Clown Shoes Ride The Wendigo Review

Name: Clown Shoes Ride The Wendigo
Style: Scotch Ale
ABV: 11%

Clown Shoes loves to show love to its target markets every so often, which come in the form of state-exclusive beers. Earlier this year, I reviewed Bill vs. The Mosquitoes, which was a Minnesota-exclusive beer from the brewery. Now it's a few months later and they have dropped their latest MN-only beer in the form of Ride The Wendigo, a scotch ale that has been aged for 10 months in Pierre Ferrand Cognac barrels. These are the same brand of barrels used for their Pierre Ferrand Billionaire Barleywine.

The label itself depicts a lass clad in tartan riding through Minneapolis' Sculpture Garden fighting off mutated badgers whilst riding atop a hulking creature known as a Wendigo. So what the hell is a Wendigo? Well the ever reliable Wikipedia has kindly provided us with a description:

The Wendigo is part of the traditional belief systems of various Buffalo people in the northern United States and Canada, most notably the Ojibwe and Saulteaux, the Cree, the Naskapi, and the Innu people. lthough descriptions varied somewhat, common to all these cultures was the conception of Wendigos as malevolent, cannibalistic, supernatural beings (manitous) of great spiritual power. They were strongly associated with the winter, the north, and coldness, as well as with famine and starvation

Basil Johnston, an Ojibwe teacher and scholar from Ontario, gives one description of how wendigos were viewed: The Wendigo was gaunt to the point of emaciation, its desiccated skin pulled tautly over its bones. With its bones pushing out against its skin, its complexion the ash gray of death, and its eyes pushed back deep into their sockets, the Wendigo looked like a gaunt skeleton recently disinterred from the grave. What lips it had were tattered and bloody. Unclean and suffering from suppurations of the flesh, the Wendigo gave off a strange and eerie odor of decay and decomposition, of death and corruption.

That relates to Minnesota culture.....I guess? I can understand Itasca Loonidragon and the Mosquitoes but..............you know what, let's just roll with it and check out the beer!

Appearance - Very dark brown color with a red tinge along the sides of the glass. There really isn't too much in terms of visible carbonation, along the the head and lacing, the former of which fades away completely a few moments after the initial pour.

Aroma - Strong smoked peated scotch notes with some caramel maltiness. I'm getting some potent oakiness here along with some vanilla notes and an encompassing smokiness.

Taste - Pungent dark fruit notes like plums paired with some vanilla sweetness upfront, followed by some oak and peated scotch. On the back of the palate is where some of those plum notes start to reappear along with that peated scotch flavor. It's worth noting that it has an overall very rich quality to it. The aftertaste, however, is made up of rum raisins and oak.

I haven't had a bad beer from Clown Shoes yet and this beer continues that trend. The barrel aging aspect does feel a bit underwhelming for what it is but it doesn't take away from the fact that it is quite tasty. It's a nice, rich and robust scotch ale that any seasoned fan of the style will no doubt fall in love with.

Clown Shoes Ride The Wendigo - 9/10

Clown Shoes Pierre Ferrand Billionaire Review

Name: Clown Shoes Pierre Ferrand Billionaire
Style: Barleywine
ABV: 12%
IBUs: N/A

Clown Shoes has become a regular visitor on my blog as of late, but the beer we have here is something that I've really been looking forward to having ever since I first heard about it a few months back and that doesn't happen too often.

Today I'll be reviewing Clown Shoe's Pierre Ferrand Billionaire, which is an English-Style Barleywine. What makes this beer so unique is that it was aged for 6 months in 30 year old Pierre Ferrand barrels, which is a brand of cognac. I'd be lying if I said that I didn't have high expectations for this beer because......well I do. I recall seeing another Billionaire release from Clown Shoes last year on store shelves but that was just aged in regular cognac barrels.

Appearance - A very hazy dark brown color with a moderate amount of visible carbonation along the sides of the glass. The head is about a finger in width and has a light khaki hue to it and some decent lacing.

Aroma - Strong raisin, vanilla, and oak notes followed by some plum/blackberry fruitness. I'm also getting a hefty caramelized malt base, some bitter hoppiness and even some light tobacco notes. It goes without saying that the nose has quite a bit of character to it.

Taste - Right away I'm getting some vibrant plum & blackberry fruitness, followed by, in no particular order: vanilla, oak, raisins, a strong caramel backbone, and a siazble bitter-resin hop profile. The aftertaste consists of vanilla, caramel, and bitter hops; All of which linger on the palate for quite a while.

I have to say this is quite fantastic and there's a ton going on here in the overall flavor. If there is one thing holding it back from being perfect, I'd have to say that the flavors could've been layered a little better instead of seemingly come together all at once. Even with that in mind, this is one of the best barleywines that I've ever had and the best barrel-aged one to come along yet!

Clown Shoes Pierre Ferrand Billionaire - 9.75/10

Clown Shoes Bill vs. The Mosquitos Review

Name: Clown Shoes Bill vs. The Mosquitoes
Style: White IPA
ABV: 7.5%
IBUs: N/A

Even though Clown Shoes Brewing isn't exactly a local brewery in our neck of the woods, they still manage to give shoutouts to the areas in which they sell their beer, usually in the form of limited release beers for the said states. Which brings us to today's beer: Bill vs. The Mosquitoes, a Belgian-style White IPA which was released by Clown Shoes exclusively for Minnesota

For those not familiar with Minnesota culture, the mosquito has been dubbed the Unofficial State Bird of Minnesota, due to the fact that during the summer months, they seem to be everywhere and more so than pretty much anywhere else in the Northern part of the United States. Which is why there is a dude (who I assume is Bill) in a makeshift suit battling dog-sized mosquitoes in downtown Bemidji, where the Paul Bunyan & Babe the Blue Ox statues are found, which you see in the background.

Since I feel my photo doesn't do the label justice, I'll post the actual label itself at the end of this review to give you an idea of what I'm talking about.

Appearance - Mild-to-moderately hazy bright orange color with no visible carbonation. The head fairly foamy and white in appearance before settling to a thin film but there isn't any lacing to speak of.

Aroma - Orange peel and citrus hop notes, followed immediately but some light hop bitterness. I'm also picking up on some malted wheat notes, a bit of grapefruitiness thrown in for good measure and some Belgian yeasts in the back to help balance things out.

Taste - Citrus hop, orange peel and pungent grapefruit notes, followed by some Belgian yeast notes. Right after that is some pale maltiness, malted wheat sweetness, bitter hops and some light cloves on the end of the palate.

This beer is meant to be a love letter of sorts to the Minnesota craft drinking crowd and it does so both in the style & cultural department quite well. If you live in Minnesota, it's certainly good enough to warrant a purchase. Plus it's a good, albeit, stronger summer seasonal beer.

Clown Shoes Bill vs. The Mosquitos  - 8.5/10

Clown Shoes Undead Party Crasher Review

Name: Clown Shoes Undead Party Crasher
Style: Imperial Stout
ABV: 10%
IBUs: N/A

Today I've got another beer from Clown Shoes Brewing called Undead Party Crasher, which is an Imperial Stout Brewed with hickory, ash and holy water. And no, I'm not making this up. I couldn't even if I tried!

So why the oddball combination, you ask? Well, originally this was called Vampire Slayer until a trademark lawsuit came up and the brewery threatened legal action over the trademark infraction, with a trademark lawyer leading the charge against them. Long story, short: Clown Shoes was forced to change the name to what is now Undead Party Crasher. The new label shows a guy impaling a werewolf with the banner "Welcome, Trademark Attorneys!" above it. How subtle....

Appearance - Pitch black with a light amount of visible carbonation along the sides of the glass. The head takes on a thin brown look with some good lacing.

Aroma - Chocolate malts, mild smokiness & oak, along with some mild floral hoppiness. Yes, there's even some light ash in here too which strangely goes along with everything else Though I'm not picking up on the holy water though, maybe it's time to get my nose checked.

Taste - Smokey & Chocolate malt forward, followed by some oak & vanilla notes with some roastiness and light floral hop-like sweetness on the back end of the flavor. It's worth noting that this definitely gets sweeter as it warms up.

It doesn't do anything I haven't already seen in an Imperial Stout and the addition of hickory, ash, and holy water aspects are mostly novel at best. However I'd be lying if I said I didn't enjoy this and there's no reason any seasoned Imperial Stout fan wouldn't enjoy this either

Clown Shoes Undead Party Crasher - 8.5/10

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

Clown Shoes Chocolate Sombrero Review

Name: Clown Shoes Chocolate Sombrero 
Style: Imperial Stout
ABV: 9%

Today I've got a beer from Clown Shoes Brewing with the unusual name of Chocolate Sombrero, which is described as a Mexican-Style Chocolate Stout. This a beer that is brewed with chocolate (duh!), ancho chilis, cinnamon, and vanilla. I've been a bit hesitant to try this out because my history with chili beers hasn't exactly been the best but I'm approaching this one with an open mind because it's from Clown Shoes and I've heard some very good things about this beer.

I also want to add that of all the breweries out there, this brewery makes my favorite label artwork, most of which I consider to be funny and/or creative. Each of these labels also incorporate a pair of clown shoes in the said artwork. With that said, I love the illustration of a four-armed luchador running from 2 chili peppers with mustaches brandishing guns.

Appearance - Pitch black color with a mild amount of carbonation climbing up the sides of the glass. The head takes on a nice & foamy khaki-colored look with some very abundant carbonation.

Aroma - Chocolate malts and cinnamon dominate the front of the nose. I'm also picking up on some light spicy notes paired with some vanilla sweetness and there's even a decent amount of hops in the nose as well.

Taste - Strong Chocolate malts & moderate cinnamon notes are at the center stage of the flavor, much like in the nose. However the roasted barley and vanilla sweetness are also in here too towards the back and the same goes for the mild hoppiness. As for the chilis, they're there but they're quite mild and are most noticeable in the back of the palate where I am picking up on some light heat. Aside from that, this is a very chocolate-y tasting beer.

If there's one complaint I have, it's that I didn't try this out sooner because I think this is an excellent beer. The chili aspect in particular is not only very well controlled but it works in synchronicity with the other flavors at work here. If you've had bad experiences with chili beers before, this is a beer that will no doubt change your mind about them. As for the rest of us, it's an excellent beer that is worth checking out.

Clown Shoes Chocolate Sombrero - 9.25/10

Clown Shoes Blaecorn Unidragon Review

Name: Clown Shoes Blaecorn Unidragon
Style: Russian Imperial Stout
ABV: 12.5%

It's high time I did a Clown Shoes beer review. I believe they started popping up late last year in stores when I was still living in Minneapolis. While I have had Clown Shoes quite a few times, I've never done a proper review. Right now, it's availability in Minnesota is limited to Minneapolis/St. Paul as it's currently not available up here in Duluth....but it IS available right across the bridge over in Superior, Wisconsin (Keyport Liquor for those wondering!)

Tonight we're having their Blaecorn Unidragon Russian Imperial Stout. The name is a portmanteau of the phrases "Soul Dragon" & "Black Unicorn" though I think that Blaecorn Unidragon sounds like a monster you would fight in a Final Fantasy video game. Also the artwork looks like something Boris Vallejo would paint after watching an episode of Game of Thrones.

Blaecorn Unidragon pours a black opaque color with a filmy brown head. The lacing on the sides of the glass is pretty good and it has a small amount of carbonation visible.

The aroma is fairly mild by Imperial Stout standards with roasted malts, chocolate, barley and cocoa nibs. Subdued but still quite noticeable.

The flavor starts out with a strong chocolate molasses taste, followed by roasted malts, some strong piney hops, and a slight vanilla flavor. The aftertaste is a weird one with both chocolate AND bitter piney hoppiness.

Both the body weight and carbonation are moderately leveled and there's also a slight thickness to the overall mouthfeel.

While some may not like the higher-than-normal hoppiness here, it's still a fairly rich & robust Imperial Stout that tastes great and is not afraid to be a little different. Check this one out if it's available in your area.

Clown Shoes Blaecorn Unidragon - 9/10