Clown Shoes Hoppy Feet Black Ale, Ipswich, MA.
Hey, I've heard about this Clown Shoes business, and guess what? Now, we're getting it. Here's Hoppy Feet Black India Pale Ale (black and pale, eh?), Mercury Brewing Company, Ipswich, MA. 7% ABV.
Dark brown, just about black, beautiful creamy tan head, lace-leaving. Gorgeous brew.
Aroma: grassy hops, subsumed by rich, deep malt. Hints of cocoa, spots of coffee.
Taste: more of that on the tongue, the depth of the dark malt, with the high hops on top. Nicely roasted malt character, riddled with hop bitterness, up an down, and back of the throat. Flavor continues, never quite quits. Gets brighter and brighter, hoppier and hoppier. Stays long through the finish.
The battle continues, and a question arises. Did this style arise out of need or necessity, was it a desire to produce something great, new, & intriguing? Or did people tire of porters, and demand they get hopped up, or else? I'm still asking.
Smooth, rich and malty mashes up with leafy, green, and hoppy. Bitter much? Just enough.
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