Clown Shoes
Ipswich, Massachusetts
10.75% abv
1pt 6oz bottle
$14.99 a bottle
Imperial stout and Barleywine ale aged in bourbon and scotch
barrels
Appearance: black coffee body with just a rim shot of head;
syrupy legs drip on the glass with each sip; a nice little ¼ inch dark tan head
that dissipates to nothing in a split second when I poured my other glasses
from this big bottle
Aroma: the barleywine nose is front and center with all the
barrel aging notes intermingling; if you don’t like bourbon or scotch you won’t
go for this aroma; if you do – like me – you will thoroughly enjoy the nose;
you can play a guessing game with this aroma – “what do you detect?” – big rich
dark malts dominate; slight smoky note; honey; vanilla;
Flavors: yes it is boozy; sweet notes from the barleywine
shine; same for the bourbon and scotch; honey; vanilla; coconut; pink
peppercorn; dark roasted grains; medium dark roast coffee; dark caramel; 90%
dark chocolate like feel and dry bitterness; as the stout open up and warms up
a hint of oak; this reminds me of Glenmorangie 18 year old Single Malt Scotch
only with dark roasted malts in the mix;
Mouthfeel: a slight syrupy feel coats the palate; sweetness;
rich malts dominate; dry bitterness on the back; low-no carbonation gives it a
creamy feel followed by the syrupy feel; heavy body; a true sipper;
To the Point: Get your own glass – now – I mean NOW – this is
really top notch stuff here
