Clown Shoes Beer Space Cake #7 American IPA at 7.77% ABV (US$5.99 at Specs Main Houston, 650 ml, bottle date 28-Nov-2016, acquired 8-Mar-2017, reviewed 10-Mar-2017)
Appearance: slightly hazy pale amber with two fingers of loose off-white head diminishing gradually to a thin cap, moderate chunky lacing. (4/5) Aroma: pithy citrus, pine, caramel malt. (8/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate-high bitter. (8/10) Palate: medium slightly oily body, moderate carbonation, lingering bitter finish. (4/5)
I last had Space Cake a couplethree years ago, but had to avail myself of the special 7th anniversary edition, even if the 7.77% ABV is a bit of a step down from the prior 9%. (And by the way, I’m such a naïf that I didn’t even know that “space cakes” refer to cannabis edibles until today.) Checking my notes, it doesn’t seem much different than the last version I had, even though this is hopped with no fewer than seven different varieties: Centennial, Citra, Ella, Galaxy, Idaho 7, Mosaic, and Nelson Sauvin. The choices of Galaxy and Idaho 7 seem obvious given the name, of course, and the typical starts-with-C varieties play well with the Mosaic, with no catty or onion notes coming out. Can’t say I’m getting a lot of the white wine character I usually associate with Nelson Sauvin, though. And, just like the namesake, I can’t find the IBU rating, though it must be fair-to-middlin’ high. Another solid performer from Clown Shoes. (16/20)
8/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com
