Clown Shoes Itasca Loonidragon Russian Imperial Stout

Clown Shoes Beer comes from the Mercury Brewing Company of Ipswich, Massachusetts. This is their Blaecorn Unidragon Stout aged in bourbon barrels. As a special release for their Minnesota customers, who apparently buy a lot of Clown Shoes, they called it Itasca Loonidragon and only released this one in Minnesota (the Loon is Minnesota's state bird and Itasca is a county, lake, and park in Minnesota, the park is at the Mississippi River headwaters). The beer clocks in at 14.5% ABV.

The beer pours a deep black. There is a relatively short head of tan, somewhat creamy, head. The aroma is sweet, chocolatey, with some light char and a tangy waff of bourbon. The taste is smooth, creamy, chocolate, bourbon, dark roasted malts and oak. There is sweetness in the deep malt and booze, but the oakiness brings a very dry finish. The beer drinks very rich and smooth, with a moderate bitterness on the finish, and some definite alcohol heat, very warming.