Muffin Top - Clown Shoes

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

nhindian

Pennsylvania

3.25/5  rDev -15.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

22oz bottle poured into a Portsmouth tulip. Bottle generously sent by 603BeerMe as an extra, thanks Clark!

Bottled in 8/11.

A - Pours a dark, rustic orange color with about 2.5-fingers of off-white head. Retention isn't bad, especially for the amount of alcohol, but the lacing leaves a bit to be desired for, with only smatterings of lace thrown haphazardly around the glass.

S - Quite a unique nose on this. I am definitely getting the C-hops that were so abundant in Tramp Stamp, but the Belgian influence is far beyond what was in that beer. There's a good amount of malts as well as yeast phenols that give off a strong grape bubblegum aroma. Also quite spicy with cracked pepper, cloves, and some sugar-coated banana.

T - Oh boy, Clown Shoes definitely packs on the Belgian characteristics in the taste. It's very malty and bready, and almost instantly you get the typical tripel notes in the form of the peppery spice, lemon, bubblegum, and banana. Even the alcohol heat is abundant here, lending a somewhat harsh finish. The hops add a bit of flavor, but it seems their main purpose here is to add some bitterness, as they don't contribute a juicy flavor like they did in Tramp Stamp. This bitterness combined with the alcohol heat is a bit off-putting.

M - Mouthfeel is medium-bodied with decent carbonation. It definitely has a dry finish which helps with the crispness but kind of exemplifies the bitterness. Fairly smooth, though, and full-bodied.

D/O - Drinkability is moderate. Clown Shoes isn't kidding around when they say they added a tripel influence to this beer, but I feel it greatly overshadows the IPA portion, which I feel is quite weak when compared to the excellence of the hop flavor in Tramp Stamp. Combine that with the high alcohol heat, and you have a beer that is nice to sip, but I'd take Tramp Stamp any day of the week.

Serving type: bottle

09-27-2011 05:23:03 | More by nhindian

MasterSki

Illinois

3.65/5  rDev -5.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Thanks to Greg (Reagan1984) for this one - hot off the presses, bottled August 2011. Served in a Cigar City tulip.

A - A thin white foam settles to an even thinner cap, thick collar, and no lace. Hazy peach body.

S - Smells like a tripel, but with some citrus and tropical hop influence. There are also the standard tripel notes - stone fruits, sugary malts, some phenolic yeast, and a touch of alcohol.

T - Taste is again a mix of sweets and spicy alcohol. The hop character fades to the periphery and leaves minimal bitterness in the finish. It's a bit sweet for my liking, either as a tripel or as a Belgian IPA.

M - Medium-full body, lower carbonation, smooth chewy texture. Some mild alcohol warmth.

D - Well - this beer delivers exactly what it promises, a blend of American hops and Belgian Tripel flavors. That being said, the alcohol is a bit harsh, the beer is too sweet, and I don't find this particular marriage of flavors all that appealing. That being said I can see others enjoying this quite a bit.

Serving type: bottle

09-26-2011 23:43:47 | More by MasterSki

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

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

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

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

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

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

Jayli

Massachusetts

4.03/5  rDev +4.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured in to my Portsmouth tulip

A: This beer pours a an interesting orange, amberish color - not like any other beer that I've seen before. A two finger of slightly off white foamy, sudsy head. Head recedes at a moderate pace to a film, leaving wispy lacing left on the glass.

S: Nose is of BIG belgian yeast, cloved spicing, and light citrus notes.

T: Taste starts with a big clove and pepper spicing, the pepper is an underlaying flavor through start to finish. After the spicing notes at the forefront, a strong yeast flavoring comes through the middle. Nice citrus hop flavoring comes in to mingle with the yeast notes. Grapefruit citrus hops mingle with the yeast, before the grapefruit really takes over, with a mixture of slight clove and pepper.

M: Medium body, moderate carbonation, dry at first but then becomes oily with a sticky finish.

O: Goes down easy, quite tasty, somewhat filling, well hidden but big kick, interesting representation of style. This is a very interesting blend of belgian and IPA... enjoyable, but at 10% a bomber will more than do ya!

Serving type: bottle

09-23-2011 02:18:31 | More by Jayli

rudzud

Massachusetts

3.7/5  rDev -3.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Picked up a bottle of this at Julio's. Gotta love Clown Shoes artwork...

A - Poured into my Duvel tulip a nice amber almost orange pour with a creamy two finger head that faded to leave really nice side lacing and good halowing/clouding. Nice blanket.

S - Definately a cross between styles. Some swee malts and belgian yeast for tripel aromas. After the tripel come some light belgian IPA notes (grapefruit notes).

T - Similar to the nose there is some nice tripel notes, sweet, light fruit easters and belgian yeast spices, its followed quickly by some slightly bitter citrus hops to round things off. Not exactly a smooth melding, but, interesting and tasty.

M - On the fence with this...3.5...4.0....but well, the carbonation is nice, slightly dry finish. Gave it a 4.0 thanks to how well the 10% ABV is hidden. Its still there of course, just not as prominent as one would think.

O - This is a fairly nice Belgian IPA. Not my favorite from Clown Shoes, and I'm not sure if I'd buy it again. Its a nice mixing of the two styles, and is nicely strong, just doesnt do it for me. I respect the offering though.

Serving type: bottle

09-20-2011 03:07:15 | More by rudzud

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

Auror

Massachusetts

3.65/5  rDev -5.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Muffin Top's style description sucked me in: "Belgian-Style Tripel India Pale Ale". Is it a Tripel with IPA characteristics? Some sort of Devil Dancer-like Triple IPA? The label and name certainly don't help with this mystery.

What kind of name is Muffin Top anyways? Not an apt one for sure (although I kind of like it as a name in general), because this beer should swap names with Clementine. The first thing this beer tastes like is a pretty good Belgian Tripel. And then it tastes like you just grabbed an orange (or clementine) peel and bit into it. You know what I'm talking about: the blend of sweet/citrusy and sharp bitterness. Odd flavor transition. There's definitely some Belgian spices in here, too, but they are a little difficult to make out with that peel in your face.

The aroma is nice, though. A fairly gentle pour leads to a generous 2 finger head that dissipates a little too quickly. The beer has a medium body and is a little viscous in the mouth.

I don't exactly dislike Muffin Top, but I'm not sure this is a beer I'd reach for again. It was an interesting beer, though, for sure, and masked it's 10% alcohol with ease.

Serving type: bottle

09-08-2011 14:02:21 | More by Auror

Reagan1984

Massachusetts

3.95/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Thank you sir!!

Called a Tripel IPA so I categorized it as a Belgian IPA thinking that’s the closest to what I get here. Another classic label from Clown Shoes. Some of the best labels out there.

Aggressive three finger head builds in the glass and leaves a off white creamy head. Large bubbles, good retention. Clumpy lacing everywhere.

Aroma is candied sugar and yeast over a bed of citrus. Interesting. At first you get the Belgian influence then the citrus and orange comes in.

Wow, the orange peel really takes a front and center role in the flavor here. Initial sweetness gives way to a sense of the abv. At that moment a torrent of hop bitterness and the oil from the peel makes it’s presence known. The after taste is long and pretty nice if you are a fan of the orange peel. Adds an interesting dimension to the hop bitterness. Very perfume like. This will be interesting with some age on it. The more I work through the glass the more I wonder if the bitterness if from hops or peel. Just an interesting flavor combination. Belgian yeast and spice are just below the surface providing some complexity here.

Very light carbonation, fairly thick body. A bit oily on your tongue.

Definitely a beer that packs a punch. One to be sipped and enjoyed. Very interested to see what happens to this over time.

Serving type: bottle

09-02-2011 21:32:51 | More by Reagan1984