Genghis Pecan - Clown Shoes

M_C_Hampton

Georgia

3.08/5  rDev -15.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

A: poured from a 22 oz bottle into a pint glass, dark purple brown with a short tan head that dissipates quickly leaving little lacing, clear

S: nutty malt aroma, brown sugar, toffee, caramel

T: average porter flavor, slight pecan bitterness, some flavor of sweet alcohol

M: medium to full bodied with average carbonation, alcohol present

O: It does not taste like pecan pie. It is an average porter that is slightly boozy.

Serving type: bottle

05-13-2013 21:36:17 | More by M_C_Hampton

shand

Florida

3.71/5  rDev +2.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Genghis Pecan pours a deep brown with a relatively sizable head. The aroma is sweet, roasty, and slightly sour. The taste offers a full, nearly ashy roast along with a subtle nut characteristic. The sour component is still present, if not as strong as the nose presented, suggesting the beginning stages of an infection. The mouthfeel is on the lighter side, with a moderate carbonation. The drinkability is good. Overall, Genghis Pecan is a pretty solid porter. The sour aspects haven't progressed to the point where they really hurt the beer that much.

Serving type: bottle

04-07-2013 03:22:00 | More by shand

AlexFields

Tennessee

3.53/5  rDev -2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a dark near black, big thick coffee head.

Smells of cocoa, roasted malt, coffee, mix of spices.

Taste is a little sweeter, light cocoa, good nuttiness, spices again.

Solid mouthfeel, good carb and full creamy body.

Tasty. Fairly light porter really, spices are subtle and pretty well integrated. You can notice the nuts but they're not the dominant flavor.

7.1/10

Serving type: bottle

03-27-2013 00:30:33 | More by AlexFields

falloutsnow

Illinois

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

From: Binny's, Champaign, IL
Date: Bottled 11/15/2012
Glass: Standard US pint glass

Clown Shoes' Ghengis Pecan is a fairly straightforward (strong) porter beer, with a notable roasted, chocolate, and caramel malt base. The pecans, though mentioned on the label, do not seem to show up well in the beer itself, nor is there a discernible pie-like influence. In general, a well-made porter, but nothing very far above average, and the $8/22oz price tag doesn't warrant purchasing this again.

Pours a 1.5cm head of medium tan color, bubbles small to medium in size, with average retention length of about a minute. Lacing is present, but fairly modest, a few lines and dots adorn the inside of the glass. Body is dark brown to nearly black, opaque. Light doesn't change much of the coloration, except around the edges, where it brings out a dark brown-amber hue. Carbonation is not visible, except for that which brushes against the side of the glass, giving the appearance of a fairly lowly carbonated beer.

Aroma is sweet, with moderate, but noticeable, roasted and dark caramel malts with a touch of chocolate. I don't detect any toasted (or raw) pecans (or other nuts), despite the advertising. In the strong porter category, bordering on stout territory with the roastiness, though it is still sweet and light enough, at least aromatically, to be a porter.

Overall taste is of roasted, chocolate, and some caramel malt, well-balanced between being sweet and acrid, though the beer is, as others have noted, not pecan or pie-like. Tasting opens with sweet, dark-colored caramel malt, chocolate, and light roasted malt. Mid-palate detects stronger roasted and chocolate malt, though still fairly well-balanced by the caramel-like sweetness. Back of palate gets more roasted malt acridity than any other area, with slightly stronger chocolate malt and a reduced caramel malt presence. Aftertaste is fairly sweet, more of caramel than roasted malt, though the latter is present, and this combination seems to reinforce its porter-side, though the beer is still pushing into stout territory.

Beer is of medium weight, with medium-low carbonation intensity, resulting in a primarily smooth mouthfeel with enough bubbles to render it interesting and not stagnant. Closes fairly dry, with moderate stickiness left on the palate.

Serving type: bottle

03-20-2013 23:24:00 | More by falloutsnow

sinstaineddemon

Connecticut

3.39/5  rDev -6.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A - This porter pours dark, like a stout dark. The only pour consequence is a thin tan ring of a head.

S - Roasted nutty malts are huge up front and are quickly followed by the characteristics of the pecans. That somewhat sweet nuttiness.

T - The taste is also malt heavy. The pecans are there, but subdued and lack sweetness. Smoked, nutty malts are pleasant and nice though.

M&D&O - Though a tasty brew, this is a pecan porter, but not quite a pecan pie porter. It lacks that brown sugar/molasses style sweetnes we (or at least I) love in a pecan pie. Still impressed with Clown Shoes.

Serving type: bottle

03-19-2013 15:34:08 | More by sinstaineddemon

JackieTH

Minnesota

4/5  rDev +10.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured dark brown, opaque with a thin skin of khaki foam that leaves lacing. Smell is dark chocolate, toasted biscuit, roasted coffee..very nice. Taste is chocolate and a dose of hop bitterness then lightly sweet, prunes, dark cherries, hint of roast hazelnut coffee, char. Mouthfeel is medium, coating and velvety. Finish is mostly dry with lingering charred biscuit, and bitter baker's chocolate. An enjoyable porter but nothing remotely akin to pecan pie.

Serving type: bottle

03-15-2013 02:19:05 | More by JackieTH

northyorksammy

Ontario (Canada)

3.8/5  rDev +4.7%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

Underrated porter. The pecan adds a nice slightly sweet and certainly nutty beer. Above average mouthfeel. Dark brown coloured body. Pleasant and slightly sweet aroma. Very good drinkability. Fun unique stuff worth trying for those not hung up on being purists. One of the best bottle labels of recent years.

Serving type: bottle

03-03-2013 02:31:35 | More by northyorksammy

ilikebeer03

Texas

3.71/5  rDev +2.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

22 oz bomber poured into pint glass. bottled 11/13/12

A: almost black, but not quite. A bit darker than most porters, but not quite as dark as a stout. Nice, tan-ish head. settles to a nice ring.

S: roasty, a bit of chocolate

T: roasty, chocolate, not as much pecan as I was hoping for. Very hard for me to pick any out. Who knows, maybe it is just not hitting on my palate. YMMV? Tastes good. Don't get me wrong. It tastes good. Just not getting the pecan. Maybe more will come through as it warms.

M: Pretty solid. Nothing special. Medium+ carbonation.

O: a good beer. Probably wouldnt buy again if I'm looking for a pecan porter. Probably would buy again if I'm just looking for a tastey, reasonably priced beer.

Serving type: bottle

02-26-2013 23:15:08 | More by ilikebeer03

ElCommodoro

Texas

3.74/5  rDev +3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

Genghis Pecan is on a rampage. A rampage to invigorate my palate. Naming it after the infamously unyielding conqueror was no mistake. This thing packs a punch. However, I've had several "pecan porters" before. They are quite delicious, generally, but are also often quite sweet. This one distinguishes itself as a "pecan pie porter," so I was saving it for when I needed a sweet desert. Big mistake. This is by far the least sweet pecan porter I've ever had. I have no idea where the pie is supposed to come in. It went straight from Genghis to raw pecan. The great Khan clearly had no time to bake a damn pie. So THAT is a misnomer. Still a great stout, though. Very very nice bitter roasted malt flavour. And that's what dominates despite the fact that it's supposed to be pecan flavoured. So, for a decent stout, this is a decent beer, but if you want something sweet or something really pecan-flavoured, this is not the way to go.

Serving type: bottle

02-23-2013 05:34:43 | More by ElCommodoro

twiggamortis420

Texas

2.78/5  rDev -23.4%
look: 3.75 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.75

22 oz bottle pours a mostly black color with a bubbly khaki head. Retention and lacing are both a tad below average. Bonus points awarded for a great label and beer name.

Nose is definitely sweet...with caramel, simple syrup and a misplaced black licorice aroma. One-dimensional for sure and the lack of darker malt aromas has me a bit worried. Where's the pecans??

Taste still shows this odd flavor of black licorice, it just doesn’t fit here. The sweetness is not as over the top as I thought it would be, and comes across mostly in the form of burnt caramel and roast. I do get a little bit of roasted pecan in here, but it kind of astringent and not very nutty. Nor is the beer very pie-esque. Mouthfeel on it basically sucks...its flimsy, one-dimensional, flat tasting and has no direction or flow. Some of Clown Shoes beers I find to be quite delicious...this one, however, is not one of them...Mr. Khan would go ape shit on Massachusetts if he got wind of this.

Serving type: bottle

02-16-2013 21:06:29 | More by twiggamortis420

HoustonZ33

Texas

3.25/5  rDev -10.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

I won't go into all the fancy stuff with you, I will just say that the key to this one is FORGET THE WORDS "PECAN PIE" - It's just a solid Porter Beer that packs a punch, that's it.

I wouldn't Drainpour it or pass up a free one but, it's also not one I would hunt down.

Serving type: bottle

02-13-2013 08:17:51 | More by HoustonZ33

jpro

South Carolina

3.85/5  rDev +6.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 3.75

22oz bottle from Total Wine. Poured into a Duvel glass...

A: Pours an opaque black-brown with a caramel, 3-finger head of sudsy foam; not much retention sticks around... therefore, no lace.

S: Smells like a typical porter - dark chocolate, sweet malts, some distinct roastiness; smells good, but there's no pecan / pecan pie going on here.

T: Chocolate malt; light coffee notes; very sweet finish; has great porter taste - but again, the pecan pie is lacking, aside from the sweet finish, at least... still, pretty tasty.

M: Full body; high carbonation; nice texture and very smooth.

O: Pretty drinkable. I guess my gauge of drinkability is "would I ever buy a growler of this?" and for this brew, I think I would. The pecan or pecan pie is definitely not there, but that doesn't necessarily take away from this being a good porter. It would probably pair nicely with pecan pie!

Serving type: bottle

02-12-2013 00:57:57 | More by jpro

oline73

Maryland

3.68/5  rDev +1.4%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

Poured from the bottle into a goblet.

The beer pours a very dark brown color with a half finger of off white head that goes away rather quickly. In the smell I'm getting some roasted malt with a moderate sweetness. I think I might be getting some cinnamon, but nothing that reminds me of pie. This is a solid porter, but I'm not sure it reminds me of dessert. There is a decent balance between roast and sweetness. No real caramel or anything like that. The beer is a bit creamy with a dry finish. Overall this is a solid enough porter, but doesn't live up to the billing.

Serving type: bottle

01-28-2013 13:22:11 | More by oline73

gkatsoris

Pennsylvania

3.88/5  rDev +6.9%
look: 5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5

A: black as night. Foamy dark Tran head. No Bibles, good lacing left. Looks like motor oil.

S: chocolaty and pecan shells/husks. Coffee and espresso. butterscotch.

T: chocolate and cocao. Slightly nutty.

M: very thick and very chewy. Almost foamy.

O: not bad, but not great.

Serving type: on-tap

01-22-2013 23:53:43 | More by gkatsoris

BrownNut

Florida

3.61/5  rDev -0.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

A - 4.0 - Dark brown with a modest cream colored head that endures for a respectable time after an aggressive pour.

S - 3.0 - Weak aroma, but what is there is pleasant. Slightly coffee, a little malty, with something sweet - no doubt the brown sugar on the label. It scores lower not because the aroma is bad - it's not - but because there isn't much of it.

T - 3.75 - Mild and slightly sweet. Slightly astringent in that pecan sort of way. There's something tangy back in the corners of my mouth. Char and wood in the aftertaste, or maybe pecan + char = a sort of wood note. The longer term aftertaste is a nice mix of the same mild sweetness and dryness coming from the woody mild char.

M - 3.75 - Just shy of medium body, cut by active carbonation initially.

O - 3.75 - A solid and versatile offering with a pleasant, mature taste and an enjoyable mouthfeel. I wouldn't say it reminds me of pecan pie at all as Pumking reminds me of pumpkin pie. It's a little timid but that also makes it very drinkable, enjoyable, and uncomplicated. I like it better than most porters I've tried. This would be welcome anytime, a nice middle ground between a lighter ale and a stout, a beer to drink when you want something substantial after dinner but don't want to put too much thought into it. Clown Shoes has yet to disappoint me.

Serving type: on-tap

01-14-2013 01:29:03 | More by BrownNut

match1112

Illinois

3.76/5  rDev +3.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

a: dark cola colored body. an inch or so of thick creamy tan head settles to a ring leaving next to no lacing.

s: roasted pecans and sugars with a big malty backbone

t: taste shifts to more of a roasted malts flavor than pecans. some sweetness from the brown sugar.

m: carbonation is good, tad sticky and oily. slight bitternes on the finish from the roasted pecans and malts, doesn't feel like a hop bitterness.

o: worth picking up but i'm not sure how often i would buy it. like most of their beers i buy the first one because of the label and end up liking them just not loving them.

Serving type: bottle

01-13-2013 19:02:43 | More by match1112

xnicknj

Pennsylvania

3.68/5  rDev +1.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5

on tap at the barrel house - served in tulip

Pours dark browned out color with a one-finger high beige head resting on top. Fades into a slick of film, leaving spotty patches of lacing on the glass.

Aromatic nuttiness with chopped, roasted pecans and hints of chocolate sweetness. Dark malts and caramel with a hint of warmth.

Nutty and roasty up front, plenty of pecan flavor followed by chocolate and cocoa sweetness. Solid, hefty malt backbone with caramel and molasses tones. Finishes with roasted pecans, a hint of boozy warmth and residual sweetness.

Fuller medium body, milder carbonation, creamy and slick feel. The pecan aspect of the profile is really enjoyable, although the sweetness became a bit cloying after just a few ounces of the pour.

Serving type: on-tap

01-12-2013 05:21:42 | More by xnicknj

Viciousknishs

Virginia

3.83/5  rDev +5.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

A- pours a deep brown color with a tan head.

S- standard porter aroma of chocolate and cocoa. Notes of caramel and light roasted malt on the finish.

T- roasted malt with a dominate semi-sweet chocolate hits the palate at first. Finishes with caramel, brown sugar and nutty pecan.

MF- slick oily mouthfeel with a light medium body. Average carbonation.

D- very good drinkability

Serving type: bottle

01-10-2013 23:37:40 | More by Viciousknishs

emerge077

Illinois

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

Black in the glass with dark brownish edges, creamy tan foam on the top. Spotty lacing in the glass, creamy surface texture.

Dry chocolatey aroma with a hint of nutty pecan.

Roasty bitter black malts, a touch of lactose, slight nutty pecan bitterness. Pretty dry, bitter, and astringent... Not at all sweet or reminiscent of pecan pie. Still it has a creamy feel and is a nice enough porter on its own. Probably wouldn't pick it up again, but it wasn't bad. If you're looking for a good novelty beer though, look elsewhere.

Serving type: bottle

12-30-2012 01:12:41 | More by emerge077

emyers

Illinois

3.63/5  rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

22 oz. bottle poured into a Founders snifter.

Appearance: Dark brown with ruby highlights. Off-white head that starts fairly large but dissipates very quickly.

Smell: Smells like a good porter should - roasted grains, chocolate, some caramel, nuttiness. Can't necessarily pick out pecans specifically, but the general nuttiness is there.

Taste: Similar to the smell, but not quite as rich. The nuts are much more up front than in the aroma, with the chocolate and the caramel taking a secodary role. There's a slightly metallic twang in the finish that I'm not appreciating too much, but this is still a good tasting porter.

Mouthfeel: Medium to thin in body for the style. Appropriate carbonation.

Overall: This is a very solid porter, but I think they could have done more to incorporate the pecan pie concept (more sweetness, some more biscuit malt to mimic the crust, etc). And the metallic flavor definitely holds it back.

Serving type: bottle

12-28-2012 08:14:53 | More by emyers

dbrauneis

New Jersey

4/5  rDev +10.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Pours an opaque very dark brown (almost black) in color with some dark amber highlights and light to moderate amounts of visible carbonation. The beer has a finger and a half tall very dark tan head that reduces to a patchy thin film covering the majority of the surface of the beer with a thicker ring at the edges of the glass. Moderate amounts of lacing are observed.

S: Light to moderate aromas of toasted and roasted malts with additional aromas of pecan, brown sugar, molasses, and caramel. Very light notes of chocolate, coffee, and cinnamon which grow in strength as the beer warms up.

T: Upfront there is a moderate amount of roasted and toasted malts that then fade into the flavors of toasted pecans. After that, there are some very light notes of cinnamon, molasses, and coffee. Throughout there are some light notes of brown sugar and chocolate. Light amounts of bitterness in the finish which fades quickly.

M: On the lighter side of medium bodied with moderate amounts of carbonation. Lightly creamy.

O: Overall this was an enjoyable beer and I'm glad that it was not overly sweet as I feared it might be when called a pecan pie porter - there is a lot of potential to go over the top with sweetness. Pretty easy to drink and the alcohol is well hidden. Pretty well balanced.

Serving type: bottle

12-27-2012 01:38:24 | More by dbrauneis

rdilauro

Connecticut

2.5/5  rDev -31.1%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

I never like to bad mouth anything and I wont start here. But, this was a beer that I did not like at all. Right from the onset, the pour was less to than favorable, there wasnt much of any aroma in the glass and the first sip didnt offer me anything that I was looking for.

Each follow on sip did nothing more to impress me with this one

Sorry, guess we cant like every beer

Serving type: bottle

12-21-2012 03:49:28 | More by rdilauro

oberon

North Carolina

3.55/5  rDev -2.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Poured into an imperial nonic a deep dark brown with a thinner tan colored head that was gone pretty quickly.Aromas of bitter chocolate,coffee, and a nice amount of roasted pecans.The feel is is a little fizzy and on the lighter side.Dryer on the palate with decnet roast and quite earthy in the finis,there is some dark corn syrup and caramel notes underneath but the dry earthy tones win out.not bad but really not anything to seek out,the feel of the beer is a bit of a turn off.

Serving type: bottle

12-18-2012 23:26:17 | More by oberon

Georgiabeer

Georgia

3/5  rDev -17.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

As usual, this Clown Shoes beer pours nicely enough, a nice dark, rich brown with a decent head. I was certainly intrigued by the idea of this beer- a pecan pie porter- just imagine how decadent and delicious that could be! Unfortunately, this beer isn't either. It has a bit of pecan pie on the finish, but it's very faint. The front and main body of the beer is too thin, has a fair bit of grainy sourness, and lacks flavor. The aroma almost wholly lacks any indication of what kind of beer this is. Certainly it seems more like a brown ale than a porter, and not a very good one at that. It really cries out for richness and depth, and some roastiness. None are really there. The only saving grace is the hint of nutty brown sugar sweetness right at the end of the finish. Great idea, now get back to the drawing board and make it work.

Serving type: bottle

12-18-2012 02:39:07 | More by Georgiabeer

Florida9

Illinois

3.53/5  rDev -2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A: Very dark brown in color. Almost black, but not quite. A little light manages to poke through around the edges. Forms a moderate sized, light tan head. Decent retention. Virtually no lacing.

S: Aroma is of roasted malts, molasses, and toasted pecans with a bit of alcohol in the mix.

T: Taste starts off with roasted malts and almost burnt toast. Neither sweet nor dry. There is a fairly heavy roasted pecan flavor, with the pecan even displaying that papery astringency that pecans often have. However, aside from the pecan and the malts, there is little else.

M: Medium bodied. Dry, lightly chalky, and moderately astringent. Lower carbonation.

O: Not a bad beer, but certainly doesn't live up to the name. Though there is an appreciable amount of pecan flavor, without the sweetness, this one doesn't resemble pecan pie in the least (not even in beer form).

Serving type: bottle

12-16-2012 03:01:06 | More by Florida9