Undead Party Crasher
Clown Shoes

A 22 fl. oz. bomber, bottled on 12th February 2015. Poured into a snifter glass.

Appearance: Black in colour with a thin beige head that dissipated quickly while leaving some sparse lacing.

Aroma: Light roast, dark chocolate, coffee, dark fruit, prunes.

Taste: Chocolate, coffee, dark fruit, prunes, brown sugar, molasses, with a hint of char.

Mouthfeel: Medium to full bodied with soft carbonation.

Overall: Admittedly, held on to this much longer than expected, and it was slightly thinner than I’d hoped, but it was still a nice sipper.

Pours a jet black silky liquid, which forms a dark tan head that dissipates gradually. Aromas of roasted malt, coffee, chocolate. Taste is complex - chocolate and burnt sugar, roasted malts, coffee, and leaving a slightly bitter aftertaste. Some notes of the smoked hickory & ash, at the end. Faint but they add some character and lend the slightly smoky aftertaste. The malts and coffee/chocolate mixture elevate this beer. Medium body. Rich, not too sweet and with a bitter finish reminiscent of a RIS. A very well-composed imperial stout.

Black coffee brown it came from a pint can. With its modest and short-lived tan head, it fit inside a clear pint glass. Roasted malt is virtually the only smell. It's malty sweet, like any good AIS, with the roasted aspect combining with the hops to give it a bitter compliment. If the smoked hickory and ash contribute, it's in a nuanced way. Thankfully, that smoky inclusion doesn't overpower this nicely malted brew. This goes down like the very good good ones within its style do. There's sweetness up front and bitterness at the finish, all in a rich and smooth body. There's no glass lacing, but when something with this much ABV drinks so tastefully and smoothly, that makes no difference.

Pours a brownish black with a 2F creamy tan head with moderate lacing.

Smells of roasted malt and coffee.

Tastes of toasted malt, bitter coffee and dark chocolate. Has a bitter finish with a bit of sweet caramel.

Medium heavy body with light carbonation. Lush syrupy mouthfeel.

With so many imperial stouts tasting like canned cupcakes these days it's nice to run into a solid old school brew like this one.

 

Poured into a Belgian style snulip glass.

L: 4.5. A very nice looking Stout beer. Nice head retention. Opaque black body.
S: 3.75. Sugarcane. Roasted malt. Very sweet smelling. Chocolate becomes apparent as it warms.
T: 4.5. Complex. Bitterness on par with a Russian Imperial. Coffee. Chocolate. Licorice. Hops. Smokey aftertaste. Actually, very reminiscent of a whiskey.
F: 4 Medium to thick bodied. A bit harsh for the uninitiated.
O: 4.25. An excellent Imperial Stout.

 

 

Lots of entertaining can art and reading, Package date on a beer like this doesn't matter to me unless it seems off somehow.
This pours pitch black with glints of garnet in the mocha colored head that rose 2 inches and fell as quickly leaving a thick ring of lace above smears and specks glued to the glass.
Severely stout-ish aromas of steeped black grains, wood smoke and ash with sweet notes of maple, raisins and burnt sugar. Not as pungent and more subdued than some Imp Stouts but still encouraging with just a whiff of alcohol.
The flavor is balls on style + smoke. The smoked malt really lends character to the beer w/out taking over.
Tasty caramelized sugar sweetness mixes with the chalky, scorched grain dryness for balance while a tickle of boozy heft adds to the solid hop bite at the back end.
There is a lot going on here - refined and full bodied, complex stout flavors of dark malted grains, figs and sour cherries, wood, leather and grassy hop bitterness swirl in compliment and contrast with more campfire lingering on the finish, complete with a bit of ash.
Really a fine robust stout.

Ebony with a 1" tan head, which lasts. Moderate lacing.

Aroma is roast malt, smoke, coffee.

Taste is smoky, roast malt, coffee, slight sweetness.

Full body, light carbonation. Dry, astringent finish.

An excellent Imp Stout. A nice smokiness to it.

 

Poured into stemless bulb glass at around 55-65F. Packaged 1/18/21.

L: Very dark amber, appears black in the glass. Small tan head that mostly disappears quickly. A tiny head and lacing remains.

S: Cherry, oak, figs, coffee grounds, booze. No one smell dominates, lots of balanced complementary aromas.

T: Baker’s chocolate is at the forefront. Light but persistent coffee taste in the background with equal whiskey burn and taste. As it warms hints of cherry, oak, figs, citrus hops and brown sugar occasionally make appearances.

F: Big bodied, full, mean and creamy; similar to your shameful browsing history. All jokes aside this beer is the equivalent to a zombie sucker punching you in the teeth. In a good way. A strong whiskey burn somehow coincides with a strong creaminess.

O: A classic looking, mesmerizing smelling stout draws you in just to maul you with its taste. This is a beer I would only drink a couple times a year but it’s definitely a staple come mid fall. The artwork on the can is an added bonus.

Review 1696
Undead Party Crasher
Clown Shoes
Date: 27 July 2021
Imperial Stout
My first foray into Clown Shoes; should I be scared. I have wanted to try this beer for a while now. The artwork on the beer is frame-worthy; it is stellar. I used a tulip glass; the temperature was 46 degrees. A frothy and creamy two-fingered dark tan head with excellent retention. The slow dissipation left some lacing on the glass. The color charts around SRM 36, dark over-used motor oil brown. The beer is opaque. The appearance is excellent for this stout.
After I opened up the can, tons of chocolate and coffee emitted. My first smell, I got raisins, molasses, char, smoke, and tobacco. Nosing further, I detect figs, herbal, dark roasted malts, bready, vanilla, and leather. The malts in the beer are immense.
The flavors are smokey dark roasty malts, chocolate, dark coffee, raisin, molasses, char, burnt bread, vanilla, tobacco, leather, and floral.
The mouthfeel is dry and chewy. The body is heavy, has low carbonation, and has a delightful finish.
I love how they incorporate the smoke malts. This is what an imperial stout should be. The alcohol is well hidden in this enormous beer. A few issues; the malts are not rounded, and the balance is just a tad off-kilter. I feel the finish is just rough, giving you the brunt of the malt wallop. Overall a solid imperial stout, I am glad I got to consume it.

 

 

16oz can - 4 pack at a reasonable price.

Poured nicely - good head, carbonation and look. Very dark dark brown, really nice head.

Taste was very good, not exceptionally rich, but still very good. Slight nice dryness, good overall flavor. Definitely a bit of hoppiness.

Overall good, but not great.

 

 

2019 vintage (10% ABV). Poured from a 16 oz can into a Dogfish Head tulip

L: Nearly pitch black pour with big mocha brown head. Lasts awhile and leaves great lacing.

S: Rich and roasty. Coffee and cocoa.

T.F: Semi-sweet dark chocolate and roasted malts. Espresso, cream, and burned sugars. Modest roast bitterness for balance. Sticky on the tongue. Creamy carbonation and medium bodied. Complex roasty finish. Hides its booze.

O: Hits all the notes you're looking for in an Imperial Stout. Great flavor... perfect winter brew.