Space Cake
Clown Shoes

22oz bottle into a Captain Lawrence tulip. Huge thanks to BA ClownShoesDreams for this bottle! Bottled 5/30/14 (two weeks ago).

Appearance: Free pour yields a huge frothy offwhite head (need to pour carefully). Good retention and arches of lacing. Pours a darkish opaque copper.

Smell: Whoa, very fragrant, smelling mainly like strawberry ice cream. Definitely cakey, but hoppy. Gets more of a lime tinge eventually. Not really any more distinct aromas coming out, but there's this uplifting fresh citrus / hop-pellet-pungency that makes the aroma great throughout.

Taste: Right away it's very lime-forward, with a lot of red grapefruit tinge. At first it's just a hop assault, but eventually the "cake"-like element comes out; crystal malt and the sweetness of these hops.

Good combo. Restrained earthy/pungent elements support the fruity, citrusy foreground. With warmth, the booziness comes out but it's not a drawback--it brings out a spicy element of the hops. I've had mosaic-hopped single hop beers before, and I often find it to be kind of a 1-note hop that doesn't live up to other trendy new hops. Maybe it just needs to be in a boozier pale ale to bring out spiciness to provide some depth. Huh.

Mouthfeel: Medium bodied. Moderate carbonation. Not very dry, not sugary. Hot boozy finish.

Definitely a trend with Clown Shoes beers for me... the mouthfeel rarely knocks my socks off (except in Clementine witbier, whose mouthfeel is *perfect*), but it never gets in the way either. Very Golden Mean-ish. I'm more of a romantic excess guy (IPAs must be bone dry! Stouts thick and creamy!), but I appreciate the Clown Shoes way.

Overall: Not to beat a dead horse, but here's another DIPA emphasizing how important it is to drink beer fresh. Of special interest to me was the greater understanding it gave me of mosaic hops. I'm not usually as into them (e.g. my beloved NEBCO's single hop mosaic beer Supernaut is my least favorite of their specialty beers). Instead of the usual "yeah it's kind of citrusy, a little weed-y" impression, with this beer I feel like the overall flavor profile is bountiful and sensible. Lots of citrus, good pungent hop background, with sweet malt (and sweet hops!) balanced by hot alcohol and the (hitherto hidden) spiciness of mosaic. Great!

As with Galactica, the more-than-usual crystal malt isn't a drawback, though it doesn't really "set the beer off" as much for me (definitely goes with the "space cake" theme however). One of those East Coast / West Coast straddler DIPAs.

Not hard to take down a 22oz bottle in one sitting. Sweet and boozy though it is, still easy drinking for 9%. If I find this fresh, I will get more.

 

Poured from a 16oz can into a Waterford IPA glass. Pours a slightly cloudy darker burnt orange with a finger and a half of light khaki colored foam head. More malty than hoppy on the nose. Comes across as fragrant wet cardboard but it tastes it a little better than it smells. Candied orange, pine sap and some malt to the finish. Medium-full mouthfeel. Not a bad IPA by any means. It taste good enough. Maybe a little unbalanced and lacking some complexity but still drinkable. And at 9%, by the end of the session you kind of forgive its shortcomings.

 

Poured from pint can into imperial pint glass.
A: Pours a clear golden hue with moderately active carbonation jets fueling a 2 inch frothy light tan head with excellent retention.
S: Pine, grapefruit, caramel malt, and a touch of citrus.
T: Pine resin, tart grapefruit, caramel malt (a bit strong here), toffee, and a touch of lemon.
M: Medium body. Moderately bitter and astringent. Also a good dose of malty sweetness.
D: Honestly, I was underwhelmed. Certainly not a bad beer, but definitely not special. Wish rare beer club had chosen something else this month.

i have said this in other places, but it is increasingly disappointing to me that the rare beer club has moved to cans, not saying the beers arent good, but the perceived value is far lower than it used to be when we got things like private labeled stuff from the lost abbey, this isnt even close, which is not at all a knock against this beer, which i likes a little, a little more old school with some grain color and flavor and body, how ipa used to taste, pleasant night cap type brew, slow sipper that warms up well if you want it to be, but also one that kind of wants to drink, some pacey pull to it at the same time, been awhile since i checked in with clown shoes. copper colored pour, nice and clear, high white head from the can, looks really well refined but definitely maltier than what is on trend now, im happy to see it frankly, lots of life and bubbles to this, needed in the strong ones for me. aroma has obvious mosaic character, canned pineapple sweetness, light weedy dankness, and some gentle citrus to it, but also higher bitterness and a little pine bite too, woodsy and northwestern, especially with the warmer and heartier grain personality, some crystal malt in here for sure, not quite throwback malty, but with a foot in the past for sure, in an endearing way, it hasnt been all that long people! smells pretty fresh, with a little coppery metallic thing thats not out of place, light sweetness almost a candied orange note, and trace alcohol, opens quite a lot as it warms into the more tropical side of mosaic, great balance, and the flavor follows the nose. mosaic is obvious again, the balance is awesome, and i like the bready grain foundation for sure, its not heavy or sweet on the palate, at least not late, and there is nice bitterness at the end that gives it the snap and pep i want in a big west coast ipa. some hop oils and weedy character on the palate, dried pineapple and lemon zest, subtle chardonnay and orange, not quite to toasted on the malt side, bitter aftertaste, rushing carbonation. i think a pretty textbook and timeless take on the style, one of the more popular beers from these guys seems like a not awesome pick for rare beer club, but i did really like the beer and am excited to have the second can. they make some cool beers, i always kind of forget about them since they dont seem to be selling out west anymore (i remember their beers all over denver in the old days), but i have love for what they do. solid all the way around here, excellent proportions and overall quality, clean ferment, quality liquid without a boozy presence as these go, very well done.

16 oz can from Rare Beer club. Pours orange with tall, long lasting, fluffy white head and nice lacing. Aroma is of piney hops, bready malt and tropical fruit. Body is full and crisp. Herbal hops dominate the palate with bready malt and tropical fruit in the background. Finish is long and very hoppy. Great brew.

 

16 oz can

Pours a crystal clear deep golden amber color with a large sudsy off-white head. Retention hangs around for awhile. Leaves some sticky cobwebs.

Aroma has loads of tangerine and grapefruit as well as caramel, fresh biscuits and light pine.

The flavor has a medicinal quality to it. Almost cloying. Sweet citrus and blueberries. Some mango. Very sweet caramel malt.

Medium bodied. Moderate carbonation. Extremely oily. Faintly boozy.

This is a pretty good DIPA overall, as it's well-balanced and drinkable. The medicinal flavor is a bit off-putting and the sweetness gets to be a bit much, but it’s not bad in any way.

 

RB transfer

 

 

Pours deep amber & fairly cloudy with a moderate head that dissolved quickly. Aromas of malt, caramelized sugars, and pine. A lot to take in flavor-wise - it's piney and has a bit of "forrest floor" earthiness, but quickly comes through with strong malt flavors, breadiness, and sweetness. Main notes are creme brulee shell, apricot jam, marmalade, orange zest, guava, & light pineapple. I enjoyed this one more when first getting into craft beer, but overall still a solid brew with some complex flavors to appreciate.

We drank this after a heady topper, so that might influence our review. Hoppy, up front and throughout. Great color and aroma. The carbonation makes for a good feel. The head is stiff and satisfying looking. We will drink again.

Look: fluffy head, amber, clear, good lacing
Smell: piney, citrusy, dank, grassy
Taste: piney, resinous, citrusy, grapefruit, guava, bitterness
Feel: med body, moderate carbo
Overall: 9% abv. Had one in the back of the fridge for about 3 years. Was gonna pour her out but took a sip. Wow, still good. Finished her. Bought more to confirm. Yes, this is a pretty good brew. Good malty backbone, sweet citrus, piney. Resinous finish takes her home. Sorry I neglected you. Pairs well with Pain by Dio.

 

A: pours a golden amber body with a white head with nice retention and lacing.
S: sweet, floral, citrus notes with hints of alcohol
T: sweet, floral hop notes with warm alcohol notes; dank finish with hints of lemongrass and chamomile
M: full bodied and smooth
O: solid feel and taste combo; great drinking beer. Gets better with each sip.

A nearly full clear pint glass of this arrived after it was drawn from a tap. There's almost no head, but that's the way we pour beer in Philly. For its style, the aroma is subdued. There's very little malt and the hopping seems piney, but also understated. What little there is, the head is off-white, contrasting nicely with the beautiful bright copper-amber color of the liquid below. Even with all that color, it's relatively translucent. Between the hops and ABV, this becomes aggressively assertive. In the mouth. There's no mistaking this is a serious IIPA. There's plenty of malt for a counterbalance, but with the alcohol, that makes it run too sweet. It's also a little harsh, but that's the byproduct of all the alcohol. As the vessel drains, somehow that becomes less of an issue. The body is supple and the mouthfeel is smooth enough. It's only at the finish the bite gets to be noticed. Again, considering the ABV, that's understandable. It's well made, as some pleasant glass lacing will provide evidence. Sure, it probably could be a little less biting, but it's fine for what it is.