Clown Shoes Tramp Stamp

September 17, 2010

Score 3.5 stars out of 5

Mercury Brewing Co., Ipswich, MA.   Bought at Spec’s Liquor in Katy, TX and drink at home in Katy, TX while watching the NASCAR Nationwide series race from Chicago on TV.  I spent the morning shopping for groceries while Patricia studied accounting.  This week I shopped at Kroger’s store on Fry Road in Katy and found most of what I needed except for wine, so I drove the Flying Carpet up Fry Road to Spec’s to buy Peter Vella Merlot.  While in Spec’s I saw this beer in the cooler so thought I would reward myself with a nice beer for the afternoon.    

web site: http://www.clownshoesbeer.com/tramp/
facebook: http://www.facebook.com/clownshoesbeer#!/clownshoesbeer?sk=info

Facebook says Clown Shoes was “Founded in December 2009 by beer lovers trying to make work fun again, Clown Shoes has been redefining what craft beer should be. We strive to add our own little creative twists on under-represented styles and styles in need of change.”  It appears that the guy who owns Clown Shoes – Greg Berman – has great ideas for beer recipes and gets Mercury Brewing Co in Ipswich, MA to brew and bottle the beers for him.  Greg then markets the beer.

Of this particular beer, the web site says “Like a stamp on a tramp, this beer is about not so subtle seduction. Soft but complex malts, Chambly yeast, sweet orange peel, Columbus, Amarillo, and Centennial hops have merged to create a bodacious Belgian IPA.” 7% ABV

The beer poured nicely and produced a nice head though it stayed cloudy through the drinking.  I enjoyed the taste; it was almost like a good English bitter with an aftertaste that lingered on the back of my tongue for some time. 

The 83 people who drank this beer at RateBeer.com were quite impressed: (http://www.ratebeer.com/beer/clown-shoes-tramp-stamp/138548/ )  They gave it a score of 3.57 which puts it in the 95^th percentile overall and the 92^nd percentile for its style of India Pale Ale (IPA).

The 135 people who have rated this beer at BeerAdvocate.com thought the same.  They gave it a score of 4.03 which equates to a A- = excellent (http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/22951/65325   )