Hephaestus
Clown Shoes

HephaestusHephaestus
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From:
Clown Shoes
 
Massachusetts, United States
Style:
Russian Imperial Stout
Ranked #198
ABV:
14%
Score:
92
Ranked #4,373
Avg:
4.19 | pDev: 8.11%
Reviews:
22
Ratings:
58
Status:
Active
Rated:
May 22, 2022
Added:
Dec 21, 2015
Wants:
  9
Gots:
  9
Bourbon barrel aged Russian Imperial Stout with espresso.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by Blackop555:
Photo of Blackop555
Reviewed by Blackop555 from Michigan

4.35/5  rDev +3.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Pours black. Short, thick brown head lasts a little.

Smells espresso, roasted malt, bourbon and hint of dark chocolate.

Tastes roasted malts, espresso and bourbon. Followed by light char and dark chocolate. Finish is dry with a coffee and char linger. Full body and creamy lower medium carbonation.
Jun 22, 2017
More User Ratings:
Photo of Roguer
Reviewed by Roguer from Connecticut

4.17/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
Excellent head production and decent retention.

Super roasty nose, quite appropriate for an RIS, with strong notes of molasses, licorice, red grape, red wine, and pepper, amplified by the bourbon and coffee which are very much back seat to the roasty malt base.

Similar on the palate: bold, boozy, and super roasty. The bourbon barrels add bitter char to the already bitter malt base, similar to BA Old Raspy. Really wonderful boozy stout, everything you want amplified by 1000. The espresso is entirely complementary, not really standing out on its own except perhaps for the late aftertaste, but it totally works in the mix.
May 22, 2022
 
Rated: 4.25 by Patches826 from Massachusetts

Feb 23, 2021
 
Rated: 4.19 by BAsbill from California

Nov 20, 2020
 
Rated: 3.94 by BarrelAgedG from California

Aug 21, 2020
 
Rated: 5 by 1971bernat from Virginia

Aug 02, 2020
Photo of lordofthewiens
Reviewed by lordofthewiens from New Mexico

4.21/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
The beer is jet black with a one finger tan head. The head reduces quickly.
Aroma of coffee, chocolate, and booze.
Taste of espresso, dark chocolate, and bourbon.
Big beer, more bourbon than I like.
Jul 28, 2020
 
Rated: 4.06 by kkarimi from Texas

Jul 21, 2020
 
Rated: 4.65 by vheissu15 from North Dakota

Jul 19, 2020
Photo of pathman
Rated by pathman from Ohio

4.5/5  rDev +7.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
07/11/20 can @ home
Jul 11, 2020
 
Rated: 3 by MrCPMJ from Texas

May 26, 2020
 
Rated: 4.25 by archero from Texas

May 26, 2020
 
Rated: 4.25 by paulish from New York

Apr 28, 2020
Photo of Brutaltruth
Reviewed by Brutaltruth from Ohio

4.34/5  rDev +3.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
From the tall boy can in a snifter. This monster brew pours
a dark coal black with a very nice head of tan foam that settles
to a thick ring, thin dusty layer, and sports some very nice lacing.
Nose of subtleties for such a big brew. Light smoke, char, oak,
prominent coffee, and slight bourbon. Flavors smack the right off
the face with dark espresso, char, smoke, oak, mild bourbon, brulee,
and hefty amounts of dark cocoa. Nice mouth feel; full body, coating,
light carbonation, warming, and finishing with a moderately bitter malt
note.

Of note, warmth shows notes of licorice and herbal hop notes.

As always, more excellence from the good Clown Folk!

Dig them kicks!

Cheers!
Apr 26, 2020
 
Rated: 3.8 by chrismattlin from Ohio

Apr 26, 2020
Photo of jlindros
Reviewed by jlindros from Massachusetts

3.98/5  rDev -5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
Can date kinda smudged
Pours a large foamy 1 finger dark head with great retention, nice soapy lacing, and decent legs, pitch black thick beer

Nose brings plenty of espresso and roasted coffee, dark chocolate cocoa and a little char, a bit of dark fruits but not a lot, loads of baking spices like cinnamon and licorice, fudgey cocoa, some vanilla barrel, a touch of bourbon but not a lot, fair nougat characters as well

Taste brings plenty more rich cocoa, dark chocolate, a bit fudgey, fair roasted malts with rich espresso, roasted coffee but not bitter coffee, into more baking spices, cinnamon and licorice as well, like cinnamon bark even, some bitterness frmo the roast and mild spicy hops, a touch of dark fruits with raisin like, mild vanilla oak and barrel flavors but very little bourbon almost none, a little cookie dough, a bit of spicy alcohol as well, spicy bitter hops really increase, and alcohol late, sticky finish with more alcohol and spicy bitter hops and bitter roast

Mouth is fuller bod, but smooth creamy like, med foamy carb, fair warming tingly alcohol

Overall not bad, base RIS is good with fruits and lots of fun spices, some roast and espresso but not a ton, but lack of bourbon barrel makes this kinda meh
Apr 26, 2020
Photo of WhiskeyMax
Reviewed by WhiskeyMax from Iowa

4.5/5  rDev +7.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Split 70/30 with my partner. She wanted whiskey, so I gave her some of my beer. Poured into tulips resulted in a two inch tan head and a red tinged black color. Smelling a little coffee, dried stone fruit, vanilla and a bit of spent grain. Taste is heavier on the coffee, but not overwhelming. Quite to my liking. The fruit and vanilla are in there too. I get a bit of bourbon barrel, but not so much to make it boozy. Sweet, not syrupy with a sweet-bitter finish that lasts a good time on the palate. Smooth and warming. Overall I like it. A little less punch than most bourbon barrel stouts, but in a good way. I’d drink it again.
Apr 11, 2020
 
Rated: 3.64 by Rubicj from Massachusetts

Mar 31, 2020
Photo of teromous
Reviewed by teromous from Virginia

3.04/5  rDev -27.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3
From the bottom of the can: "031 01/27/" (illegible) "13:52"
From the side of the can: "12% ALC/VOL"

Appearance: Black bodied with a medium sized, dense, khaki head. Great retention and some strings of lacing.

Aroma: It smells like alcohol, bourbon, and carbon. It is very boozy smelling.

Taste: Tons of alcohol and bourbon up front. There is a fruity character with a bit of plum, raisin, and cherry on the tip of the tongue. The middle of the palate carries a lot bourbon character both in alcohol and wood. There is a charred flavor that starts towards the middle of the mouth and carries out to the end. The beer finishes with a woody flavor with a bit of coffee, carbon, and more alcohol. The aftertaste highlights more boozy flavor and a bit of char. The flavors are all here but they are unrefined and raw.

Mouthfeel: The beer is full bodied but the alcohol presence seems to thin it a bit and is acceptable. There is a heat which hampers drinkability. Roasted bitterness is medium-high.

Overall: Some of the portrayed elements can be expected from a higher alcohol beer, but much of this beer is shotgunned. The can calls this a "Russian Imperial Stout Aged in Bourbon Barrels with Espresso." The bourbon character is present and the barrel character is also present. The espresso is largely lost under the heavy, boozy, alcohol character of the beer.There is a clear quality to the beer given its delivery of a high alcohol malt beverage without the usual flaws, but the flavors just don't feel cohesive. Perhaps the beer could use with some aging. I could drink it again some time in the future, preferably with some age on it. It is a decently made beer so I wouldn't recommend against it, but the beer just lacks a certain quality.
Mar 28, 2020
 
Rated: 4.02 by CraigDeMoss from Kansas

Mar 24, 2020
Hephaestus from Clown Shoes
Beer rating: 92 out of 100 with 58 ratings