Does Ipswich, Massachusetts based mercury Brewing put gold in their Clown Shoes line of beers? I am beginning to think that they think they do. Their beer is a bit highly priced in bottles (though, to be fair, not outrageously so compared to some other craft brewers). That’s a bit curious to me since their Ipswich brews (Ipswich Ale for example) run about half as much as Clown Shoes beers in the bottle.
On draft, though, Clown Shoes really gets out of hand. A lot of their beers in the 6% to 7% alcohol by volume range still command $8 to $9 for an 11-ounce serving at my local Taco Mac-which is why I pass on them. They’re good, but they’re not good. You know, beers like Clown Shoes Genghis Pecan Pecan Pie Porter.
I did get to try Clown Shoes Genghis Pecan Pecan Pie Porter, but in the bottle rather than on tap. I paid $7.99 for it, which I guess is not so bad these days for a 22-ounce specialty brew. Genghis Pecan has an alcohol content of 7% by volume and is brewed with roasted pecans. From the label:
Our new Pecan Pie Porter no longer uses extract, but rather brown sugar and pecans roasted by friends at Q’s Nuts in Somerville, MA. Buddy Hadry, a rep at Bella Vista in PA, gave me the name for this beer, the second Pecan beer now that he has named. Thank you Buddy!
Clown Shoes Genghis Pecan Pecan Pie Porter pours to a jet black color with a moderate tan head formation and a soft roast and licorice nose, with definite pecan aroma. Taking a sip, I get more of the roast up front and then a lot more of the licorice. I love licorice so this is not a bad thing, and I am enjoying it. One small quibble: there’s no licorice in pecan pie, but there are pecans, and they don’t make an appearance here until the very last. It’s then that you get a little of their own unique nuttiness, but only a little. The beer finishes with more licorice and a roasty dryness.
This would have been better done as a brown ale, with brown sugar and pecans, the pecan pie suggestions might be a lot more prominent. To be fair, I’ve never had much luck getting nuttiness in nut beers, but if you’re going to brew one, I expect some nuttiness.
A good enough beer hedonistically, but probably not one I would pay eight bucks for again.
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
(D)=Draft
(G)=Growler