Clown Shoes Muffin Top Belgian IPA at 10.5% ABV
Pours a clear copper with two fingers of fluffy off-white head diminishing gradually to a thin skim with moderate spotty lacing. Nose is pine resiny hops, pineapple, orange, apricot, caramel malt. Taste starts moderately sweet, then fruity, finishing citrusy and bitter. Mouth feel is medium- to heavy-bodied and chewy, with moderate carbonation and warming.
Not a tripel style at all, more of an double/imperial IPA: when I think Belgian tripel, I think lighter hop varieties, floral, banana or bubblegum, clove phenols, peppery spice. This has pretty much none of those, and instead is pine resin, tropical fruit, and sweet malt. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a fine DIPA, but I don’t see how it’s in any way a tripel. Malt is definitely present, but not overly emphatic, playing a nicely supporting role. A big beer, albeit not as heavy as might be expected from the ABV. But it’s not a tripel.
8/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com
