Hoppy Feet
Clown Shoes

cyclonece09 from Wisconsin

3.94/5  rDev +1.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Day 11 of the 12 Beers of Christmas pack. Poured from a can into a snifter tulip glass. Pours pitch black with a light brown head. Smells of sweet citrus hops and slight grassy notes. Tastes of dark roasted grain, notes of coffee, and citrus hops. Beer is light bodied and easy drinking, good carbonation. Overall, a very good beer.

Feb 01, 2021

mushroomcloud from Texas

4.02/5  rDev +3.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12oz can with a best by 1/31/21, opened 1/29/21.
2+ finger beige head, excellent retention and leaves thick lacing.
Black core to dark brown at the edges.
Mild roasted malt aroma, some coffee, and a nice, leafy hop over the top.
Dark chocolate, bitter roasted malt, espresso, and green/earthy hop flavors in big quantities.
Close to medium body, medium carbonation and a lengthy bitter, roasty, and ultimately dry finish.
My favorite of the mixed 12pk.
Very good.

Jan 30, 2021

Griffin2 from Virginia

3.71/5  rDev -4.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Poured from a 12 oz can with a best by date of 1/31/2021 into a Willi Becher pint glass.
L - Pours a dark brown, almost black, color with a light tan head that dissipates slowly, leaving lots of lacing on the glass.
S - Smells of coffee and chocolate.
T - It has kind of a hoppy licorice taste.
F - Medium body and carbonation.
O - Very different black IPA.

Jan 23, 2021

IPAs_for_days_13 from Texas

4.33/5  rDev +11.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

L: Pours a very dark brown, almost black in color, with a thin espresso colored head.
S: Very earthy hop aromas upfront, dark malt aromas, coffee & dark chocolate in the background.
T: Taste certainly follows the nose, you can still tell that this is indeed a black IPA instead of tasting too much like a porter or stout, as a lot of them do. The hoppy bitterness is really nice, the dark malt & chocolate is very subtle & not overpowering.
F: Medium-bodied, medium carbonation, chewy, warming.
O: Very well-done black IPA, everything is balanced & it is super drinkable; I wish these were more available in my area.

Jan 21, 2021

Ozzylizard from Pennsylvania

3.84/5  rDev -1.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Hoppy Feet (2020) from Clown Shoes. Purchased 16/11/20 for $ 28.00 (Including tax) for mixed 12-pack of 12 oz cans ($ 0.194/oz) from Franklin Beer, Franklin, PA. On shelf at store and stored at home at 42 degrees. Reviewed 19/1/21.
Stamped on the bottom “Best By 1/31/21”. Served at 46.5 degrees in a hand washed and dried Jester King snifter. Final temperature 57 degrees.
Appearance – 4.
First pour – Amber Brown (SRM 18), clear.
Body – Deep Brown (SRM 30), opaque. When rear-lite, same although at the edge some penetration shows a reddish tinge.
Head – Large (Maximum 5.5 cm, aggressive center pour), desert sand, high density with a rocky top, average retention, leaving a ten to sixteen mm crown with a torn curtain edge and a thin cap with a thick, rocky island. Some pieces of lacing remain on the glass as the head retracts.
Lacing – Excellent! Medium rings of tiny bubbles with the upper edge being torn curtains and the rings connected by pillars of varying size
Aroma – 3.75 – Roasted malt, weak floral hops, no yeast.
Flavor – 3.75 – Begins with bitter roasted chocolate malt and resinous pine, no yeast. No alcohol (7 % ABV, as marked on container) taste or aroma. No dimethylsulfide or diacetyl. Ends bitter with a bit of grapefruit pith.
Palate – 4 – Medium, almost creamy, soft carbonation.
Final impression and summation: 4 Good example of the style.

Jan 19, 2021

johnnnniee from New Hampshire

3.83/5  rDev -1.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Can from tfontana, thanks again
Dark brown bordering on black with a good sized tan head that shows moderate retention. Caramel and hints of chocolate and roast with more pine than citrus. Solid old school hop and caramel bite.

Jan 16, 2021

damndirtyape from Ohio

3.97/5  rDev +2.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12oz can, served in a tulip glass. Best before 01/31/21. Date stamp 268, 17:01

Appearance: Black (very dark brown at the edges) with a massive tan head (after a hard pour) and plenty of sheets and strands of persistent lacing.

Smell: Hoppy. Mostly pine and some underlying grapefruit/citrus.

Taste: Very well blended citrus/pine hops and roasted malt with some definite chocolate notes. The finish is bitter with some orange zest, pine, and bittersweet chocolate notes.

Mouthfeel: Good thickness and carbonation. Smooth.

Overall / Drinkability: Very drinkable. I was expecting a bit more bitterness and hoppy flavor, but it's okay that this doesn't have it. It's very well balanced, and the chocolate notes from the roasted malt are a nice touch. I'd want to pair this with the right food, but I could have another.

Jan 02, 2021

BeerAndGasMasks from Virginia

3.8/5  rDev -2.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

From the 2020 Clown Shoes Christmas Pack (Number 11), it pours a dark (brown/black) color with a nice light brown head that slowly reduces as you enjoy the brew - lacing is also left. In the nose, it is citrus hops, followed by a touch of roasted malt. in the mouth, it is citrus forward with a nice roasted malt base.

Dec 30, 2020

Pegasus from Texas

4/5  rDev +2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance: Utterly black in color, impenetrable to the light, with a massive, dense tan head, with stunning retention. The lacing is quite Belgian-like, with slight slow-rising carbonation.

Aroma: Strong notes of mainly citric hops dominate the aroma, particularly grapefruit. Notes of roasted malt and caramel are prominent, with some char. The relatively high ABV of seven percent is unnoted.

Taste: Dark roasted malt presents strongly at the open of the taste, some char is notable as well. As with the aroma, no hint of the considerable seven percent ABV is notable in the taste, save a minor warming. A little sweet caramel is present, although it is in the backdrop of the taste. Later in the taste, the citric hops begin to rise, although they are less prominent than in the aroma. Toward the close, grapefruit rind becomes more prominent, but the roasted malt maintains a strong presence. Finishes with a lingering grapefruit and slight pine note, with an undercurrent of dark, toasted malt.

Mouth feel: Smooth, soft, rich and full, with little carbonation, very pleasant.

Drinkability/notes: Very very well-made, an excellent example of the style. This is the eleventh beer in the Clown Shoes "Twelve Days of Christmas" package. "Best by" date is 01/31/21.

Presentation: Packaged in a standard twelve-ounce aluminum can, with a pry-off crown, served in a Duvel tulip.

Dec 29, 2020

CodyBasden from Texas

3.8/5  rDev -2.3%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

L: jet black with thick soapy light brown head tons of lacing on glass head holds for quite some time and a tiny tiny bit of red tint to it
S: low fruity citrus but nice and refreshing for the color
T:malty bready roast taste not a lot of hop flavor that goes with the smell low bitterness profile that holds a while in the back of your throat
F: medium bodied low carbonation stickiness to the lips
O: good black ipa a little bitter lingering kind of takes it from me with no floral notes but a good average ipa

Dec 12, 2020

Steve_Studnuts from Pennsylvania

3.72/5  rDev -4.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

more cola brown than black but lets not split hairs cuz that khaki head is all frothy and inviting and lacy and it smells so good with roasty malts and piney hops and tastes pretty good too if a little weird but thats what this style tends to be lolmycapslockisbrokenandsoismyhead!

Dec 10, 2020

RedStickPhil from New Mexico

4.07/5  rDev +4.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Nice combination of hoppy and malty. Good mouth feel. I didn't get the nose reported by other reviewers, maybe because I got started with the drinking too fast.

Dec 03, 2020

imnodoctorbut from Texas

4.23/5  rDev +8.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

cola brown body pours with a frothy foam tan head with high retention that slowly settles to a defined halo

aroma is resinous pine, molasses, earthy hop

taste follows the nose. chewy resinous pine and molasses, earthy hop bitterness, sticky sweet caramel sticking out a bit. roasted feeling and slightly herbal, the mixture of caramel and earthy pine approaches a shade of dank that was unexpected.

moderate carbonation, medium body; chewy yet smooth and slightly creamy with occasional carbo prickles; finishes dry and earth bitter.

overall:
this was a sublime experience. i love that this was the brewery's first release. totally sets up a funky bar that they've held consistently in my own opinion. this is a very resinous, chewy, sticky, molasses drenched hop bomb. seriously feel like I should be passing the glass to my left.....

Nov 18, 2020

Darkmagus82 from Texas

3.93/5  rDev +1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a can into a pint glass
Appearance – The beer pours a deep brown, nearly black color with a one finger head of tan colored foam. The head fades rather fast leaving a little bit of streaky lace on the sides of the glass.
Smell – The aroma of the brew is strongest of a pine and herbal aroma mixed with some caramel and lightly toasted malt smells. Along with these aromas comes a rather decent showing of a molasses as a bit of earthy hop.
Taste – The taste begins with a moderately roasty taste with some flavors of char and a little bit of smoke mixed within. Right from the start there is a light amount of molasses sweetness, that gets stronger as the taste advances. At the start there is also some flavors of an herbal and pine hop, with both of these flavors really amping up as the taste advances. Toward the very end a there is a little loss of the sweet and an increase in the dark with the mix of all that flavors that develop throughout leaving one with a nice dank and moderately roasty taste to linger on the tongue.
Mouthfeel – The body of the brew is medium in thickness and creaminess with a carbonation level that is rather average. For eth mix of dank, roast, and light sweet, the feel is rather nice and creates a crisp easy drinker that backs the tastes rather well.
Overall – A quite tasty and enjoyable black IPA with a good deal of dankness but at the same time well balanced and approachable. Quite a nice drinker overall.

Nov 04, 2020

GarrettB from Colorado

3.64/5  rDev -6.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Even the can acknowledges the nostalgia of the Black IPA style, and I'm glad they do. It's a good beer style, and a good beer. Opal black with a decent head, it has that familiar smell of pine tree, soil and hops. And the flavor is much the same, with a zippy carbonation and that Pacific Northwest flavor I've come to miss.

Jul 24, 2020

milkshakebeersucks from Maryland

3.87/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Solid black appearance with a dense, average size head and good lacing. Roasted malt aroma; notes of coffee and resinous hops. Strong malt presence up front, nicely balanced by an assortment of hop flavors that eventually dominate the aftertaste. Medium bodied, well carbonated mouthfeel, with a bitter, long lasting finish.

Jul 13, 2020

Peach63 from New York

4/5  rDev +2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours deep copper with a 1/2 inch tan head. Heavy lacing.

Aroma of roast malt, coffee, maple.

Taste is strong coffee, molasses, roast malts, maple.

Full bodied, light carbonation. Astringent. Semi-sweet, bitter finish.

As usual, Clown Shoes doesn't disappoint.

May 11, 2020

RMBraun from Louisiana

4.69/5  rDev +20.6%
look: 4.75 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75

Sooooo sad another porter/stout is biting the dust. This is good and unfortunately when I find a good stout or porter it is usually a single batch or small batch. Soooo sad this is retired.

Jan 25, 2020

Amendm from Rhode Island

4.35/5  rDev +11.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

A medium-strong pour from a 16-oz. can (11/18/19) yields a finger of light khaki foam with average retention and scattered blotches of lace. Opaque dark rosewood brown with deep red highlights.

Piney and herbal hops are matched by roasted barley in the smell. Faint coffee, bakers chocolate and toasted dark bread in the background.

The taste follows the smell closely with caramel malt breaking in. Neutral on sweetness and mildly bitter at first, IPA level pale malt and roasted malt blend perfectly. Bitterness (hops and roasted malt equally) rises to above average at the long finish as it dries with a faint alcohol astringency. The hop/roasted malt bitterness lingers a while with some pepper.

Medium-light body, expectedly well carbonated throughout. Balanced and smooth, becomes (almost) soft as it warms. Not as hoppy as the name implies, roasted bitterness does it's share adding to the overall balanced taste and feel.

Jan 19, 2020

SABERG from Massachusetts

4.1/5  rDev +5.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a 16 oz can dated 11/18/19, into the test glass
A - Black backdrop, hides all, the pour yields a wonderful off white froth, rings of lacing clings to the glass.
S - Pine forward, hints of toast malt, a bit of cocoa powder in the mix.
T - Follows the nose with little variation.
M - Medium in body, sweet start with a beautiful pivot to bitter side. quick to dry with hardly a linger
O - A good Black IPA, well balanced , flavorful and easy on the palate.

Jan 19, 2020

teromous from Virginia

3.52/5  rDev -9.5%
look: 5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

This appears to be a re-brew of the beer, because the can calls this a "Throwback Series." The ABV is the same as what is listed.

From the bottom of the can: "pkg 324 11/18/19 17:11"

Appearance: It has a dark brown body that has hints of black where there is shadow and deep, dark, red where light comes through. It has a massive, fluffy, dense khaki head with very good retention and lacing.

Aroma: It has a light bit of pine and a touch of burnt wood. It smells a bit like smoked ham too, but more smokey than meaty. There is a metallic aroma as the nose pulls away from the glass.

Taste: Up front there is bitter tasting carbon flavor, followed by a bit of pine and more burnt wood. It finishes a bit earthy with more pine and a touch of bitter tea leaf. At times there is a light bit of bitter chocolate but it only pops up between sips.

Mouthfeel: The beer is medium bodied with a strong bitterness that feels comprised of both grain and hops. Despite the bitterness the beer is very easy to drink.

Overall: It's a nice, strong, bitter beer. The aroma is a bit lacking and while the flavor doesn't taste the freshest it still has a nice quality to it. The high points for the beer are its potent, bitter delivery to the palate which simultaneously doesn't hinder drinkability. It wouldn't be my first Black IPA/American Black Ale to pick but it is better than a lot of ones over the years. I could drink it again.

Dec 31, 2019

stevoj from Idaho

3.25/5  rDev -16.5%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25

Fairly mild black IPA, despite the stout black body. Small creamy beige head, decent lacing. Faint roast grain aroma, taste has slight roast grain bite.Some lingering coffee bitterness, somewhat slick and slippery.

Mar 21, 2018

Lone_Freighter from Vermont

3.75/5  rDev -3.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

It poured a pitch black and had a body of the exact same color. A small off-white/tan two centimeter head appeared and lasted for a good minute. The body was too dark for any carbonation to be seen rising. Spider web lacing was seen spotting the sides of the glass. The smell was basically the coffee and the hops, combined very well. Some malts came in as the beer warmed. The taste had a creamy yet roasty coffee hoppiness to it. I’d say it was pretty good. The palate was about a medium to heavy with some creaminess coming through. Overall, this was a pretty good Black IPA.

Jun 22, 2017

Ciocanelu from Romania

4.2/5  rDev +8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

Really dark brown color with mocha head. Aroma is definitely on the hoppy side with nice resiny and earthy notes, but you also get some milk chocolate and coffee. Taste starts really balanced with the hoppy notes and also chocolate and roasted malt. Finish is even more roasty and bitter with some coffee notes as well. Medium, smooth feeling body with soft carbonation. I really enjoy black IPAs and this one is really well made and tasty.

May 31, 2016

gautch726 from Virginia

3.45/5  rDev -11.3%
look: 4.75 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.75

Pours a deep chocolate brown with a dark red hue. Comes lidded with a heavy, float-esque head that leaves behind a wealth of lace on your glass. Aroma is negligible with a bit of hops carrying as well as a bit of cinnamon. It has a creamy texture that turns rough as the flavors bite in. Hops, chocolate, cinnamon, more hops.

Apr 06, 2016