2011 ACBW Day #3: Clown Shoes - Tramp Stamp Belgian IPA

Clown Shoes – Brewed under contract by Ipswich Ale Brewery: Ipswich, MA
Tramp Stamp – Belgian IPA
7% ABV, 22 oz

This was probably my third beer by Clown Shoes, and I must say it’s coming awfully close to being my favorite beer by them. I reviewed their Hoppy Feet back in November, and tried their Eagle Claw Fist back in January or so, but the Tramp Stamp Belgian IPA was opened last night. Truthfully, I’m kind of indifferent to the name and label. Apparently there has been some buzz on Facebook over the name, and to me it’s more important what’s on the inside of the bottle, versus the outside.

With that being said, here are my notes:

The beer pours a dark pale orange hue. It’s pretty cloudy, but with a nice carbonation level. It has an ample and foamy orange head that dissipates fairly slowly. The aroma blends a nice balance of pronounced hop character with a malt background. It’s incredibly floral, with a mixed scent of Belgian yeast.

My initial thought on the flavor is that it was cool and crisp. But, then it produced a nice moderate hop punch on my taste buds, which I thoroughly enjoyed! It has a nice bitterness to the ending as well. It leaves awesome tracing on the glass as you continue to drink this very nice Belgian IPA. This particular bottle was towards the end of its peak freshness, but the Columbus, Amarillo, and Centennial hops aided in keeping this bottle fresh. Incredibly aromatic and flavorful!

The mouth feel on the B-IPA is full. But, this is a bold, robust IPA with a nice little Belgian yeast kick to it. There is nothing like a great blend of hop character, bitterness, and malt to make this hop head happy. Considering this is a 22 oz bomber, and 7% ABV, I’d say one and done with the Tramp Stamp. It’s good enough to put down yourself, or share it with a close friend.