Muffin Top - Clown Shoes

JamnesCameron

Illinois

4.8/5  rDev +24.7%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Received today from Mr. ClownShoes himself today. Thanks, Gregg! Bottled August 2011.

Poured into a snifter. Pours a cloudy orange with a huge, rocky white head. Head drops slowly leaving a ton of chunky lacing and a thin wisp of foam as a cap.

Aromas of big citrusy hops. Sweet orange peel. Spicy yeast notes, and a whiff of alcohol.

Flavors of big bursting oranges, orange zest, spicy belgian yeast bite, candied oranges and tangerines. Very intense. Long lasting bitterness and an alcohol bite at the end of a very long finish.

Mouthfeel is jaw clinching, tongue scraping bitterness, medium bodied, a little drying, spot-on level of carbonation.

Overall a fantastic brew. Big, bold, complex, very intense, definitely a sipper. Worth seeking out.

Serving type: bottle

09-25-2011 01:08:36 | More by JamnesCameron

BenjieK

Massachusetts

4.72/5  rDev +22.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

A: This look of this one was startling, almost off putting. Hazy, murky, thick. Big head though, tons of lace. I think it may have just been extremely fresh and the yeast hadn't settled yet.

S: Boozy, hoppy, orange, citrus, bready, very complex and inviting.

T: Holy crap! I love Clown Shoes beers because of the intensity. This is the most intense of them. MT tastes like an explosion of hops, oranges, and yeast. Unbelieveably complicated and totally delcioous.

M: Thick, oily, rich, complex, mouth stimultating.

O: Wow. Just wow.

Serving type: bottle

09-08-2011 19:15:34 | More by BenjieK

wburch1967

Massachusetts

4.7/5  rDev +22.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Bomber poured into a Duvel Chalice. Label shows two fat people walking hand in hand on the beach with giant Clown Shoes made of sand. Cool.

Beer pours a hazy orange on the first glass, and a hazier orange/brown/yeasty pour on the second.

Smells of oranges, yeast, grapefruit, slight alcohol.

Taste is an explosion of Belgian and Amercian flavors, almost out of joint for me, but as it warmed it came together. Orange, bread, west coast hops, pretty great. The second glass was almost like beer soup.

A very good beer!

Serving type: bottle

10-15-2011 18:26:20 | More by wburch1967

palphen

New Hampshire

4.65/5  rDev +20.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

Very interesting brew. Lots of orange peel and coriander smell. The taste starts off sweet, as expected from a Belgian tripel, but immediately you begin to get the bitterness of the hops (ipa). Really a fantastic beer, the alcohol isn't too prevalent. I don't review a lot of beers but felt I had to with this one, it's That good!!

Serving type: bottle

10-07-2011 07:10:05 | More by palphen

TTAmod

Michigan

4.65/5  rDev +20.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

The label on this bottle is epic! This is the hardest Clown Shoes beer to find in my experiences. This is actually my first CS beer, so I'm fairly excited.

22 oz. poured into Chimay chalice.

A: Vigorous pour yields a hazy light brown liquid with a thick off-white head that leaves behind a very nice lace.

S: Whew...smell is very heavy hops. It also has a bit of a spicy clove-like radiance coming out of it. Also smells of heavy yeast.

T: Wow. Really heavy minty/piney hops up front. It's very brief, though, and then the spiciness and yeast of the tripel kick in. The front of the brew is DIPA and the latter half is tripel. This brew is very sweet and extremely tasty.

There is also bit of warming in the throat.

M: Pretty much exactly medium. The carbonation is really nice and what you'd get with a tripel.

O: Haven't had hops like these in awhile. These tasted very strongly of mint and pine; they had a very odd cooling effect, which offset the warming of the alcohol. Quite an interesting experience. Nice change of pace from the heavy grapefruit flavor that a lot of DIPAs have.

There is a lot of complexity here. The IPA they used is extremely interesting and the tripel was damn good. I hate to say it, but I think I like this one more than Le Freak, so I'll grade accordingly.

This is the first CS brew I've had, and it makes me want to try others. It is really an interesting take on the style, mostly because of the DIPA used. This is one of the harder-to-find CS brews, but it's definitely worth a shot for hopheads and pretty much any beer enthusiast.

Serving type: bottle

11-21-2011 06:04:44 | More by TTAmod

BigStarFan

Massachusetts

4.47/5  rDev +16.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A: Cloudy orange with a strong white head. Expected this to be more transparent for the style.
S:Lovely! Citrusy hops of an IPA combined with the fruity yeast flavors of a Belgian. Just perfect.
T: Doesn't disappoint. Excellent balance between the two styles. I love this.
M: Didn't this used to be drinkability? Anyway... hides the 10% ABV very well. This is a dangerous brew.

Overall.. I love this beer. I'm drinking it as I type. Wish it wasn't almost gone...

Serving type: on-tap

09-17-2011 00:24:44 | More by BigStarFan

Sensaray

Massachusetts

4.45/5  rDev +15.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Pours a hazy light orange copper with half inch of off white head.

Oranges, mangos, sweet red fruity belgian yeast, fresh american hops, sweet caramel, tropicals. Alcohol more noticeable in smell after I drank half a glass.

Starts off like a tripel, finishes like an American ipa, and they blend very well in the middle. Tropical flavors mix with belgian flavors and citrus that accompany a bitter that flows into a bitter american hop close. It's like they lined up the perfect array of flavors, show you them in the right order, and end exceptionally. Good description of what you're in for on bottle. It's kind of like candied hops. If there was a hop candy this is what it would taste like. Pineapple, citrus.

Mouthfeel is good, medium bodied, a bit sticky, with some spice. Not excellent, but good carbonation.

Overall this is a tasty beverage. Candy and hops melded into one and pretty big bitterness too.

Serving type: bottle

09-23-2011 23:26:45 | More by Sensaray

Duhast500

Massachusetts

4.45/5  rDev +15.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a 22oz. bottle into a tulip glass.

The color is a cloudt yellow/orange with a finger of foamy white head and some slight lacing left on the glass.

The nose is pretty hoppy with some big pine aroma in the nose. There is a nice sweetness coming from the malts that seems to sway past the nose.

The taste is bitter at first thatslides across the tounge and gives a carbonated zing with a nice Belgian yeast flavor. The malt flavor comes out and is really sweet like frosting an a vienna finger.

The feel of this beer is big but not too heavy. It has a complex feel and flavor that keeps you alert. Is a pretty drinkable feel and is a wonderful smoothness.

Serving type: bottle

11-10-2011 04:49:32 | More by Duhast500

SlothB77

Virginia

4.43/5  rDev +15.1%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured into a 4 oz tasting glass from 750 ML bottle.

A: Pours dark golden yellow with a fluffy white cloud head two widths of my thumb that dissipates slowly

S: lots of citrus and bitters and acid. I am already excited. honeydew, apple and pear. Floral aromas as well.

T: Nice bitter taste I love. Again the citrus fruit. Definitely a lot more tobacco in the taste than the smell. Some pine.

M: Medium-bodied, medium carbonation. Bitters aftertaste that finishes quickly, clean and dry.

O: If you don't like a lot of bitters, this may be too strong for you. A good spring or fall beer.

Serving type: nitro-bottle

12-31-2012 22:22:40 | More by SlothB77

SawDog505

New Hampshire

4.4/5  rDev +14.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured into my Duvel VIJF 20 oz plus. Pours a thick hazy brown orange,with a bold 3 inch sticky cream colored head. Smell is clove, banana, grapefruit, orange, and little bread. Very bold, all those flavores, more aggressive than smell. The body is large, with a ton of life for this style. What I like about this Belgian is it has almost equal amounts of IPA as a Belgian. A ton of flavor and a wonderful BIG beer.

Serving type: bottle

09-24-2011 17:31:52 | More by SawDog505

Chaney

District of Columbia

4.4/5  rDev +14.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A: Poured a milky, caramel-orange color, with a mildly off-white (orange-ish) head that retained itself throughout the session.

S: I know the label say that there is orange in here.... and that may be so. However, I got tons of coriander upfront. After that.... hell if I know? Maybe some grass and candy sugar as well.

T: Nice, aggressive bitter edge on the front, middle, and even back end, along with a big vat of lawn clippings. Sure, the sugary sweetness was there, but the bitter elements cut that down to size.

M: Definitely one of the thickest IPAs I've ever had.... I'm talking 120 Minute stuff! The carbonation was low, but what was there played a nice duet with the grassy character emanating from the hop profile. The lacing was mildly splotchy.

O: One of the top 10 Belgian IPAs that I've ever had. While I'm not a huge fan of this style overall, I think Clown Shoes produced a winner here!

Serving type: bottle

09-27-2011 22:12:39 | More by Chaney

hogrider

Florida

4.4/5  rDev +14.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured into a large wine glass, it pours a light yellow ochre color developing a one inch head that dissipates quickly; very little lacing is left. First sip, the hops bittes my palate, I can taste traces of citrus, tamarind; hops are dominant in the aftertaste. I like this, packing a 10% ABV I think I am going to have another cup...and keep drinking BEER and SUPPORT your local brewery. HOG

Serving type: growler

03-11-2012 20:19:05 | More by hogrider

VelvetExtract

Massachusetts

4.35/5  rDev +13%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A-Pours quite hazy with a big, Belgian-esque head. The actual liquid is turbid. The head is attractive. Laces well to boot.

S-Nice aroma. Fruity hops and yeast. The hops are so lively in the aroma. A bit of booze. Smells quite nice. Attractive, and it entices me to try.

T-Pretty damn tasty. Very powerful flavors of super fresh fruity hops. The hops for some reason really hit me as being unique and delicious. The yeast and malt plays well with the hops. I usually do not love Belgian IPAs, I usually leave that to the Americans. But this beer is pretty delicious.

M-Medium bodied. Nice carbonation. The high ABV is masked well. Enjoyable. Slightly slick. Dry.

O/D-Clown Shoes is awesome. This one is an ass-kicker. This one will be sipped again by me. Eagle Claw Fist is probably still my favorite by Clown Shoes, but perhaps another bottle of Muffin Top could my rankings of Clown Shoes' beer.

Serving type: bottle

09-23-2011 03:44:01 | More by VelvetExtract

BeerT3ch

Georgia

4.35/5  rDev +13%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Great tasting beer. Plenty of Belgium and American pride mixed in a bottle. Full Mouth, citrus, earthy flavor. Consistence Drink from the front to the back end. ABV is obvious! 10% +.... Very good Pour. I was hesitant to try the new Clown Shoes Brewery, but I'm glad I did. Vampire Slayer's next. Cheers!

Serving type: bottle

04-22-2012 03:11:01 | More by BeerT3ch

billab914

Virginia

4.33/5  rDev +12.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

22oz bottle into my Allagash glass. It poured a murky, orange amber color with a fluffy white head filling the top two inches of the glass. The head faded to a thin lacing but left some great lacing as it did.

The aroma has a pretty big, juicy hop profile to it. I get some zesty orange and bitter citrus rind coming out of the hoppiness. The Belgian yeast comes through as well and injects some earthy spice into all the juicy hoppiness. Pretty good aroma overall, the juicy hoppiness is particularly nice in it.

The taste also shows a ton of hoppiness throughout the beer. I get some fruitier, juicy notes of peaches and mangoes coming through with more of a citrus rind bitterness showing up towards the finish. In the finish I get some of the Belgian yeast spice coming out as well. The hoppiness really wowed me in it, I loved the big juiciness it brought.

The mouthfeel is medium bodied with carbonation being moderate. Overall this beer really surprised me in how much I liked it. It really did have some great hoppiness to it. Lots of juicy, fruity, hoppy goodness came out in it, and the little yeast spice was just enough to give it some character without overpowering it. A great beer overall and definitely my favorite beer of theirs so far.

Serving type: bottle

09-25-2011 01:07:23 | More by billab914

Ratman197

Colorado

4.33/5  rDev +12.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bomber poured a cloudy gold with a lasting ivory head. Aromas of grapefruit, yeast, straw, candied orange, lemon zest, light mint and a hint of licorice. Mouthfeel was medium bodied and smooth with a dry finish. Flavors of yeast, straw, grapefruit, lemon zest, ligt candied orange and light mint with a smooth dry bitter lingering citrus finish.

Serving type: bottle

12-27-2011 23:33:50 | More by Ratman197

martyl1000

Wisconsin

4.33/5  rDev +12.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On tap at Mason lounge (Madison). It's a nice-looking pour into a goblet, a brownish rouge, with a single finger tan head, and fairly sticky lacing on the glass.

The aroma is far out: massive floral citrus, with a subversive Bready malt.

In the mouth the citrusy hops become steel bright, with a scaffolding of zucchini bread malt. Hence, the name, "Muffin Top".

Serving type: on-tap

12-02-2012 08:58:50 | More by martyl1000

CommanderOfAwesome

California

4.29/5  rDev +11.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

March 2013 bottle poured into a snifter.

A: Pours a golden yellow with an inviting 2 finger fluffy white head.

S: Hops come through surrounded by the belgian sweetness. Getting a nice bready aroma along with sweet fruits and banana. Hoppy resin as well. Pretty hoppy aroma.

T: Sweet fruit followed by the hoppy bite. Very very slight peppery feel for added spice.

M: Sweetness coats the mouth and leaves with a bitter tingly feeling. Medium body with carbonation evident.

O: A very solid and unique beer. Surprisinglu the belgian tripel and IPA mesh well IMO. Only knock is that it is sweet and it stays sweet. Might be too much for some.

Serving type: bottle

04-19-2013 02:19:34 | More by CommanderOfAwesome

fmccormi

New York

4.25/5  rDev +10.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Straight pour from a 22oz pry-off bottle dated to August, 2011 (“BOTTLED 8/11” printed on the label, underneath the barcode) to my Belgian Independence Day stemmed tulip.

Appearance (4.5): Wow, this is an unexpectedly beautiful pour. Body is a very murky honey-orange and it’s protected by a very, very tight three finger head that dissolves into fat bubbles, a rocky surface and heavy lacing all around the sides. Excellent, to be honest.

Smell (3.5): Very heavy on the tripel aspect of this beer (it is a “Belgian-style Tripel India Pale Ale,” after all), which is fine by me. It was bottled a few months ago and it’s meant to be big and Belgian. So, coriander and apples in the nose, mixed with some lighter tropical American hop notes. Interesting, definitely decent.

Taste (4.5): Lots and lots of hop character still left in this mother. It’s spicy, rich, and slightly fruity thanks to the Belgian-ness of this brew, but then a very strong herbal, citrus pithy bitterness overwhelms that side of the beer and takes its sweet time finishing. The hop finish just doesn’t end. This is great. The malt body almost gets lost underneath all that yeast and hop goodness, but it’s moderately sweet, like just a little bit of caramel drizzled on a plain sugar cookie. Only a small amount of booze comes through—surprisingly well-hidden. This is brewed with sweet orange peel, according to the label, and it comes out much more as it warms, though it blends very nicely with the sweetness of the malt and the bitter tang of the hops. Regardless, I am enjoying this quite a bit.

Mouthfeel (4.0): No question that this is a fuller bodied brew, but not heavy by any means. It finishes rather dry, thanks to the ABV, no doubt. This carbonation is very nice—active, evenly distributed, rich but just slightly prickly, it complements the yeast spiciness very well.

Overall (4.5): Damn. I did NOT see this coming. This is really an excellent beer if you ask me, and I’d be delighted to ever see it in a bar. Full disclosure, I picked up this bottle for about $1.50 on discount from my favorite local store, because they had bunches of it and it just wasn’t moving. I am so, so glad I picked this up. It’s a surprisingly solid tripel brewed with sweet orange peel and a shitload of hops; a Double India Pale Tripel might sound like a potential disaster, but evidently this was executed very well. Clown Shoes, please release this at least once a year, and preferably in 12oz 4-packs!

Serving type: bottle

02-02-2012 01:46:07 | More by fmccormi

sholland119

Pennsylvania

4.23/5  rDev +9.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A-Pour is a hazy golden amber with a thin pool of white head that has great retention.

S-Bready malt with lots of fruitiness. Lemony with apricots and some peach. Belgian candi sugar sweetness and Belgian yeast as well.

T-Nice combination of fruit and bitterness. Stone fruit, honey, Belgian yeast, citric hops. Really nice blend of flavors and just a bit hot.

M-A little heavy, a little boozy.

O-I love the name of the beer, and the execution is very nice too.

HV

Serving type: bottle

02-25-2012 01:51:56 | More by sholland119

Wh0IsMrX

Illinois

4.18/5  rDev +8.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A: Pours a cloudy copper with a good one-finger light tan head. Slight to moderate lacing throughout.

S: The nose is dominated by Belgian yeast, hops, and orange peel.

T: Wonderfuly complex. Muffin Top bills itself as a "Belgian-style Tripel IPA," and truthfully, I did not know what to expect as I poured this beer from a 22oz bottle into my favorite glass. Muffin Top had a spicy taste up front, but finished with a bitter splash of hops and citrus fruits. As it warmed, the bitterness started to mellow and the various fruit flavors really began to stand out on the tongue and in the finish.

M: Nothing to rave about, but good. The moderate carbonation suits the beer and does not overwhelm. Very drinkable and finishes smooth.

O: Very enjoyable. I'll admit that I'm not the biggest fan of Belgian-style IPAs, but Clown Shoe's Tramp Stamp had made me a believer in the style long ago. Muffin Top carries on the tradition by taking the style to new heights and I found everything about it to be very enjoyable. Muffin Top is a delicious, complex brew.

Serving type: bottle

11-11-2011 01:57:21 | More by Wh0IsMrX

THANAT0PSIS

Wisconsin

4.18/5  rDev +8.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Clown Shoes Muffin Top

Appearance: My first experience with Clown Shoes of Ipswich, Massachusetts pours a dark, rusty orange, which is crowned with a slightly off-white finger of head. The head has little retention, but it sticks around in a nice crust atop the beer. There is nice lacing, but it is somewhat limited in its staying power as well. There is evident carbonation that can just be seen through the cloudy haze of the beer. It is an interesting looking beer, while also being impressive.

Aroma: Bubblegum and medicinal aromas come through strongly, along with a grassy, piney hop character. The yeast definitely dominates, but the hops are there, just not as strongly as one would expect from an India pale ale, even one of Belgian persuasion. There is also a bit of sourness/tartness in the forefront of the taste. For comparison’s sake, it smells like a cross between Three Floyd’s Gumballhead and Alpha King, which is definitely high praise.

Taste: The taste is similar to the aroma, but the hops and malt (which was completely absent in the aroma) come through and match the strong, Belgian yeast qualities. The bubblegum is still the star of the show, but it is followed by nice, bitter hops, florals and fruitiness (in the form of mangoes, bananas, and slight grapefruit), and finishes with just a touch of astringency and malty sweetness. Black pepper is a lingering taste here, which is really pleasant to have until the next drink. The beer is a lot more well-rounded than the aroma would have the drinker believe. It is also a great example of the style, another good deviation from the aroma.

Mouthfeel: The viscosity is medium, with a slightly creamy mouthfeel and nice carbonation. More malt would be nice to give it a slight syrupiness that this reviewer finds desirable in IPAs. The qualities of a tripel are definitely here as well, but somewhat, unfortunately, muted. Still, there are really no faults to be had here, just things that could be improved.

Overall: This is my first taste of a triple style hybrid (no pun intended). It is really interesting, and quite balanced, but the niceties of the styles are lost amongst all the complexity. The alcohol (10% ABV) is notable nowhere in the drink, which is a victory for what is already a very refreshing beverage. It is unfortunate that I am drinking it in the middle of winter, as it would really fit better as a summer beer. Clown Shoes did great with the idea, though there is definitely room for improvement. Pick this one up if you see it on the shelves; it is more than worth the chance. 16/20

Serving type: bottle

12-28-2012 05:33:00 | More by THANAT0PSIS

xnicknj

Pennsylvania

4.1/5  rDev +6.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

22oz bottle poured into tulip - thanks gill!

Pours a clouded apricot orange with a thick layering of white head. Retains really nicely, plenty of film, leaving a wall of lacing on the glass.

Citrusy hop nose with orange peel and a hint of spice. Pronounced Belgian notes with yeast and faint funk. Fair amount of sweetness and a touch of alcohol.

Nice hoppy bite up front with plenty of citrus. Loads of orange with touches of grapefruit and pith. Nice Belgian yeast and slight funkiness towards the middle with dashes of spice. Light caramel sweetness with apricot. Finishes bitter and dry with a soft warmth.

Medium body, nice carbonation, lingering and sticky on the tongue, slightly creamy. A really nice version of the style, the alcohol is masked well, and plenty of citrus flavor.

Serving type: bottle

09-24-2011 01:22:49 | More by xnicknj

Amalak

New York

4.1/5  rDev +6.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

This is such a unique taste. There is a high alcohol taste and some wheat. There's a bite of watermelon. I'm tasting blueberry in there. The hops provide for a bitter after taste. Cotton candy taste. This is one of the most unique tasting beers I've had in a while. I can't drink too many, but it's uniqueness make it a must try.

Serving type: bottle

12-04-2011 04:01:47 | More by Amalak

nycbeerfreak

New York

4.05/5  rDev +5.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A-Pours quite hazy with a big, Belgian-esque head. The head is big with very cool lacing

S-Nice aroma. Fruity hops and yeast. The hops are so lively in the aroma. A bit of booze. Smells quite nice. Attractive, and it entices me to try.

T-Very tasty. Very powerful flavors of super fresh fruity hops. The hops for some reason really hit me as being unique and delicious. The yeast and malt plays well with the hops. I usually do not love Belgian IPAs, I usually leave that to the Americans. But this beer is pretty delicious.

M-Medium bodied. Nice carbonation. Enjoyable. Dry finish

D-Clown Shoes is very sweet to this guy !!! you will never think this is a 10% ABV beer ...amazing

Serving type: bottle

11-18-2011 01:36:22 | More by nycbeerfreak