Clown Shoes Crasher in the Rye Review

Name: Clown Shoes Crasher in the Rye
Style: Imperial Stout
ABV: 11.5%

I've a new beer from Clown Shoes Brewing that I acquired last weekend while in the Twin Cities and I think it's a very interesting find. Clown Shoes has always been one to be creative with their releases (and their label artwork) but this one really caught my eye.

It's called Crasher in the Rye, a play on words of the book Catcher in the Rye, which many of us were forced to read during High School. This beer is described by the brewery as an Imperial Oatmeal Milk Stout aged in Rye & Bourbon Barrels.

Appearance - Pitch black with no visible carbonation. The head takes on a thick, creamy brown appearance with tons of lacing along the sides of the glass.

Aroma - Strong vanilla & oak notes with an equally strong chocolate maltiness and oatmeal notes. The rye spiciness is also quite strong here as well and it encompasses the flavor

Taste - Strong chocolate maltiness, oakiness, and roasted barley in the front of the palate. The back end of the palate consists of strong vanilla sweetness, bitter hoppiness and rye spiciness, all of which become more prevalent as it warms up. The aftertaste is mainly oak notes, rye, bitter hoppiness and light vanilla sweetness. On top of that, there is no booziness to speak of whatsoever.

Overall, this is a fantastic beer! There is a ton going on in the flavor, which is both unique and flavorful. I'll admit I was a tiny bit skeptical about an Imperial Oatmeal Milk Stout Aged in Rye & Bourbon Barrels but it works out wonderfully! I know Clown Shoes isn't available in all 50 states so if you have access to this in your area, this is absolutely worth checking out!

Clown Shoes Crasher in the Rye - 9.5/10