Clown Shoes Eagle Claw Fist
Clown Shoes Brewing has been getting a good amount of press online over the past year or so. With their story and decidedly off-beat name, it’s easy to see why. Gregg Berman, the man behind the beer, started up the brewery (which currently contracts out its recipes to Mercury Brewing Co) after having fallen in love with the craft beer he was selling at his own shop. The result of his decision and passion is evident in the beers he’s produced thus far.
Eagle Claw Fist, my first introduction to Clown Shoes, is an Imperial Amber Ale that’s built off of a backbone of Canadian Two Row, English Crystal, and English Black Patent malt that is then hopped a good deal with a combination of Simcoe, Centennial, and Citra hops. This 8% ABV beer is definitely one of the more biting amber ales I’ve ever had and an impressive first beer with which to meet this small brewery.
A big Imperial Amber with a tone of hops.
Appearance
Eagle Claw Fist pours a dark amber with a copperish hue. The large, light tan head faded slowly to a thin ring around the surface.
Aroma
This amber has to have one of the hoppier noses I’ve ever encountered for this style. Piny, resinous hops with plenty of grapefruit combine with the caramel malt for a fairly balanced aroma that leans a bit more toward the hoppier side of things.
Taste
This is definitely an Imperial brew. The hops hit hard and often with a solid bitter bite that has a touch of an astringency. One hundred IBUs will most certainly do that as well as dry out your tongue a good bit with a lingering hop finish. There’s enough of the malts in the mix to distinguish this as an amber ale, but man, that’s a ton of hops. It’s certainly not your typical amber ale, and as such isn’t the most accessible beer in this style. The higher ABV doesn’t really present itself in the drinking process, but you’ll feel it in the end.
Overall
I do love me some hop bittereness, but there might just be a bit too much for this particular style of beer. Regardless of how overwhelmed the malt backbone may be, this is still a pretty tasty brew that may not really be for beginners — it packs a mean hop character.
Rating: 3.75/5