It’s the final four beers in the Clown Shoes Beer 12 Beers of Christmas mixed pack reviewed! I drank these four last since they were among the strongest, with potentially the strongest flavors (yes, I somewhat categorized by strength and style as I went). All in all, this was a fun pack to review, with more hits than misses, and if it comes back next holiday season (I suspect it will) it could make a nice gift for people who enjoy beer.

You can read the first four reviews here, and the next four here.

Royal Standard Wee Heavy

I’m always a fan of Scottish styled ales, particularly strong ones, so I was looking forward to trying Royal Standard, which weighs in at 8% ABV. The description says:

Descended from a notorious clan of Scottish lore, Head Brewer Dan Lipke channeled the Tartan Tapestry encoded in his DNA to create a formidable Wee Heavy Ale.

Brewed with Scottish Golden Promise barley malt, Royal Standard’s deep, malty fullness leads to a hint of floral tenderness. Ask yourself, “who needs a reason to ride the lion?”

Appearance: Amber-colored and translucent. Choppy off-white head that didn’t last long, fell to a minimum presence.

Smell: Sweetly malty with notes of honey and caramel malts with a hint of brown sugar syrup. There’s some floral alcohol and offers some fig, plum, rock candy. No hops to note.

Taste: Sweet scone maltiness with a creamy note that reminds me of whipped honey, with a bit of sweet herb. Light boozy note, not “hot” but present, as a prickly note on the palate. Really not much of a hop presence to speak of; not much balance against the sweetness, there’s a light herbal note but not much else.

Mouthfeel: Medium-full body, with a sweet though not cloying finish.

Overall: Not bad, but it needs some balance against the sweet character.

Coconut Sombrero Mexican-style Stout

I think the brewery’s “Sombrero” series are a line of flavored Mexican-style stouts (presumably, a stout infused with chili and cinnamon and possibly chocolate), with the coconut part of this one being fairly obvious. (There’s also a pumpkin edition so, you know, I’m probably going to have to beg the brewery to try that one!)

Coconut Sombrero is 7% ABV, brewed with coconut flavor (according to the label) and vanilla. Description:

You can take the luchador out of the ring but you can’t take the fight out of the luchador. Even on vacation, luchadors all want a shot at the champ.

This variation of our Mexican-Style Stout adds coconut flavor into the mix for a smooth and sweet seasonal twist alongside the classic dark roasted and chocolate malt flavors that define our Sombrero series.

Appearance: Dark brown, a bit like dirty motor oil, opaque. Creamy light brown head, kind of cappuccino foam looking.

Smell: Roasty stout with sweetly toasted coconut aroma, and a touch of vanilla and chocolate. Subtle almost sharp note that’s slightly artificial (coconut flavoring/syrup?). Hint of heat but mellown.

Taste: Smooth and dark, with subtle coffee and dark chocolate flavors kissed by a hint of char, with a light bloom of chili-like heat at the back. Coconut is subtle. It’s got maybe a touch of sponge cake, but not “pastry” as stouts go.

Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied, perhaps a touch thin, with roast and subtle spice in the finish.

Overall: It’s much more subtle than I expected.

One Man Holiday Belgian-style Quadrupel

One Man Holiday, the name speaks for itself. At 8% ABV it seems a bit light for a Belgian-style quad… it could pass as a dubbel… but it’s a quibble. (Quibble, dubbel, quadrupel…) The description says:

There are one man bands aplenty, but we know of just one individual who is a one man holiday. His name: Panglowicus. He embraces all holidays except July 4th, when it is often too hot to drink a Quad. Also, there was that time he was riding Rudolph and a bottle rocket set his pink silk suit aflame. Panglowicus and Clown Shoes wish you joy in…whatever the heck you are celebrating!

Appearance: Hazy amber with orange highlights when held to the light. Off-white/clotted cream head.

Smell: Candi-caramel aromas with Belgian yeast markers (hints of spices, very light band aid phenolics), a hint of (maraschino) cherry, brown sugar.

Taste: Phenolic-y with some spice character, grainy notes with some wheaty chaff, dried grass, dried fruits, caramel, cherry bark, woody clove, a lightly spicy alcoholic warmth.

Mouthfeel: Medium-full body, a bit of phenolics into the finish with a touch of sweetness.

Overall: It’s fine, nothing wrong here, but perhaps it’s a bit heavy on the phenolics and I’d like a drier finish.

Blaecorn Yuledragon Spiced Imperial Stout

The “spiced” part of this beer isn’t clear other than “holiday spices” so I assume it has ones like cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, ginger, and such. At 9% ABV it’s a nice “finale” beer to the 12 Beers pack, and a good one to finish an evening with. The description:

What should we call our holiday spiced imperial stout? Black Krampicorn? Samhain Dragon? Nahhhh. Let’s combine them and create the ultimate holiday mythical creature: Blaecorn Yuledragon!

Imbued with a monstrous amount of dark malt and aggressive hops, Blaecorn Yuledragon is a powerful and complex brew designed to improve with age.

Appearance: Black and opaque, with a creamy-bubbly tan head, like cappuccino foam. Great legs and lacing.

Smell: Winter spices, like chili-chocolate with cinnamon, allspice, black pepper, cloves. There’s cocoa, some dark roast coffee, alcohol head with a touch of molasses and Mexican hot chocolate.

Taste: Deep roasty and earthy notes with cocoa and bark, quite dark, bitter chocolate and spices that are a little woody with heat to them. Some complex brown sugar with cinnamon sticks. Alcohol gets a bit floral as it warms with some cherry bark and coffee beans.

Mouthfeel: Medium-full body with a fair amount of earthy spice in the finish.

Overall: Fun with a bunch of woody character.