Russian Imperial Stouts, to be exact.
This one is local to MA. I'd be lying if I said I knew much about Clown Shoes beer. Their beer appears to be brewed by Mercury Brewing in Ipswich, but its not an Ipswich Beer.
Clown Shoes "Blaecorn Unidragon" photo by Bill |
Clown Shoes Beer (brewed by Mercury Brewing, Ipswich, MA)
12.5% ABV
The bottle describes the beer, and the name, thusly-
"What should we call our Russian Imperial Stout? Black Unicorn? Soul Dragon? Nahhh. Let's combine them and create the ultimate mythical creature: Blaecorn Unidragon!
Imbued with a monstrous amount of dark malt and aggressive hops, Blaecorn Unidragon is a powerful and complex brew designed to improve with age"
My particular bottle was not aged, as I am not that patient. It was bottled on 10/11 and consumed on 1/19.
Smell is intense- equal parts alcohol, hops, and dark roasted malt, it's a blend of smokey earthiness and alcohol.
Mouth feel is thick and creamy, velvety smooth, with just a touch of carbonation.
Taste is surprisingly hop forward- bitter hops greets the tongue, followed by an wash of alcohol, then the intense roasted malts on the follow through. I get a touch of licorice and smokiness, maybe bitter chocolate, but its subtle. Finish is slightly bitter and smokey.
I found this to be an ultra aggressive take on the style. The prominence of the hops give it a more East India Porter taste (much like Pretty Things EIP) , but with the mouth feel and lesser carbonation of a stout. The alcohol almost overpowers the smokey goodness of the dark roasted malts.
I enjoyed it, however, and would cautiously recommend this brew to Russian Imperial Stout lovers who have a designated driver or are enjoying it at home.