Tramp Stamp – Clown Shoes

7% ABV
Purchased at Taylor’s Market ($11.99/4-pack of 12-oz. bottles) and poured into tulip glasses.

This Belgian IPA from Ipswich, Massachussetts-based brewery Clown Shoes pours burnt orange with a minimal white head.  Tramp Stamp gives off a nose of sweet farmhouse funk, lemon, hay, and some stone fruits.  It offers a decent hop presence on the first swallow, but that quickly subsides into a Belgian yeast-heavy finish that absolutely refuses to vacate the palate.  The lingering aftertaste is rubbery, metallic, and altogether unpleasant, completely overwhelming the promising IPA flavors on the front end.  A successful “Belgian IPA” requires a certain balance of flavors, and although we have enjoyed other beers from Clown Shoes (like their delicious tripel Muffin Top and their  stout Chocolate Sombrero), this one completely misses the mark.

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