Clown Shoes Chocolate Sombrero

    Review Date 1/23/2014   Last Updated 12/16/2020   By John Staradumsky

Clown Shoes Chocolate Sombrero! You just made it to the big leagues! At least, if getting reviewed by a USA Today columnist is making it to the big leagues. Of course, making it to the big leagues is one thing; once you get there, everybody wants to hit a home run. And if you read Todd Haefer’s (USA Today’s “Beer Man”) take on Chocolate Sombrero, it looks like the beer only scored a base hit. You can read his review here if you like.

Of course, you’re not here for Todd’s thoughts, are you? No, you want the scoop from the brew guru, not the beer man. I have to tell you though, Todd’s thoughts turned out not to be all that dissimilar to my own, even if I don’t think he went far enough in his analysis. He started out on the wrong foot with me, you see, talking about his homebrewed chili beer and implied it was better (don’t do that, there’s nothing I can’t stand more than a homebrewer that always thinks they brew a better beer).

Things got better, of course, when he compared Clown Shoes Chocolate Sombrero to New Holland El Mole Ocho. I did the same thing myself. For my part, I think I preferred the El Mole Ocho, as it had more chili flavor. For its part, the Clown Shoes certainly has more chocolate and seems more an imperial stout. Both of them are tasty, mind you, but as a mole/chili beer….well just read on. My notes are coming up.

Clown Shoes Chocolate Sombrero is described on the label as a “Mexican-style chocolate stout”. The beer has an alcohol content of 9% by volume and I got a bottle for a reasonable $7.99. From the label:

Roasted dark malts plus extra chocolate malts plus ancho chile plus cinnamon plus vanilla extract plus a chocolate loving, beer drinking, Clown Shoes wearing, multi-limbed, gorgeous and glorious Mexican wrestler on the label. That’s the recipe for a Chocolate Sombrero!

Interestingly enough, no mention of actual chocolate here.

Clown Shoes Chocolate Sombrero pours to a jet black color with a thick, creamy head formation and an enticing chocolate and cinnamon nose. Taking a sip, the beer has a full-bodied luxurious chocolate palate with undertones of licorice, vanilla and cinnamon. It certainly plays the part of an imperial stout with spices. What I’m not getting is enough pepper, though. Sure, there’s a bit of peppery bite in the finish, and it does help to balance the beer and leaves a pleasant biting sensation on the tongue.

I think I’d like more pepper, though. In fact, I know I would, more pepper flavor as well as heat, and more cinnamon too. Other than that, though, this is quite a tasty brew, and one I would surely buy again. Now, I’m going to go you one better than our friend the Beer Man did and point you in the direction of the best mole beer I’ve come across to date: if you can find it. That beer is New Belgium Lips of Faith Cocoa Mole, and if you like Clown Shoes Chocolate Sombrero and New Holland El Mole Ocho, you’re simply gonna love the New Belgium take on the style. It’s so packed with hot ball candy like cinnamon, chocolate, and almost the perfect amount of chili flavor and heat.

Update 12/16/2020: Clown Shoes Chocolate Sombrero! You just made it to the big leagues! Again! At least, if getting included in the Clown Shoes 12 Beers of Christmas sampler is making it to the big leagues. I sure think it is, and in fact, that's the only way you can get the beer currently. It is exclusive to the sampler, at least for now. I paid $30.99 for the sampler at Total Wine, then later saw it at Sherlock's for six bucks less. It has an alcohol content of 9% by volume, and is stamped as Best By 01/31/22.

Clown Shoes says:

Soaring through the air with grace and fury, the Luchador descends. The multi-limbed warrior carries an elegance in the efficient manner with which he dispatches his foes. Plenty of action, style, and glory await you in this Mexican-Style Chocolate Stout. Sweet flavors blossom from additions of vanilla and cinnamon, while a spicy body gets it’s kick from ancho chile powder. Dark malt flavors provide a robust palette upon which one may don the Chocolate Sombrero.

And I say:

Clown Shoes Chocolate Sombrero pours to a jet black color with a thick creamy tan head and a nose full of cinnamon, chocolate, and spicy pepper. Taking a sip, the beer is medium in body and quite chocolaty, with marshmallow vanilla notes, cinnamon spice, and a bit of chili heat. The beer finishes spicy and delicious. Excellent!

Where would I rate this one in the 12-pack so far? I will say that I liked it even more than the first time I tried it, and bumped it up from 4 starts to 4 1/2. It was so good in fact that we have a new best beer in the sampler. They just keep getting better as they go along.

Chocolate Sombrero Mexican Style Chocolate Stout

Bubble Farm IPA

Clown Shoes Pecan Pie Porter

Royal Standard Wee Heavy

Space Cake Double IPA

Double Dry Hopped YeeeHaaw New England Style IPA

Reindeer Games Bavarian Style India Pale Ale

And remember, try a new beer today, and drink outside the box.

*Pricing data accurate at time of review or latest update. For reference only, based on actual price paid by reviewer.

(B)=Bottled, Canned

(D)=Draft

 

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