Porcine Unidragon - Clown Shoes

maximum12

Minnesota

3.93/5  rDev -7.3%
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

TMoney2591

Illinois

3.69/5  rDev -13%
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

King_KongDCO93

Minnesota

4.86/5  rDev +14.6%
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 -0.7%
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

bmwats

Louisiana

4.06/5  rDev -4.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a 650 ml bottle into a footed tulip.

A: Black. Pours about a half finger, foamy, brown-white head. Settles pretty quickly, leaving a smattering of bubbles. Fair amount of random lacing.

S: Roasted espresso. dark unsweetened chocolate, molasses, and licorice.

T: Woody, smoky, roasted espresso, dark chocolate, peat, and licorice.

M: Thick, heavy, bittersweet finish. Very smoky.

D: Sip and enjoy.

Atmosphere is pretty damn good. Nice head, and lots o' lacing. Nose is coffee and chocolate, with sweet and bitter components. Flavor similarly... coffee, bittersweet chocolate. Overall, this is a great quaff.

Serving type: bottle

04-21-2013 08:16:24 | More by bmwats

videofrog

Texas

4.08/5  rDev -3.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

Poured from a 22oz bomber into a Real Ale tulip. Bottled On date of 10/11/12.

A: Jet black, no light escaping this one. Dense mocha head that takes a while to settle. Sporadic lacing down the glass.

S: Bittersweet chocolate, smokey malts, booze. A bit of sweetness that I can't pinpoint: maybe the bourbon?

T: Meaty smokiness is up front. Dark chocolate with booziness. Not getting a lot of barrel character. Harsh roastiness covers up any hop flavor; maybe there's a bit of earthy hopiness.

M: Nice and thick. One of the thicker Carbonation is high for the style.

O: A Christmas gift from my mother-in-law, glad I finally got around to this one. A bit harsh on the booze and roastiness even after 6 months, but still enjoyable. Maybe I'll pick another up and let it sit a year to see if it mellows any.

Paired with smoked gouda. Highly recommend pairing this brew with food as this brew is a bit much on its own.

Serving type: bottle

04-14-2013 14:50:57 | More by videofrog

Neorebel

New Jersey

4.49/5  rDev +5.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Porcine Unidragon pours out with the appearance of thick motor oil, topped with a light brown head. There is quite a bit of lacing on the glass after each sip. The aroma is fantastic, with dark chocolate malts, vanilla bean, and lots of bourbon. After tasting, I found that the most striking aspect was the dark fruit esters - raisins and figs. The bourbon was pronounced as well with the beechwood barrel woodiness complimenting it nicely. The finish was very dry and smoky, with an inkling of citrus-y hops in there. The beer had a velvety mouth feel that was appropriate for a RIS. Overall, a very decadent treat!

Serving type: bottle

03-24-2013 21:15:51 | More by Neorebel

watsonmd

Georgia

4.7/5  rDev +10.8%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75

50 degrees, served in a tulip.

A: awesomeness, dark, nice inch of head, sticky lacing.

S: oaky, boozy, smoky. can't wait to....

T: wow. nice complete coating, slight toffee, caramel, but with a back end bite of oak, and bourbon. Strong flavor.

M: Nice, coating, full, tannic. great beer.

O: Awesome find. Glad I bought some to age, and some to share.

Serving type: bottle

03-02-2013 04:51:29 | More by watsonmd

inlimbo77

Delaware

4.35/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

22oz, October 2012 release
DFH signature glass

A: Pours deep brown leading to black color. Collar of light tan for the head. Reddish hues on edges. Some lacing sheeting is evident with the swirl. There are some alcohol feet on this one.

S: Really nice smelling beer here. Vanilla actually comes first to me, from the aging. Then you get that meaty smoke character. There is a touch of booze coming through, but not overpowering. Then you pull more of that oak. Dark chocolate hints. Really inviting.

T: Bitter dark chocolate up front. Meshing really well with the vanilla and oak character from the wood aging. Then those BBQ smoked malts. It's by no means overly campfire or meaty bacon like flavor. It's just the right touch to add to it. Blends really nicely with the other flavors. Alcohol is hidden extremely well here. You get a little burn on the back end, but that is pretty much it.

M: Full bodied.

Serving type: bottle

02-25-2013 14:30:46 | More by inlimbo77

northyorksammy

Ontario (Canada)

4.03/5  rDev -5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.25

This bottle, a find in a recent US road trip, has some incredible characteristics. However it is much more boozy that the 12.5% abv would represent. Not that the booze is in the nose or even finish, but certainly in the aftertaste it is pure alcohol. A little thin for an IS. However the beechwood smoke was outstanding, and the bourbon is well integrated in the flavour. Dangerously drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

02-24-2013 02:55:37 | More by northyorksammy

Zorro

California

4.08/5  rDev -3.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Light proof black beer with a good sized brown colored head.

Smells of berry and patent malt with some caramel. Chocolate, coffee and toasted grain with roasted nuts. Scent of ethanol and in that a light plum aroma.

Starts out sweet with a smoky and slightly bitter after taste. Stays sweet mostly tastes of smoke and mocha. Definitely a bit boozy in the mouth. Little bit of a berry flavor here and a little plum brandy but this is quite heavy on the dark roasted grain.

Mouthfeel is good.

Overall a good RIS but not my favorite.

Serving type: bottle

02-24-2013 02:45:27 | More by Zorro

UCLABrewN84

California

4.15/5  rDev -2.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.25

Thanks to mhksuccess for sharing this one at his tasting.

Pours an opaque black with a foamy dark khaki head that settles to wisps of film on top of the beer. Foamy streaks of lace form around the glass on the drink down. Smell is of dark roasted malt, smoked malt, campfire, and alcohol. Taste is much the same with a cocoa flavor and bourbon kick on the finish. There is a medium amount of roasty and smoky bitterness on the palate with each sip. This beer has a lower level of carbonation with a slightly crisp and medium bodied mouthfeel. Overall, this is a very good beer with a nice smoke presence all around.

Serving type: bottle

02-18-2013 04:15:17 | More by UCLABrewN84

bigfnjoe

Pennsylvania

4.5/5  rDev +6.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a bomber into a Duvel tulip

A- pours black with a two finger dark tan head that sticks around for awhile. Nice looking beer, that's for sure

S- slight bourbon and a smoky, meaty aroma in the nose. Awesome, but mild

T- incredibly balanced. Slight smokey/meaty taste (but not overwhelming like in most smoked beers), slight hints of the bourbon barrel coming through, nice bit of chocolate, and a slight bit of coffee...not too much of anything, just a perfect blend.No booziness either. Amazing

M- huge body, very viscous. Unreal.

O- this is a fantastic beer. My first offering from Clown Shoes, and I'm a big fan. Well done.

Serving type: bottle

02-08-2013 22:40:16 | More by bigfnjoe

AlexFields

Tennessee

3.08/5  rDev -27.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Just got the regular Unidragon as an extra a week or so ago, now I get this one, what a coincidence! Thanks to djmichaelk for sending me this as an extra.

Looks pretty nice, dark with a nice head, pretty normal stout appearance.

Smells of dark roasty malt and smoke character, maybe some hop bitterness. Hoping this isn't super smoky. Not smelling much barrel character.

Tastes fairly nice. Good balanced malt character, sweet but roasty as well. Smoky but not overwhelmingly so. Not getting much barrel here either, have to think about it to even notice it. This is drinkable despite the smoke which I really don't like.

This is a nice beer, I don't like smoky stuff or I'm sure I'd like it way more. I prefer the regular Blaecorn Unidragon but I like this okay.

6.2/10

Serving type: bottle

01-25-2013 06:11:25 | More by AlexFields

vonnegut21

New York

4.4/5  rDev +3.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

A: Pours a dark, creamy black with a finger of tan head that fades quickly.

S: Hints of bourbon, oak and smoked malt. There's a thick, smoky BBQ/meaty presence that's really quite interesting.

T: Smoked malt, bitter bakers chocolate, bourbon and vanilla notes. The smoked malt and bourbon lend a bacon-like character that's pretty unique.

M: Thick bodied, with nice carbonation and a silky feel. Very drinkable.

O: Overall, this is a really nice smoked, bourbon barrel stout. Worth the price of admission.

Serving type: bottle

01-19-2013 02:36:47 | More by vonnegut21

ChainGangGuy

Georgia

4.26/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

22 ounce bottle - $11.99 at Bullock's Wine & Spirits in Marietta, Georgia.

Appearance: As like the Blaecorn, it pours out an unassuming, black body with one inch (and only one inch) of tan suds. A thin glaze of lacing on the way down.

Smell: Slight smokiness from the charred, well-roasted malts edged by dark chocolate with a rather high cocoa content, scant dark fruits, smoked black licorice, mild-mannered resinous-traced hops, and quality bourbon.

Taste: Roasted, burnt malts with some sweetish, sugary treacle and malted milk balls covered in dark bitter chocolate. Moderate smokiness from the beechwood-smoked malts. An ebb and flow of sweet bourbon with notes of oak, brown sugar, coconut. Floral, resinous hops. Medium-plus bitterness. A handful of burnt raisins. Some alcoholic heat in there. Occasionally, you get an additional blip of sugar. Roast, brown sugar, bourbon-soaked brownies on the warming finish.

Mouthfeel: Medium-plus body. Medium carbonation. A bit chewy, a bit sticky.

Overall: The hard, harsh roastiness and heavy hoppiness of the Blaecorn is smoothed over quite a bit here in the Porcine, making the presentation much more enjoyable. Where, with the Blaecorn, I would be unlikely to revisit the beer, I could cheerfully go for another dose of this stuff.

Serving type: bottle

01-13-2013 02:11:51 | More by ChainGangGuy

justintcoons

Pennsylvania

4.45/5  rDev +5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

22oz bottle poured into a snifter.

Appearance
Pitch black with absolutely no light penetration. 1 finger of tan head that dissipates quickly.

Nose
Smoked oak, dark chocolate, char, earth and hints of bourbon.

Taste
Dark chocolate and roasted barley. Light notes of smoked meat and fire wood. Tons of caramel and espresso. Hints of prune and vanilla. Some smooth bourbon, earth and charcoal on the finish. Oak lingers.

Mouthfeel
Medium-full bodied, silky, smooth, dry and warming.

Overall
The bourbon barrel adds a great deal of depth without overpowering the base beer. Surprisingly smooth for 12.5%. I'm quite impressed with this Clown Shows offering.

Serving type: bottle

01-12-2013 22:58:31 | More by justintcoons

Reagan1984

Massachusetts

4.5/5  rDev +6.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Finally have time to enjoy this bottle and sit for a review. Lots of interesting things happening in this beer.

First a good looking Imp Stout. Sturdy, creamy dark tan head with lots of staying power. Clumps of lace left in the glass. Deep dark brown with no light getting through in any way.

You can smell the smoked malt and it adds depth to the barrel notes. This is right above a bit of ash and bourbon. Nice aroma.

Smoke, Black Licorice, Ash, bourbon, wood, almost a slight menthol flavor…. A bot of alcohol at the end. The smokey finish blends nicely with the bourbon flavor and adds a dimension of depth.

Thanks to Alex (Masterski) for nudging me to get to this bottle. Perfect for a wintry evening.

Serving type: bottle

01-11-2013 22:17:00 | More by Reagan1984

acevenom

Louisiana

4.9/5  rDev +15.6%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Poured into a large brandy snifter. Pours black with a somewhat quickly dissipating finger length light tan head. The beer is opaque, but some tiny bubbles are visible on the edge of the glass. There is some lacing left on the side of the glass during consumption. The smoked malt aroma brings some recollection of Schlenkerla, which is to be expected due to the use of beechwood smoked malt. I also get some chocolate, coffee, bourbon, and some sweetness. There are some bourbon notes and the smokiness from the malt up front. I get some of that coffee, chocolate, and some of that malt sweetness. The alcohol is forward, but it's tough not to expect that at 12.5% ABV. There's also a touch of meatiness there from the beechwood smoked malt. The body is full and the beer coats the mouth well with each sip. The carbonation is on the lower end. This is an excellent beer.

Serving type: bottle

12-30-2012 18:54:19 | More by acevenom

Heretic42

Texas

4.1/5  rDev -3.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured from the bottle into a snifter. Bottled on 10/11/12

A - Pitch black with almost no head that fades quickly.

S - A touch of smoke and quite heavy on the booze

T - The smell worried me, but having a sip allayed those fears -- this is tasty. It starts smokey and finishes with a nice dark chocolate taste that has bourbon overtones. As it warms, the smoke settles a bit, with vanilla, bourbon, and chocolate coming through.

M - Smooth and rich, with low carbonation. Not very dry on the finish, which I like.

O - This is a tasty brew. Smokier than I'd expect for the style it's listed as on BA, but lives up to its description on the bottle with the Beechwood Smoked malts. My only real complaint is the nose -- I wish more of the chocolate and vanilla aspects of the bourbon came through rather than just booze.

Serving type: bottle

12-18-2012 04:11:15 | More by Heretic42

pmlondrigan

New York

4.1/5  rDev -3.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

I'm a hater. Haters gotta hate. It is in my natural instinct. I WANT to hate, I search out things to hate. I wanted to hate clown shoes. I 1st had Tramp Stamp, it was good (see my review). I moved on and had several other Clown Shoes beers, all better than average (Blarcorn Unidragon, Gangis Pecan, Miracle). Now this, how pretale am I supposed to hate a product like this?
Inky black, tan head, barely any lacing. Thick. Aroma is lacking somewhat. What is there smells boozy and hot, but also vanilla and smoke. Oh, smokey and so full of bourbon barrel wellness, burnt marshmellows and chocolate. Maybe a little to hot from fusel alcohol, but there is balance too. A fine dark chocolate aftertaste. A rather thick mouthfeel. Not dry, but not sweet. For the style could/should be a bit more dry. I'm really excitted about this beer. I'd buy more of it. I think it is amazing that a brewery is putting out a beer of this caliber that you can walk into a store and pick up off the shelf and buy. God if my hater friends read this my hater card would be revoked.

Serving type: bottle

12-10-2012 01:42:40 | More by pmlondrigan

MasterSki

Illinois

4.28/5  rDev +0.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Bottle shared at Tom's place. I'm a terrible person and can't remember who brought this. Served in a mini-pint glass.

A - Lightly tanned foam settles to a thin cap, thick collar, and minimal lace. Very, very dark brown body.

S - A mix of smoke, oak, and bourbon. It's perhaps a touch fusel and boozy, with a hint of green apple in there. There's a touch of malt sweetness, but this is heavy on char and roast flavors.

T - The taste has a bit more dark chocolate and sweet malt flavors, with vanilla, maple-glazed ham, hickory, smoke, and campfire. Much less boozy than the aroma, with a nice balance between roasty and sweeter flavors.

M - Smooth, creamy, and not very dry for a 100% barrel-aged beer. Full body, lower carbonation, and not much alcohol heat. Quite good.

D - Once you get past the mildly boozy aroma, this is quite good. I suspect it will be even better in six months or so. Hope we get this one in Chicago, as it's another well-made stout from Clown Shoes, a brand I can actually purchase without having to fight off bandwagon beer fans and speculators. Obviously not a beer that you're going to drink in massive quantities, but really nice in small quantities.

Serving type: bottle

12-03-2012 22:04:14 | More by MasterSki

jlindros

Massachusetts

4.4/5  rDev +3.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Pours light fluffy 1/4 finger mocha colored head that fades fairly quickly, typical for that high abv, super dark pitch black beer.

Nose is great, some smoke starts out right away, a touch of smoked malt and light smoldering beachwood like smoke, then ridiculous chocolate, mostly cocoa nibs and darker chunk chocolate melting, milk chocolate, light powdered cocoa too, light roast, little chalky, caramel, nice nutty toffee, etc. Then barrel, nice vanilla barrel oak, light bourbon but def present. The more I nose the more the smoke goes away the more a myriad of malts seem to present themselves.

Taste is very nice too, starting with big dark malts, plenty of chocolate malt, cocoa nibs, melting dark chocolate and even bakers, powdered cocoa, and the works. Next comes the caramel and toffee, light nutty and semi sweet syrupy malt base, with a light fluffy nougat like, and little creamy. Smoke is there again but lighter, smoked malt flavor for sure but doesn't overpower, light smoked beachwood like again. Later a bitterness comes through, mostly from the darker malts, light earthy like hops. In the back end is the barrel, light oak and nice vanilla, light bourbon that gets mostly overpowered by the malts and seems more of an after thought. As it dries on the finish, little sticky, touch of booze, a light bitter roasty malt, earthy bitter hops, light barrel char, wisp of smoke, long lingering chocolate.

Mouth is fuller bodied, rich, slight creamy, light warming booze, little sticky syrupy, decent carb.

Overall quite nice. I should snatch up some more before it disappears. Nice malts, great chocolate, nice use of light smoke without acrid roast, good barrel addition although wish the barrel and bourbon was a bit more.

Serving type: bottle

12-03-2012 00:11:23 | More by jlindros

vickersspitfire

Texas

4.48/5  rDev +5.7%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured into a pint glass, this beer is very dark, almost black in body and is topped off whit a very healthy dark tan head that starts off about two fingers thick and slowly thins into a layer of fluffy pillows of bubbles. Very good lacing all around. I can pick up some dark fruits, caramel, roasted hops and malts and chocolate in this beer. It has a medium to thick mouth feel and is rather tart at first, grape and figs are present when it hits the sides of your tongue. Mild clove flavors after you breathe, hops a more present as it hits the back of your mouth. This is a pretty good beer over all.

Serving type: bottle

12-02-2012 05:43:16 | More by vickersspitfire

gueuzeonhigh

Maine

4.38/5  rDev +3.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

I might was well cut to the chase-- I love this stuff.
OK, the hints of ham is a little un-nerving.. but after the bomber bottle is empty
and the church key is flipping the top on the next, the ham-like flavor note is something of a signature not a detriment.

It's not just a ham-note, the everything-- raisins, malt, hops, licorice, coriander...

Alright-- the resultant hang-over is worth it-- this beer is glorious!

The end.

Serving type: bottle

12-01-2012 00:54:21 | More by gueuzeonhigh