3.73/5  rDev +3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured into a Seattle Beer Week pint glass. Pours a very dark reddish brown with a massive liht brown head with good retention and tons of lacing. Pleasant aroma of dark toasted malt, chocolate and light piney hops. Flavor is dominated by dark toasted and charred malt, with only hints of the chocolate and aromatic hops from the aroma. Finishes with a pleasant char and hop bitterness. A decent charred malt black ale, but somewhat one dimensional. Medium bodied, but well carbonated. Probably not one I'll rush back to, but enjoyable enough and I really liked the label graphics (which has a robot gas station attendant...not the one in the current picture here).

Serving type: bottle

10-19-2012 02:36:41 | More by LiquidAmber

JerzDevl2000

New Jersey

3.43/5  rDev -5.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Picked this up at Total Wine in West Orange, having never tried anything from Clown Shoes before. I expected this to trend more toward a Stout based on the name, in terms of body. This turned out to be a fairly typical American Black Ale that looked a bit better than it tasted, but wasn't tough to enjoy at all.

Of course, the pour to this was dark as cola without as much carbonation. Not a lot of head, aroma, or lacing to be seen here and this almost reminded me of flat soda as I worked my way through the contents of my pint glass. This almost tasted like a Scotch Ale since the mouthfeel was smoky and there was a hint of peat moss in the back. A bit of caramel-like stickiness could be found here too. The alcohol was high enough but besides the roasted aspect of this, this was not that thick and the hops could have stood out a bit more.

Nothing in particular stood out about this and there was only a hint of tangerine in the bit that reminded me that this was a hopped-up Black Ale. This style seems relatively easy to enjoy and this served as a fine example of the style. Just don't expect to be blown away or bowled over by this.

Serving type: bottle

10-17-2012 19:58:00 | More by JerzDevl2000

HuskyinPDX

Washington

3.3/5  rDev -8.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Bottle opened on 10.8.12.

A - Pours a dark brown with a foamy dark tan two and a half inch head with good retention.

S - Hoppy grass, roasted malt, chocolates.

T - Hoppy, then chocolate, finishes with a smokey malt.

D - tons of carbonation with a light body and a hoppy smokey finish.

O - Hoppy smoke and some chocolate.

Serving type: bottle

10-16-2012 06:24:02 | More by HuskyinPDX

facundoCNB

New Jersey

4.23/5  rDev +16.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

a dark brownish/black pour with tons of fluffy tan head, excellent lacing.
smells of chocolate milk, roasted grains, tobacco, toffee.. very rich and sweet smelling!
a very dark roasty taste up front, sweet and rich in the middle of the palate, earthy/tobacco like bitterness on the finish. this is a really tasty beer - more of a stout than a black in my opinion!

medium body with a nice creamy mouthfeel, nicely carbonated. overall - this beer is a steal! a very tasty treat for about $5 a 4pk! i'd definitely recommend this to any fans of stouts, even though it says it's a black ale, it drinks more like a milk stout. delicious!

Serving type: bottle

10-04-2012 22:27:23 | More by facundoCNB

WoodBrew

Illinois

3.98/5  rDev +9.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

The beer poured a pitch black with a ecru head that has great retention and is leaving some lace. The nose reveals slight piny, citrusy hop aromas and robust chocolate, coffee and roasted malts. The flavor is exactly like the nose. There is some chocolate and roasted malts up front with laid back coffee notes followed by faint pine and citrus hops. The body is light to medium but smooth and has light carbonation. Overall a decent beer almost a porter in my opinion.

Serving type: bottle

09-06-2012 02:08:00 | More by WoodBrew

northyorksammy

Ontario (Canada)

3.73/5  rDev +3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Fresh from Premiere Gourmet. Opaque black bodied Average mouthfeel, aggressive carbonated. Average mouthfeel. The roast without significant hops compared to a black IPA.Was not getting much citrus, more is better. One dimensional. Rough, yet still very good drinkability.WOrth a try.

Serving type: bottle

08-05-2012 02:51:10 | More by northyorksammy

Oakenator

Pennsylvania

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

Pours very dark with a significant amount of head. Nice carbonation and good retention. Smell of dark roasted malts. Taste is smoked with hops masked. Slight orange flavor comes through on the front along with the hops. Overall a good beer and for this type could be considered somewhat of a session brew for a black ale.

Serving type: bottle

07-30-2012 22:30:14 | More by Oakenator

korguy123

Ontario (Canada)

4.1/5  rDev +13.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bottled 2/2012 into tumbler.

A- Opaque, super dark brown, almost black pour with a booming 3 finger creamy off white head. Lacing is decent.

S- Chocolate and coffee up front, there is a little char followed by citrus and pine and a touch of brown sugar and molasses in the finish.

T- Dark roasted coffee, bitter chocolate, leading into grapefruit and pine with a little char. Slight metallic taste and finishing a little sweet.

M- Light to medium bodied, a little creamy on the tongue, carbonation is a little low and it suits this.

O- This is more of a BLACK ipa instead of a black IPA. It focuses more on the dark malts and roast qualities. It's good for a change and nice to see a different take on a rather new style.

Serving type: bottle

07-25-2012 20:57:22 | More by korguy123

soulfly1492

Pennsylvania

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

Aroma: Great aroma. Lots of chocolate mocha, mild sweet coffee, some lactose, cocoa, very little burnt roast black malt, which I was expecting a lot of. Smells like a sweet and mild chocolate stout.

Appearance: Black, opaque. Head pours 1/2" and is medium brown. Good retention and tons of lacing.

Taste: I guess I read the aroma wrong? Moderate roasty black malt. Cigar ash, which is actually pleasant. Some mild pine and floral hops which are very subtle in the aroma. Some alcohol, although very mild.

Mouthfeel: Medium body. Low but stinging carbonation. Finishes dry.

Overall: Cigar ash that taste good, that's a new one. Not the top of the line, but a decent brew.

Serving type: bottle

07-21-2012 22:54:50 | More by soulfly1492

greenengineer

Massachusetts

3.3/5  rDev -8.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

22 oz Bomber into a stemless wine glass

A- pours very dark, with a big brown head. Settles down nicely leaving some great lacings. Completely opaque. Super fizzy
S - not much smell, coffee grounds, guinness
T - charred malt, almost sour, bitter, with some late hop resin. Label says orange peel, but I'm not tasting it.
M - thin, and bubbly
O - not my favorite style, but a decent attempt. Drinks a little lighter than it looks.

Serving type: bottle

07-20-2012 20:09:09 | More by greenengineer

NoLeafClover44

Delaware

3.78/5  rDev +4.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

22 oz. bottle poured into an Allagash chalice. Bottled in February of this year; a bit older than I would like.

A - Pours nearly black, topped by a pillow of Coca-cola carbonation that lasts forever. Sticky lacing.

S - Roasted malt and chocolate. It is very sweet with some nutmeg, but floral hops balance and complicate.

T - Starts dry and bready. Some pond-water smokiness that is just subtle enough to enhance and not detract. Finishes with some clean pine hops.

M - Carbonation is tingly and stays consistent through to the last sip. Body is on the lighter side, making this one a gulper.

O - I really enjoyed this Clown Shoes offering. Easy drinking with all the flavors I am looking for in a Black Ale, even after 5 months. Not the best beer of the style, but certainly serviceable for $5/bomber.

Serving type: bottle

07-11-2012 01:15:20 | More by NoLeafClover44

jsanford

Georgia

3.65/5  rDev +0.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours black with brownish edges and a creamy khaki head that settles to a thin haze, leaving soapy lacing. Aromas of roasted malt and resinous citrus hops dominate. More hop-forward then malt-forward, with some bitter chocolate. More chocolate and roasted malt flavors, backed up with grapefruit and orange peel hops. Pretty well balanced overall, and quite drinkable. Mouthfeel is smooth and crisp, with a medium body and sharp carbonation. A really solid "Black IPA" overall, a style that Clown Shoes seems to do really well.

Serving type: bottle

07-10-2012 22:19:53 | More by jsanford

PicoPapa

Connecticut

3.63/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

22oz bottle with Bottled 2/2012. Pours a black color with, I don't know, maybe 3 inches of frothy head. Lots of lacing. Guess im not in a hurry. Aromas of roasted malts, smoke, coffee and chocolate. Taste is a small amount of citrus hops, namely orange, with some chocolate, coffee, smoke and roasted malts. Super carbonated, obviously. Pretty drinkable with not much alcohol flavor. Given the choice I'd pick Hoppy Feet over this one but its a decent beer worth having every once in awhile.

Serving type: bottle

06-29-2012 06:10:01 | More by PicoPapa

mltobin

Connecticut

3.85/5  rDev +6.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

12 ounce bottle picked up at a small store in Westchester NY.

Appearance is near black with two fingers of a tannish head. Lubrication has a nose that gives off licorice, roasted malts, some chocolate. This black ale tastes earthy. It has a good amount of those roasted malts, chocolate, a bit of coffee too. Mouthfeel is leaning towards heavy. A nice black ale, worth a try.

Serving type: bottle

06-21-2012 00:58:35 | More by mltobin

GPHarris

Alabama

3.78/5  rDev +4.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

a - poured a three-fingers thick pillowy tan head into an english pub glass that left great lacing throughout. the body was black with red tints.
s - big roasted chocolate aromas.
t - roasted and bitter chocolate dominates.
m - creamy and medium thickness.
o - one track mind for chocolate and i liked it but would have liked some more hop flavors.

Serving type: bottle

06-18-2012 14:59:32 | More by GPHarris

NODAK

Tennessee

2.88/5  rDev -20.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

This beer has quite the roasted malt nose to it...really a full aroma of what a black ale should be. I don't really get much else, such as coffee or chocolate...no, it's just pretty much a deep roasted note.

I wish I could say the flavor was complex to me, but the reality here is that the mouthfeel is pretty thin and the flavor is roasted malts all over the place. From start to finish, roasted malt dominates the day, even going towards burnt. A full flavored black ale. There's a small but persistent bitter note that shows up at the finish and lingers with a little astringency along the back of the tongue. It almost seems out of place a bit among the other notes of the beer.

So all in all, it's fairly average for what it is. It isn't incredibly interesting, but if anybody wants a straight forward, roasted malt black ale, they can turn to this one and get what they want.

Serving type: bottle

06-14-2012 03:28:50 | More by NODAK

CaptDavyJones

New York

3.55/5  rDev -1.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Served in a pint glass at J. Ryan's in Syracuse.
Dark as night, with slight ruby red hues along the edges at the bottom of the glass.
Aroma is very malty; lots of roasted malt, espresso coffee, cocoa notes. Didn’t get any hops in the aroma.
Taste likewise is extremely malt-forward. Roasted notes upfront; leading to bitter notes from the middle to the finish. The bitterness lingers for quite some time after the finish. Feels almost like a liquid version of dark chocolate covered espresso beans. A little thin on the mouthfeel.
Lots of lacing along the insides of the glass.
Overall, not the best black ale around for my taste. If you are looking for a malty black ale, then this might be the one to try. If you are looking for a hoppy black ale, then unfortunately this ale falls short.

Serving type: on-tap

06-08-2012 03:29:25 | More by CaptDavyJones

Cyberkedi

Georgia

4.08/5  rDev +12.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Aroma is - ZOMG, what a great aroma, strong, oily, smoky, with notes of molasses, hops and licorice plus a hint of miso. It pours an opaque warm sable with a thick, fine-bubbled and rather persistent light tan head that leaves some generous lacing. Satisfying flavor has a hop-bitter overtone plus notes of roast malt, licorice and molasses. Texture is smooth, a teeny bit watery, fairly fizzy and a little dusty. Overall, a worthy brew.

Serving type: bottle

05-25-2012 01:20:06 | More by Cyberkedi

oline73

Maryland

3.05/5  rDev -15.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Poured from the bottle into a standard pint glass.

Appearance: The beer pours black with a hint of reddish brown at the edges when the light hits it. There is a two finger fluffy off white head that fades to a thick ring around the edge of the glass.

Smell: Quite smokey and roasty with no real sweetness. Some fresh hop notes coming through as well.

Taste: This beer is way too bitter. The roast and hops combine and get a little out of hand. I love bitter beers, but this isn't a controlled bitterness. Burnt malt with a malty sweetness. The finish is really roasty and bitter.

Mouthfeel: Medium body with tons of carbonation and a dry finish.

Overall: This beer is way too bitter to be enjoyable. Not very clean. A kind of tough one to get through.

Serving type: bottle

05-22-2012 01:57:34 | More by oline73

jmdrpi

Pennsylvania

3.58/5  rDev -1.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

22 oz bottle, no date.

appears almost black, with ruby highlights in the corners . frothy off-white head, decent retention. aroma is a bit of dark malt and citrusy hops.

taste has a fairly roasted flavor for a Black IPA. lingering hop taste, slightly citrus. medium thickness, higher carbonation.

overall, decent for the style, but their Hoppy Feet 1.5 was much better.

Serving type: bottle

05-01-2012 03:27:04 | More by jmdrpi

Boto

Connecticut

3.53/5  rDev -2.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

22oz bomber: This one pours a very dark brown, almost black color. There was a bit of a tan head that recedes quickly. Decent enough nose. Chocolate and a bit of roastiness up front. Some citrus hops trying to break through. Medium bodied. Taste is OK. Bit of the roastiness and chocolate malts, a bit bitter. Taste seems a little thin, even though it is good.

Serving type: bottle

04-28-2012 21:20:42 | More by Boto

dbrauneis

New Jersey

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

A: Pours an opaque black in color with some very light hints of dark brown when held up to the light. The beer has a two finger tall pillowy tan head that reduces to a thick layer over the entire surface of the beer with a dense patch in the center. Significant lacing is observed.

S: Light aromas of dark roasted malts with some very intense citrus hops.

T: The flavor of this beer is dominated by the dark roasted malts. Additionally there is a light taste of char and some citrus hop bitterness. The bitterness is fairly intense and lingers for quite a while.

M: Medium bodied with moderate amounts of carbonation. Crisp with a very dry finish.

O: I enjoyed this beer quite a bit and found it pretty easy to drink. Not sure if this one could be a session beer for me as the mouthfeel is just too dry in the finish (it actually makes me kind of thirsty). A nice complexity to the flavor.

Serving type: bottle

04-21-2012 16:52:00 | More by dbrauneis