Vampire Slayer - Clown Shoes

corby112

Pennsylvania

2.98/5  rDev -28%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Pours pitch black with a two finger frothy beige head that slowly settles into a lasting cap/ring.  Streaks and spots of lace left behind.

Slightly smokey aroma with roasted dark malts balanced by some sweeter notes.  Hints of toast, dark chocolate, oatmeal and coffee along with smoked meat and subtle hops.  subtle lactic presence.

Medium bodied but a bit thinner than expected with a strong roasted malt presence that is sligtly dry and acrid but not overwhelmingly so.  Hints of burnt toast, deeply roasted coffee, dark chocolate and oatmeal.  Very bitter with subtle hops complimenting the dry, roasted notes.  Subtle lactic presence and some chocolate sweetness. Finishes with boozy heat that gives off a lot of alcohol flavor.  Astringent dry boozy finish.  Looks and smells nice but the flavor doesn't follow through.

Serving type: bottle

07-25-2012 01:40:16 | More by corby112

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

donkeyrunner

Massachusetts

3.2/5  rDev -22.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Opaque black with a coffee ice cream head. Bubbly like a cauldron.

Smells roasty, dark and acrid with sugary edges. More burnt wood than smoke. Tastes like roast malt chocolate frozen yogurt. Char in back gets to be a bit much. Not bad but I can think of 20 imperial stouts available at my local beer store that are better than this.

There's a big hubbub over the use of holy water in this beer. I don't know that it's any different than a kosher Hebrew beer but my girlfriends Catholic and says it is.

Serving type: bottle

01-11-2012 01:42:45 | More by donkeyrunner

Beaver13

Colorado

3.38/5  rDev -18.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

22 oz bottle. Pours dark brown black with a small tan head that goes to a thin film and laces the glass.

The aroma is roasted chocolate malts, some honey and a little cardboard.

The flavor is sweet chocolate malt with a lot of roast (bitter with some coffee) and a little vinous alcohol. The mouthfeel is medium bodied with low carbonation.

Overall, a decent imperial stout.

Serving type: bottle

04-24-2013 06:13:28 | More by Beaver13

ThisWangsChung

Maryland

3.59/5  rDev -13.3%
look: 3.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Portion of a 22 oz bottle into a Hunahpu's snifter (Momar42 to the rescue!) From notes.

A: Pours a very dark brown color. The tan-colored head had no real chance to form given the smallish pour.

S: Notes of soy, chocolate, roasted malt, licorice, and smoke abound. Really a nice aroma in general.

T: A smoky opening turns chocolaty in the midtaste and finishes with licorice and umami qualities. Nothing crazy, but a damn solid smoked IS.

M: It could use a bit more density and creamy smoothness. On the plus side, the alcohol is hidden from the palate quite well.

O: This one is very good, but not great. I prefer Blaecorn Unidragon to this.

Serving type: bottle

03-24-2013 07:30:44 | More by ThisWangsChung

CasanovaCummins

Nevada

3.6/5  rDev -13%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

This is a very good stout. It is a solid offering by Clown shoes.

I'll admit their style of labels and names was a bit of a put off at first. But hey, they are kinda of funny once you really think about it. So I will admit i was reticent at first.

But after this, I'm really warming up quite nicely. This stout has a very nice nose, a little chocolate, but a little on the cool side as well. It doesn't want to give up to much unless fairly warm, but it does hint at vanilla and cocoa.

This has a nice, smooth body, a tad thin, but solid. The taste is surprisingly smooth and lacking any real edginess. It isn't extreme, but it is a good deal for the price. enough so for me to seek out other items from them. This hides the 10 abv very well.

I'll go find some unidragon to compare this too and re-visit this some time. Very promising.

Serving type: bottle

03-11-2012 04:22:52 | More by CasanovaCummins

redadevil74

Massachusetts

3.63/5  rDev -12.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3.5

A- Dark Black with a light white lace of head.

S- A sweet smell with some smokiness

T- Pretty sweet and smokey A very dark malty ale. a lot of smoke like a rauch beer but with a bitter backbone. For a 10% beer, didnt taste too much of the booze.

M- Not a lot of body in this one

O- I enjoyed this one, a nice balance of smoke flavor and body.

Serving type: bottle

05-13-2012 01:16:19 | More by redadevil74

TheFightfan1

Pennsylvania

3.65/5  rDev -11.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Bottle date of 2/2012.

Poured into my cigar city snifter. Opague black in color a rather heavy pour leaves a generous two finger heading, but settles quickly to just a thin edging around the glass.

Has a nice chocolate and roasted malt mix. Slight hot boozey kick,with a nice anise like finish. After this warms up it turns completely south for me. The nose turns to an earthy, manure aroma very unimpressive here. I even washed my hands to make sure I didn't touch baby poo and no it is the aroma from this beer. Very odd.

Even for the odd occurence of this warming aroma of manure in the nose it still manages to taste well. Dark chocolates and a touch of smoke, nice dark fruits and no manure !.

Medium to full bodied not as heavy as I would like my double stouts, a little thin in the mouth than I am used to. Good carbonation.

Overall a touch above average. After hearing so many good things and the local stores selling out immediately. I figured this was exceptional but in the end just a decent stout.

Serving type: bottle

03-30-2012 20:16:19 | More by TheFightfan1

Jwale73

Rhode Island

3.65/5  rDev -11.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

22oz. bottle served at 52 degrees in my KTG snifter. Pours about a shade darker than cola with a frothy, half-inch, khaki-colored head embedded with ringlets. Head eventually dissipates into a thin tight band around the shoulders and a creamy dollop across the center. Some spots and thin arcs of lacing are revealed during the tasting. Nose is fairly average - a suggestion of dark malts, a hint of char and a slightly metallic quality. Taste follows nose - malt profile is a bit more evident. There's also a bit of sugary sweetness (brown sugar and/or molasses) that peaks out towards the middle, but is quickly replaced by an earthy bitterness at the finish. There's also a bit of an artificial sweetener character, and the slightly metallic quality evident in the nose also re-asserts itself. Mouthfeel is medium-light (but closer to medium), with a slightly oily consistency and somewhat of a coarse carbonation. Overall, not sure what the hype is about this beer. At $9.99 for a non-BA bomber, I was expecting something a bit more than what was offered, but what I found was a fairly lackluster stout that doesn't really come together for me.

Serving type: bottle

04-29-2012 01:41:19 | More by Jwale73

HardTarget

Texas

3.68/5  rDev -11.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4.5

Appearance: Black glass shows a razor thin ruby edge. Holds a thin brown cover that leaves some major lace in its wake.

Smell: First blush is hoppy, earthy and pine with some citric notes. While this tries hard to distract you from the potent alcohol, it doesn't completely succeed. There's also whiffs of seriously deep malt levels, black bread and soy sauce.

Taste: The alcohol has a slight solvent aspect to it that manages to not be completely offensive, kind of like someone put a shot of vodka in your beer. Kind of gets on top of the smokey, malty rich beer flavors. As you adjust, more citric hop and leather flavors start to show up that keep things interesting. Hard to get past that vodka shot though.

Mouthfeel: Medium light body speaks to the massive alcohol content, carbonation is light-medium and there is an airy feel to the whole package that is a bit unsettling.

Overall: Monster beer. The alcohol is a bit hot and it has me wondering what a year or 3 in the cellar might produce. As it stands today, I'm not sold. Still, a bold and generally clean beer that I would like to try again... when I don't have to wake up the next day.

Serving type: bottle

01-31-2012 03:54:06 | More by HardTarget

onix1agr

Pennsylvania

3.68/5  rDev -11.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

On Tap at Blue Dog.

Vampire Slayer goes in the glass looking black like a stout. Black as night with a tannish head up above with splotches. Nice retention. Smell is Very roasted malt forward. A pungent scent ala Storm King. Some old world character,dark fruit with some coffee and licorice and bakers chocolate. Tasting this, It's apparent this is a big ass stout. Chocolate, coffee, licorice, cocco nibs, a hint of alcohol. One thing about these clown Shoes beers is that the alcohol is hidden very well in most offerings. Feel is full, carb is there, goes down smooth with a bit of warming. Glad I had it on tap because 22oz's of this would of been a chore.

Serving type: on-tap

03-14-2012 06:05:14 | More by onix1agr

beershlitz

New Jersey

3.7/5  rDev -10.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

Purchased bottle at Beer Outlet in Philly. Enjoyed in a pint glass.

A: Pitch black with no head.
S: deep roasted malt, smoky with coffee notes
T: bitter heavy coffee flavor with chocolate and a black licorice aftertaste, in a word delicious. 10% alcohol content is completely hidden by great flavor.
M: Full bodied and creamy, a smooth stout.
O: This is an exceptional stout, and although I have a weakness and bias toward Guinness...this is a stout on a completely different level of complexity. I will surely buy this again.

Serving type: bottle

02-16-2012 04:01:57 | More by beershlitz

BeerLover99

New Jersey

3.73/5  rDev -9.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A: black body, trace tan head, ok lacing

S: mild chocolate, hint of roasted nuts, malt

T: mild chocolate, roasted nuts, coffee,
hint of roasted bitter finish

M: med body, smooth/mild chewy mouth

O: Love the style and brewery, but
this offering is just ok.

SOLID; NOT A MUST HAVE!

Serving type: bottle

03-22-2012 21:49:50 | More by BeerLover99

dtivp

West Virginia

3.73/5  rDev -9.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Pours a dark black with a one finger dark tan head, good retention and light lacing.

Aroma of roasted malt,coffee and dark fruits.

Taste starts slightly sweet of dark fruits, raisins and cocoa then light notes of dark coffee and malts.

Mouth feel is medium body, moderate carbonation, smooth, sweet with a slight roasty finish. The 10% abv is well hidden as there is only a slight alcohol warming.

Overall a nice stout, a little sweeter than I prefer in a stout, however, very drinkable and I hope to enjoy one again.

Serving type: bottle

05-13-2012 01:38:45 | More by dtivp

mscudder

Georgia

3.75/5  rDev -9.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured into a Duvel snifter.

A - Dark black with a mild brown tint. Poured with a relatively thin tan head. Good lace retention.

S - Light roasted malts, some cocoa and coffee. All these aromas are soft and while innate, could be more robust.

T - Two things dominate this brew: sweet notes from cocoa and dark fruits. They compliment each other well and the the dark fruits are almost as prominent as in a Quad. There is a light warmth from the ABV and a bit of a smoked taste wraps it up.

M - Heavy brew with a medium body, less than I would like in an imperial, and moderate carbonation. This helps the dark fruits jump on the palette. I feel the high carbonation (for a stout) hurts the drinkability and smoothness. Not at all bad, just not my cup of tea.

O - This is an interesting stout with a unique composition. I heard many good things about the brews from Clown Shoes, namely that this was their signature beer. That said, I paid around $10 for a 22oz and I cannot justify such a steep price for a beer I see as average amongst the wide selection of quality stouts, of which are much more widely available.

Serving type: bottle

05-09-2012 03:32:42 | More by mscudder

CanuckRover

Ontario (Canada)

3.75/5  rDev -9.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

On cask at The Farmhouse in Burlington, Vermont.

Looks wonderful. Near-black with a bubbly mocha head. Great retention.

Big smoky nose with a hard hitting burnt malt.

Massive espresso flavours right up front are pretty quickly overrun by hot alcohol. Dark chocolate eventually shows up in the finish.

Whew, this tastes big and I'm not sure if the cask does it any favours. A bit more body might have helped to round things out. As is, the low carbonation let the alcohol run a bit wild.

Serving type: cask

08-11-2012 02:42:08 | More by CanuckRover

TheRealBigC

Nevada

3.75/5  rDev -9.4%
look: 5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Clown Shoes makes a decent beer, but I really don't like their labels. Anyway, this beer pours a remarkable head considering the strength of a beer. On that alone I have to give it the 5 for appearance because I can't recall ever seeing such a thick head on a beer of this strength. Smell is of burnt malts, taste of bitter chocolate. A little syrupy feel. Overall, it's a tasty beer. Any fan of imperial stouts will enjoy this, but they may also have a hard time remembering it.

Serving type: bottle

09-24-2012 16:44:07 | More by TheRealBigC

sweemzander

Illinois

3.78/5  rDev -8.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

22oz. bottle poured into a snifter.

(A)- Pours a fairly thick black color. Produced a nice tan head with good retention and lacing.

(S)- A nice roasted bread and raisin bit with a little cocoa and coffee.

(T)- Tons of raisin and roasted bits. Tiny hint at smoke and tobacco elements. Some cocoa too.

(M)- A good carbonation level and balance. Definitely heavier on the raisin and dark fruits, but a good balance and feel nonetheless.

(D)- Overall, a solid stout. Definitely heavy towards the dark fruits realm, but it is well-done.

Serving type: bottle

05-06-2012 15:18:05 | More by sweemzander

DrJay

Massachusetts

3.8/5  rDev -8.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Black with faint ruby edges and a fluffy mocha cap. Good head retention and sticky, clumpy lacing. Roast and milk chocolate aroma, a bit of smoke and citrus, alcohol, cocoa and sugar. Sweetness and alcohol up front with bitterness dominating later on the palate. Caramelized sugar, smoke and roast, slight fruity notes towards the end, caramel and milk chocolate. Full bodied and smooth in texture, alcohol warmth, lowish carbonation, slight astringency. I enjoyed it, though I wonder whether it's made much of an impression on me since there was nothing that really stood out.

Serving type: bottle

01-29-2012 01:59:33 | More by DrJay

GregSVT

Texas

3.8/5  rDev -8.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

22oz bomber into a tulip

A: Pours a deep dark brown with a nice light brown head that fades to a ring and leaves a lot of lacing on the glass.

S: The nose is full of cocoa powder, vanilla, chocolate syrup, and some dark fruits in the background. Smells wonderful although it's a lot like Chocolate Sombrero.

T: The taste is similar to the nose with nice chocolate and cocoa flavors along with an earthy coffee and roasted malt bitterness. There's a touch of hops on the finish and as it warms there are a lot of smokey flavors.

M: The feel is medium bodied with a creamy finish.

O: This is a tasty stout and something I'd like to see with a year of age or more. Some of that dark roasted flavor needs to be rounded out to make this really good.

Serving type: bottle

04-19-2012 01:50:43 | More by GregSVT

AgentMunky

Alabama

3.8/5  rDev -8.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Served in a pint glass at World of Beer.

A: Darkest brown and totally opaque.

S: Creamy bitter-sweet.

T: Fruity, sweetish, and molasses. Heavy cream; quite rich. Flavor is only moderate and not unexpected.

M: Rich.

O: Good imperial stout, but fairly plain. Wouldn't recommend it, but it's definitely serviceable.

Serving type: on-tap

12-24-2012 02:44:27 | More by AgentMunky

smcolw

Massachusetts

3.81/5  rDev -8%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Solid, but modest head. Leaves streaks of lace...a bit of webbiness. Near black where no light shines through.

Soft mocha aroma. Relatively mild.

The alcohol comes through in the taste. The body is neutral for the style. The carbonation is similar. Semi-sweet chocolate is the predominant flavor. I do not detect much hop. The alcohol warms the swallow, but the aftertaste is short with a touch of chalkiness.

Serving type: bottle

04-15-2013 23:38:54 | More by smcolw

Oxymoron

Colorado

3.84/5  rDev -7.2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

Shared with a few friends. Pours a midnight black color with no visibility to speak of. A velvet darker tan head color with good retention and lacing throughout the tasting.

The aroma is roast forward with some malt backing. Light soy sauce and caramel and bready notes. Some estery notes with plum and raisins and strong rose peddles. A light licorice, nutty and and vanilla extract notes. Some noticeable yeasty notes with a light dirty drains.

The taste is similar. The roast comes out up front but not as dominant as the nose. More chocolate and munich malt notes come out. Some off nutty characters as well. The esters are more expressive with a sweet plum and raisin with a sweet cherry undertone. There is a molasses character as well, that leaves a hint of metallic that lingers. Soy sauce in the finish is a bit of a distraction but the yeast undertones back off.

The body is full with a lingering sweetness. A bit boozy with some lingering heat. Carbonation is light but ok for style. Some metallic and soy sauce in the finish but overall a decent Imp Stout.

Serving type: bottle

04-28-2013 01:52:33 | More by Oxymoron

Zorro

California

3.85/5  rDev -7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Very dark brown ale with a normal sized brown colored head.

Smell is sweet and malty with a strong Kahlua aroma. Booze and patent malt with a trace smoke and char. Quite a bit of ethanol and it does a good job of freeing up aroma. Caramel, coconut and chocolate mix to the point you can smell German Chocolate Cake with a cup of coffee in this.

Starts out mildly sweet and smooth with a bittersweet burnt sugar taste. Thinner than you would think, bakers chocolate and Starbucks coffee. Tastes OK.

Mouthfeel is OK.

Overall an OK beer. Smells better than it tastes.

Serving type: bottle

03-23-2013 00:38:53 | More by Zorro