Ride The Lion
Clown Shoes

Ride The LionRide The Lion
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From:
Clown Shoes
 
Massachusetts, United States
Style:
Scotch Ale / Wee Heavy
ABV:
11%
Score:
90
Avg:
4.05 | pDev: 9.14%
Reviews:
76
Ratings:
489
Status:
Active
Rated:
Mar 10, 2022
Added:
May 28, 2014
Wants:
  50
Gots:
  121
No description / notes.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by griffey123:
Photo of griffey123
Rated by griffey123 from Connecticut

3.73/5  rDev -7.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

Jan 10, 2016
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 3.75 by Gemini6 from Michigan

Mar 10, 2022
Photo of imscotty
Reviewed by imscotty from Massachusetts

4.05/5  rDev 0%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
2014 bomber aged in my cellar.

Appearance: Pours golden brown, a flash of foam that quickly fades, some lacing. There was a fair amount of sediment at the bottom of the bottle - it did not bother me.

Smell: Caramel & booze.

Taste: This is a hot boozy sugar daddy. Caramel overwhelms. malt and bourbon too, has a long hot boozy finish.

Mouthfeel: Not a viscous beer, but it coats the mouth and it stays. Long, long finish. A nice sipper on a cold winter night.

Overall: I thought this beer would have legs, and it did. At this age it may have lost some of its complexity, but if my memory is correct I thought it was too sweet when fresh so I prefer it aged. What I appreciate most in the beer is the lingering, burning finish. Might not be to everyone's taste, but I consider this beer a good value.
Feb 02, 2021
Photo of SpeedwayJim
Reviewed by SpeedwayJim from New York

4.07/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
22oz. capped bomber into a wine glass. From 2014

At this point this beer is flat as a pancake. Not particularly good looking either. Nose is brown sugar, molasses, and a very mellow booziness. Decent but muted. Beer opens brown sugar, molasses, and maple syrup. Notes of toffee and the slightest touch of booze in the middle mixed with more maple and a sprinkle of dried leaves. More brown sugar with a tickle of oak at the finish. Unbelievably good at this point. Body is medium to full with low carbonation. Smooth and chewy on the palate and goes down filmy with a lingering aftertaste. So drinkable at the ABVs.

Too bad it takes 6 years for this beer to get to this beer. Taste and feel are phenomenal.
Dec 25, 2020
Photo of hopley
Reviewed by hopley from Massachusetts

4.53/5  rDev +11.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
2014 bottle, drank 11.10.20 out of a tulip. Aged beautifully. Best Scotch Ale I’ve ever had. Look was caramel with a little head that diminished. Smelled the same with a little booze. Taste was exceptional - caramel and booze, but neither was too strong. Mouthfeel was heavy. Just a delight to drink. Might try to track down a 2019 bottle eventually, but need to savor this moment! Cheers!
Nov 10, 2020
 
Rated: 4.36 by lebrisa from Connecticut

Jun 04, 2020
Photo of REVZEB
Reviewed by REVZEB from Illinois

3.89/5  rDev -4%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Typical wee heavy body until the lighter top half and the white ring. Bourbon, toffee, slight smoke, wood and a kiss of vanilla make up the aromas. Taste is the same of the nose but very hot with booze. Medium body with hot booze and smooth malt. Good but not great, get the booze under control and more peat smoke to unlock the potential
Apr 17, 2020
 
Rated: 4.36 by StephenBechler from Illinois

Jan 18, 2020
Photo of EMV
Reviewed by EMV from Pennsylvania

3.6/5  rDev -11.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5
2019 edition. Poured from a tall bottle into a Dogfish Head tulip

L: Cloudy copper brown pour with a finger of fizzy white head. Falls fast... modest lacing. I do like the bottle artwork.

S: Caramel and malts mixed with bourbon. Best part of the beer.

T.F: Toasted grains and brown sugar. Strong bourbon... vanilla and booze. Modest sweetness... earthy... lacking in flavor a bit. Lightly carbonated. Medium bodied. Warming and a bit boozy.

O: Lacking in flavor... I guess I expected more, but the malts/brown sugar/toffee didn't live up to the bourbon which dominates the brew. Very much a poor man's 'Backwoods Bastard'... and it's not terribly close. Not one I'd pick up again.
Oct 05, 2019
Photo of Brutaltruth
Reviewed by Brutaltruth from Ohio

4.34/5  rDev +7.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
From the 22 oz bottle in a snifter. This fantastic ale pours a
luminous ruby tinged mahogany with a nice head of off white foam that
subsides to a thin ring with light lacing. Nose of bourbon, light smoke,
peat, vanilla, oak, and booze with subtle orchard fruit notes. Flavors
nail it for the style---bourbon; big and rich. Oak and vanilla marry with
brown sugars and peat smoked malts with touches of brandied apples
and figs with a hint of zesty hops on the rear in between the layers
of warming bourbon. excellent mouth feel; medium body, light carbonation,
smooth, rich, warming, and finishing faintly dry.

The Clown folk know their stuff----this one hits the mark!

FANTASTIC!

Seek this one out!

Cheers
May 27, 2019
Photo of ChrisMon02
Reviewed by ChrisMon02 from Ohio

4.28/5  rDev +5.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
2019 version.

Deep Amber color. Small head with little lacing.

Sweet bourbon, malt, smoke, Red Apple skins, berries, peat and vanilla on the nose and palate. Quite complex and delicious.

Very smooth. Subtle carbonation and although chewy, not difficult to navigate through. Some warming in the chest but not hot at all.

Very nice, well crafted beer. Complex and flavorful. I will definately be revisiting soon.
May 13, 2019
Photo of LifesAnesthesia
Reviewed by LifesAnesthesia from Virginia

4.33/5  rDev +6.9%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.25
L - Ruby amber with a thin light tan head that dissipates quickly leaving behind minimal lacing
S - Sweet malt, caramel, smokiness, wood, peat, sweet bourbon
T - Follows the nose: sweet, rich malt up front and throughout, followed by sweet bourbon that also is throughout the palate, with sweet caramel, smoky wood notes and some peat as well as vanilla.
F - Medium bodied with a light to moderate amount of carbonation. Sticky and somewhat chewy
O - A really nice example of a wee heavy - the bourbon barrels definitely add to the overall flavor profile.
May 04, 2019
 
Rated: 3.82 by deg from New Hampshire

Apr 06, 2019
 
Rated: 3.96 by Tcsox from Massachusetts

Apr 02, 2019
 
Rated: 3.35 by Bogdawg from Massachusetts

Apr 02, 2019
Photo of stephens101
Reviewed by stephens101 from Oklahoma

4.15/5  rDev +2.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
Pours a bright ruby red with a thin white lace atop. Sweet and boozy to the nose. Tastes of brown sugar, persimmon, plum and black cherry in the finish. A faint woodiness comes out quickly followed by a hint of herb and pine. Sweet and heavy with a good amount of boozy heat to keep you on your toes.

There will always be a place for the classic styles that lie on the sweeter end of the spectrum in my fridge. And this one will be at the front of the line.
Apr 01, 2019
 
Rated: 4.25 by paulish from New York

Mar 25, 2019
 
Rated: 4 by Abe_Froman from Massachusetts

Mar 23, 2019
 
Rated: 4.06 by Jonathan-Morgan from Florida

Mar 13, 2019
 
Rated: 4.05 by Taphouse_Traveler from Florida

Mar 13, 2019
Ride The Lion from Clown Shoes
Beer rating: 90 out of 100 with 489 ratings