Vampire Slayer - Clown Shoes

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BA SCORE
92
exceptional
-
603 Ratings

rAvg: 4.14
pDev: 10.39%
Reviews: 195
Hads: 408

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Brewed by:
Clown Shoes

Massachusetts, United States

Style | ABV
American Double / Imperial Stout | 10.00% ABV

Availability: Year-round. bottle (181), on-tap (13), cask (1).

Notes:
No notes at this time.

View: Beers (16) | Events (0)

Reviews

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Reviews by Bierman9:

Bierman9

New Hampshire

4.35/5 rDev +5.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bought this yesterday at Harringtons, the 22oz bottle costing me $8.95 (though the net was only $5.60 after my bottle-return refund was factored in!). Digging in today while watching some NFL playoff action.

Poured into a small tulip, the bier color was an opaque black, dense and dark, and the head was a creamy layer of mocha-hued foam. The topping ebbed to leave some mousse-like wisps here and there, mostly at the edges, with some solid lacing left behind. The aroma is lovely, with enticing roasty notes mixed up with some dark choco. Mouthfeel was quite good, with a medium-plus body and a silky smoothness on the tongue. I do wish it had more heft to the body, though.

The flavor kicks-off like a chocolate shake infused with mocha. There's a touch of bitter coffee action, but the sweetness prevails in the end. A very subtle smidge of smokiness is detected if you look for it. I might not have noticed had the label not mentioned its presence. The hopping found here is quite floral, with a pronounced hop bitterness lingering long on the palate. And, about three-quarters through the bottle, I am having a hard time finding the 10% ABV listed here. Whoa!

This 2nd Anniversary Clown Shoes offering is pretty damn tasty, though I wish it were a touch cheaper (I'll take Smutty RIS at $3 less per bottle!). Prosit!!

4.35/5 rDev +1.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

1430

Serving type: bottle

01-15-2012 20:07:02 | More by Bierman9

More User Reviews:

NightNyx

Florida

1/5 rDev -75.8%

05-22-2013 23:33:48 | More by NightNyx

xseanprimex

South Carolina

4/5 rDev -3.4%

05-20-2013 18:53:45 | More by xseanprimex

BrewTasting

Nevada

4.5/5 rDev +8.7%

05-20-2013 18:40:14 | More by BrewTasting

roblund

California

4/5 rDev -3.4%

05-20-2013 14:58:38 | More by roblund

drgonzo2k2

California

4/5 rDev -3.4%

05-19-2013 14:26:44 | More by drgonzo2k2

beechner224

Florida

4.56/5 rDev +10.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5

Poured into a large pint glass. Pours rich black with just enough head. Looks like a large stout should. On smell I get chocolate, caramel, and coffee - very nice.

On first sip it is really good. I still get the chocolate and coffee. It is nicely balanced and mouthfeel is lighter than you would expect. There are several light flavors in there: vanilla, hint of booze, and very smooth.

Starting to really like clown shoes - several of there latest samplings have been great.

Serving type: bottle

05-18-2013 22:27:28 | More by beechner224

dertyd

California

4.25/5 rDev +2.7%

05-18-2013 07:30:16 | More by dertyd

CharlesRamsey

California

3.15/5 rDev -23.9%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.75

Like Kim Kardasian, looks are deceiving. A full body apperance, with a trunk full of junk. That is a little too harsh as i know how well reviewed this offering is, but you get my point. Flavor complexities that still need to be worked out, with high points of coffee grinds, burnt chocolate but a thin, syrupy mouthfeel that missed the richness of some others. The dark, thin head stayed, with low carbonation that needed more balance for me to want to try it again.

Serving type: on-tap

05-17-2013 02:00:37 | More by CharlesRamsey

SweetBrown

California

3.18/5 rDev -23.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.25

I don't always drink stout, but when I do, it will most likely not be another Vampire Slayer. The color was a mix of dark raspberry and dark roast coffee beans, with a thin layer of foam, which on looks alone, seemed very promising. However, upon first sip, I found it somewhat syrupy and not as smooth as its looks, with taste notes that was a cross between black licorice and soy sauce. This was not a thirst quencher, but more like a meal. For these same reasons, it's probably a great drink for those who appreciate a good hearty imperial stout. As a fan of True Blood, glad I tried it, but may have been too big of a bite for this IPA-er.

Serving type: on-tap

05-17-2013 01:45:50 | More by SweetBrown