And the Valley Drinks: Clown Shoes' Blaecorn UniDragon

One of the cooler things about the craft beer revolution of the last few years, is that breweries continue to come up with some awesome names for their awesome brews. NOLA has their Hopitoulas and MechaHopZilla IPAs. Cigar City Brewing out of Tampa has brews like Jai Alai, Tocobaga and Guava Grove.

But the coolest names (and logos) definitely come from Clown Shoes Brewing, out of Ipswitch, Mass. Undead Party Crasher. Tramp Stamp. Hammer of the Holy. Muffin Top. Galactica. Or this week's entry in our beer reviews -- Blaecorn Unidragon:

This is Blaecorn Unidragon made with Beechwood Smoked malt, which adds a natural meaty note (there is no actual meat in the brew). Aged 100% in bourbon barrels. Little piggies run, squeal to the heavens: Clown Shoes wishes you luck.

It's a seasonal that is only available in 22-ounce bomber bottles. It's an American Imperial Stout aged in bourbon barrels, and at 12.5 percent alcohol by volume it'll knock you on your ass if you don't watch yourself while enjoying it (this is true of any barrel-aged beer -- they pick up extra alcohol from the residue).

Review:

This is a dark, dark beer. Rich on the pour and with a thick brown head. It's got a really rich, mocha bouquet that really hits you on the front end. It dissolves to that roasted coffee flavor of most American stouts, and finishes with a sweet combination of that maltiness and the sweetness of the bourbon, with just a bit of that bourbon burn. It's not at all a session beer due to the heaviness and the high ABV, but the 22-oz bottle is basically the perfect amount. This one gets five stars out of five, and is definitely one of the best stouts I've ever had.