Each week The Hop Hub will take a look at a selection of beer, grouped together by style, brewery, or reasons far more arbitrary. This week we look at three imperial stouts from Clown Shoes Beer.
I love a good imperial stout, and the folks at Clown Shoes Beer, who brew at the Mercury Brewing facilities in Ipswich, produce great examples of the strong, roasty style. But they don’t stop there. They’ve also blended two of their best, their Vampire Slayer (10% abv) and their bourbon-barrel aged Porcine Unidragon (12.5% abv), to make a terrifying (but delicious) behemoth of a beer they call Angry Beast (11% abv). This week, I decided to sit down with all three to compare, contrast, and admire their…err…monstrous label art. Really, does anything get you in a beer-drinkin’ mood faster than a half-unicorn/half-dragon killing a vampire? I didn’t think so. It’s like drinking an Iron Maiden album.
And on that note, let’s get started!
Appearance:
Vampire Slayer: Pitch black with a burnt orange glow when held up to the light. There’s a small caramel colored head that laces the glass as you drink.
Porcine Unidragon: Black as night. There is absolutely no light getting through this one. NASA may want to study it. There’s also a large bronze head that lingers and coats the sides of the glass.
Angry Beast: Believe it or not, this one’s black too, although it’s a little more transparent than the Porcine Unidragon. When held to the light there’s a nice chestnut outline. As with the Unidragon, there’s a significant bronze head that lingers.
Aroma:
Vampire Slayer: There’s a strong caramel maltiness with a hint of dark chocolate and vanilla. There’s a roastiness to it, along with a hint of booze.
Porcine Unidragon: Bourbon! Lots of bourbon. With some nice vanilla notes. Past that there’s a bit of caramel and chocolate.
Angry Beast: Prominent vanilla and caramel. There’s also a bourbon/corn aroma, although it’s not nearly as strong as in the Porcine Unidragon. There’s a bit of chocolate as well, just like the first two.
Taste:
Vampire Slayer: Bitter chocolate up front, followed by dark roasted coffee with a bit of caramel. It finishes with some warming alcohol and a tiny hint of dark fruit.
Porcine Unidragon: A touch of vanilla and caramel that’s quickly overcome by corn and significant bourbon flavor. It finishes boozy and with some bitterness.
Angry Beast: Whatever dark fruit was at the end of Vampire Slayer gets front and center here. The chemistry involved is a mystery, but I really don’t care, because it’s delicious. Cherries, figs, and raspberries are all there, along with some tasty dark chocolate. After the fruit there’s a bit of bitterness that leads into vanilla and…yup…there’s the bourbon. The end is warm but the actual booze is masked more than in the first two.
Mouthfeel:
Vampire Slayer: Smooth and creamy, but not too thick. It coats the tongue. There’s no carbonation to speak of.
Porcine Unidragon: Syrupy, thicker than the Vampire Slayer. This one coats your entire mouth. Also no noticeable carbonation.
Angry Beast: Fairly creamy, but dryer than the Vampire Slayer. The finish is syrupy like the Unidragon. It’s not necessarily from the carbonation, but the overall feel is sharper than the two beers that comprise it.
Overall:
This was a lot of fun. The Vampire Slayer is a great imperial stout, especially if you like your stouts more on the bitter side. I really enjoy the Porcine Unidragon as well, although if you’re not a fan of bourbon you may want to stay away, as the barrel aging imparts a strong taste of the whiskey. The Angry Beast was my favorite of the bunch. For whatever reason, blending the first two brings out a dark fruitiness that I love to find in stouts, and the more subdued bourbon flavor provides some nice length and complexity to the flavor profile.
Cheers!
The Hop Hub 