Porcine Unidragon - Clown Shoes

Blanco

Pennsylvania

4.25/5  rDev +1%

01-19-2013 05:31:59 | More by Blanco

jgluck

California

2.5/5  rDev -40.6%

05-23-2013 05:48:03 | More by jgluck

kojevergas

California

3.01/5  rDev -28.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Self-identifies as an American Imperial Stout. Acquired for $14.00 at a bottle shop in the Los Angeles county area. 12.5% ABV confirmed. 1 pint 6 fl oz brown glass bottle with uninteresting label art and branded standard pressure cap served into a Mitchells of Lancaster flared stem-tulip in me gaff in low altitude Los Feliz, Los Angeles, California. Reviewed live. Expectations are high given its reputation.

Served cold - straight from the fridge - and allowed to warm over the course of consumption. Side-poured with standard vigor as no carbonation issues are anticipated.

A: Pours a half finger tan colour head. Nice cream, nice thickness, bad (~1-2 minute) retention. The high ABV makes the retention more excusable, but it still leaves a lot to be desired. Body colour is a solid dark nontransparent black; not quite a jet black - but dark. Opaque. No yeast particles are visible. No bubble show. Looks par for the style, but it's not unique or special. No overt flaws are obvious to me. No lacing whatsoever as the head recedes.

Sm: Bourbon, sure. Light vanilla, weak vague unevocative oak. Dark malts. I don't get any smoked malt notes. Not much in the way of woody notes either. Maybe some vague pork. Caramel. Cream. A moderate strength aroma which is not as complex nor as subtle as the brewers seem to want it to be. A mild to moderate strength aroma. No yeast character is detectable. I do get some vague alcohol, but it's not a hot or boozy aroma. I'm looking forward to trying it, but based on the aroma I think it'll be good at best.

T: The bourbon is roughly executed, lacking sophistication. Some wanting vanilla notes with too much sweetness. No refined oak or guiding woody notes. Dark malts. Chocolate malt. Caramel. Surprising acidity. Maybe a hint of coffee. Very light smoke; not at all rauchbier-esque in character but rather so light as to be nearly unnoticeable. Smokiness is rarely used as a means of imparting a subtle or light flavour, and this beer makes it clear why - it just isn't worth doing. Coconut. Brown and/or unrefined sugars. It feels forced; nothing about this beer comes off natural or cohesive. I want so much more roast than it provides; it comes off too sweet to me in a way that renders it artificial. Decently balanced, but far from ideal. No yeast character comes through. I do get some noticeable if light alcohol, though I wouldn't call it hot or boozy. The smoked malts/beechwood feels wasted here; it's just not deep or evocative. Fair complexity. No real subtlety. Sort of a colour by numbers bourbon barrel imperial stout; many of the beats are there, but it's just not what it should be.

Mf: Smooth and wet. Artificially slick. Imperfect carbonation. Thick, but not necessarily justified - the complexity just isn't there. Okay presence on the palate. Not biting or sharp. A biteen warm, but I wouldn't call it boozy or hot. Decent softness for the style. Suits the flavour profile in a middling generic way; it certainly doesn't come off custom-tailored to it.

Dr: You've got to bring more to the table than this to really stand out in this style. I sense a lot of wasted potential here; the beechwood and smoked malt seemed lost on the flavour profile. If you're going to go for a flavour, you've got to commit and really go for it. This lacks boldness and a willingness to experiment. Consequently, it's sadly forgettable. I wouldn't get it again; there's a wealth of superior and cheaper beers in the style out there. A decent offering from Clown Shoes, but one which convinces me that my policy of ignoring them for the time being is a good one. Not recommended. Drinkable but unremarkable. Doesn't hide its ABV well.

Low C+

Gets better as it warms. Probably best served slightly chilled.

Serving type: bottle

05-23-2013 04:56:13 | More by kojevergas

alexgash

Connecticut

4.5/5  rDev +6.9%

05-21-2013 17:55:37 | More by alexgash

HoustonZ33

Texas

4.25/5  rDev +1%

05-21-2013 09:43:15 | More by HoustonZ33

OleDixie

Pennsylvania

4.25/5  rDev +1%

05-20-2013 07:32:09 | More by OleDixie

champ103

Texas

2.75/5  rDev -34.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.5

On tap at Hay Merchant in Houston.

A: Pours a dark, opaque, inky black color. A bubbly tan head rises for an instant and recedes in a second. A bit of lace, but not much to speak of.
S: Hardly anything in the nose. Some roast, some coffee, a bit of chocolate. Very unassuming, and neutral.
T: Not unassuming or neutral at all here. Bitter bakers chocolate and cloying sweetness is the show. Overpowering in that regard. Then alcohol. Lots and lots of ethanol like burning rubbing alcohol.
M/D: A full and viscous body. Low carbonation, and syrupy. The tons of alcohol and sweetness makes this really hard to drink. This could not have ended fast enough.

Another overpriced and over hyped barrel aged RIS, and another from this brewery. I am glad I did not have to spring for a bottle this time. Nothing I would recommend.

Serving type: on-tap

05-20-2013 02:51:29 | More by champ103

cdwil

Texas

4.25/5  rDev +1%

05-19-2013 20:04:59 | More by cdwil

kew

Texas

4.25/5  rDev +1%

05-19-2013 19:49:40 | More by kew

Rollzroyce21

California

3.75/5  rDev -10.9%

05-19-2013 05:34:20 | More by Rollzroyce21

jayhunter357

Massachusetts

4.5/5  rDev +6.9%

05-18-2013 13:56:11 | More by jayhunter357

Hopheadjeffery

Illinois

4.5/5  rDev +6.9%

05-18-2013 12:43:15 | More by Hopheadjeffery

maximum12

Minnesota

3.93/5  rDev -6.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Another intriguing-sounding beer from a brewery that continues to appeal to the 16 year old Dungeons & Dragons fan I once was. Man, those were fun nights. Beers like this probably would have made them even more so. 22 oz. bottle split with my adorable wife.

The pour is black, like you didn't fucking know that already, & I'm not going to wax poetic about the particular shade. Nose is smarmy chocolate by the handful, notes of barrel, sweetness, & a gentlesnack of underlying smokiness...which I appreciate. Subtle is always the best way to go with smoked malts.

Porcine Unidragon is a thick unibrow of a beer. Heavy barrel clamps down on the tongue without the faintest trace of vanila. Warm smokiness arrives without overpowering. Sweetness of the malt is underneath & earthy, warm, chocolatey. Love the mouthfeel, it's absolutely turgid. If it tasted as good as it felt, I'd be writhing on the floor.

Good shotgun wedding of restraint & barrel that makes the base beer a bit better. Very good beer that is a poster child for a big, thick stout.

Serving type: bottle

05-18-2013 04:17:39 | More by maximum12

In_Control_Mike

Massachusetts

4.25/5  rDev +1%

05-18-2013 03:21:14 | More by In_Control_Mike

Yabev15

Massachusetts

3.75/5  rDev -10.9%

05-18-2013 02:44:53 | More by Yabev15

BAsbill

California

4.25/5  rDev +1%

05-17-2013 05:58:06 | More by BAsbill

Zaphog

Michigan

4.25/5  rDev +1%

05-17-2013 04:08:56 | More by Zaphog

FreshmanPour77

Minnesota

4.25/5  rDev +1%

05-16-2013 17:26:05 | More by FreshmanPour77

TMoney2591

Illinois

3.69/5  rDev -12.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

Served in a snifter at Firkin.

I missed out on the small wave of bottles of this around here, so I was thrilled to see this stuff pop up as part of Firkin's Brash/Clown Shoes tap takeover. It pours a solid obsidian topped by a finger of off-khaki foam. The nose comprises chlorinated bourbon, light oak, cocoa, mild smoke, and thick roast. I've gotta say, that strangely chlorine-laden bourbon dominated in a bad way, but not bad enough to ruin things completely: just bad enough to make me generally unhappy. The taste brings in more of the same, luckily with much less chlorine and a helluva lot o' bourbon. There's hardly a hint of the smoke, though, which is decidedly disappointing. The body is a hefty medium, with a light moderate carbonation and a nearly chewy feel. Overall, a solid stout, very heavy on the barrel, but one that doesn't really showcase the smoke in any way whatsoever, instead opting for a heavy dose of bourbon barrel. It's not a strictly bad thing, just a thoroughly disappointing one.

Serving type: on-tap

05-16-2013 06:33:29 | More by TMoney2591

csparace

Illinois

4/5  rDev -5%

05-15-2013 03:32:04 | More by csparace

Colosdog

Massachusetts

4.5/5  rDev +6.9%

05-12-2013 22:54:35 | More by Colosdog

JamesStreet

Louisiana

4.5/5  rDev +6.9%

05-10-2013 18:48:01 | More by JamesStreet

Buff0910

Alabama

4/5  rDev -5%

05-05-2013 18:23:05 | More by Buff0910

King_KongDCO93

Minnesota

4.86/5  rDev +15.4%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75

A: Dark/pitch black with about 1/2inch of off white head that slowly dissipates. Lovely!!!!

S: Very nice smoked malt aroma!!! It has lots of toffee, coffee, caramel, vanilla aroma. lots of spices

T: woody/oaky with sweet spices rooming around. lot of dark roasted malts taste, mixed with coffee. very very nice. Has some bourbon but not over powering. Getting some warming and booziness that lingers.

M: Well balanced, for a 12.5% beer. It is really nice, has a medium body, yet still has all the complexity of a great imperial stout. It is very smooth and creamy.

O: A well balanced 12.5% Imperial stout that doesn't hurt the budget and it taste better than the popular once in a blue moon stouts. At a price $12 for a 100% bourbon barrel aged bomber this is a must have.

2013 bottle ---bottle date 4/17/13. A lot like Blaecorn but amped up with smoked malts and bourbon is lovely

Serving type: bottle

05-03-2013 23:41:39 | More by King_KongDCO93

Georgiabeer

Georgia

4.21/5  rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Quite an interesting beer- the combination of the beechwood smoked malt combined with the Bourbon barrel aging could be a recipe for overload or taste clash, but it actually works very well, partly because neither flavor is overbearing and they are nicely balanced with each other. Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that either the smokiness nor the Bourbon barrel are faint flavors here, rather that they are restrained enough not to overwhelm the other or to throw everything off balance. Nice campfire and smoked meat flavors, and some restrained Bourbon married with some roasty notes from the stout and a touch of creamy sweetness. Fairly silky in the mouth, and very well integrated. Overall, very nice.

Serving type: bottle

04-30-2013 02:40:39 | More by Georgiabeer