Oh my darling, oh my darling, oh my darling Clementine! Hey Clown Shoes Brewing of Boston, Massachusetts and Windsor, Vermont, I’ll bet you get that a lot over your Clementine White Ale. If those two locations seem familiar to you, that’s because they are brewery locations for Harpoon Brewing, which purchased Clown Shoes several years ago. I said at the time that this was a good fit, and I still think so. The quality of Clown Shoes beers has remained exceptional.

On to the Clementine White Ale. Though I am only reviewing the beer now in February of 2022 (thanks to it being the day 9 beer of the 2021 Clown Shoes 12 Beers of Christmas mixed pack), but Clementine White Ale is certainly no stranger to me. I’ve enjoyed it a few times before, including on tap at Taco Mac in September of 2013.

This was beer #425 in my Brewniversity studies then, and qualified me for a $50 gift card. I was enjoying it while watching a Patriots game, and neglected to take notes, caught up in the action as I was. I did rate it highly on Untapped all the same.

Clown Shoes does not currently have the beer listed on their website. On the can label, they call this a “white ale with coriander and other natural flavors”. The beer has an alcohol content of 5% by volume and I paid $24.99 for my 12-pack of 12-ounce cans at Sherlock’s. My can is stamped Best By 01/31/22.

Clown Shoes Clementine White Ale pours to a hazy yellow white color with a  thick fluffy white head and a nose of juicy orange and pungent coriander. Taking a sip, the beer is crisp and wheaty up front, white bread wheaty with immediate pungent coriander notes. Bitter oranges show up, then more of the very pungent coriander spice in the tart wheaty finish. That spice really dries the finish nicely.

An excellent witbier that is truly fierce with the spicing, and I love that. A beer I think that is overlooked, but should not be. I certainly will not make that mistake again.

This year’s ranking so far (based only upon my personal preference):

The Exorcist Dry Hopped Stout

Space Cake Double IPA

The Barista Breakfast Brown Ale

Clementine White Ale

Reindeer Games Bavarian Style India Pale Ale.

Space Cupcake India Pale Ale

Lil Crispy Crisp Ale

Glad I tried it?  T

Would I rebuy it??