What is Ride the Lion?

A wee heavy (Scotch ale) from Clown Shoes Brewery, 11%, aged in bourbon barrels.

A murky mahogany pour that reads dark ruby red leaning brown, with little lacing and strong alcohol legs.

How did it smell and taste?

Bourbon up front with toffee, dark fruit, bourbon-soaked plum, raisin, and vanilla in the aroma; caramel, toffee, oak, a slight rye note, and sugared dark fruits in the flavor, with no barrel heat. Dangerously drinkable at 11%.

What was the verdict on Ride the Lion?

92/100 — a super good Wee Heavy worth picking up and aging a year or so to bring in more barrel flavors.

Who brews Ride the Lion?

Clown Shoes Brewery brews this 11% wee heavy Scotch ale and ages it in bourbon barrels.

Why did the reviewer pick it up?

It was affordable for a barrel aged beer, had drawn some great reviews, and was a style the reviewer had been wanting to try, so it served as a nightcap after finishing a big project.

How drinkable is it at 11%?

The reviewer found it dangerously drinkable because the barrel is smoothed so well into the wee heavy flavors that there is no alcohol heat at all.

Ride the Lion / Wee Heavy aged in Bourbon Barrels

📅 2014-10-25

Tasted and published in 2014. Recipes and availability change.

Clown Shoes Brewery | Ride the Lion Wee Heavy / Scotch Ale aged in bourbon barrels. (11%)

Hey ladies and gentlemen. Sorry I haven't reviewed a beer in quite some time, but I had a huge project due and just finished it last night, so I celebrated with this beer as a nightcap, and this is a beer I've been kinda wanting to try. It's rather affordable for a barrel aged beer, and I have heard some great reviews on this wee heavy style beer. So let's get this poured into a glass, and find out what it means to "Ride the Lion."

Pour: A murky mahogany color, looking almost like a light dark ruby red, almost brown color. It looks like a really nice Scotch ale. Very little lacing to this one, dissipating rather quickly. Alcohol legs are strong on this one. I can tell this is going to be a great beer just by the appearance. I'm kinda quick to judge, but I know a good beer when I see one.

Aroma: A very nice smell of bourbon, followed immediately by toffee, dark fruit, bourbon-soaked plum, raisin, and vanilla. I also get candied root beer, sugar-coated almonds too. It smells amazing.

Taste: This is really good. A solid amount of caramel flavor along with bourbon. No heat at all from the barrel; it's smoothed so well with the flavors of the wee heavy that it makes the beer dangerously drinkable at 11%. Lots of toffee, oak, a little bit of a rye note, and lots of sugared dark fruits. A very nice medium-bodied Wee Heavy.

Verdict: 92/100. Super good Wee

Heavy, and I recommend picking one up and aging it for a good year or so to bring in more barrel flavors. Cheers!

Key takeaways

Ride the Lion is an 11% wee heavy (Scotch ale) from Clown Shoes Brewery, aged in bourbon barrels.
It poured a murky mahogany that read dark ruby red leaning brown, with little lacing and strong alcohol legs.
The aroma leads with bourbon before toffee, dark fruit, bourbon-soaked plum, raisin, vanilla, candied root beer, and sugar-coated almonds.
Flavor is caramel and bourbon with no barrel heat, plus toffee, oak, a slight rye note, and lots of sugared dark fruits.
The reviewer called it dangerously drinkable at 11% and scored it 92/100.
Recommendation was to pick one up and age it for about a year to bring in more barrel flavors.

Frequently asked questions

What is Ride the Lion?: A wee heavy (Scotch ale) from Clown Shoes Brewery, 11%, aged in bourbon barrels.
How did it look?: A murky mahogany pour that reads dark ruby red leaning brown, with little lacing and strong alcohol legs.
How did it smell and taste?: Bourbon up front with toffee, dark fruit, bourbon-soaked plum, raisin, and vanilla in the aroma; caramel, toffee, oak, a slight rye note, and sugared dark fruits in the flavor, with no barrel heat. Dangerously drinkable at 11%.
What was the verdict on Ride the Lion?: 92/100 — a super good Wee Heavy worth picking up and aging a year or so to bring in more barrel flavors.
Who brews Ride the Lion?: Clown Shoes Brewery brews this 11% wee heavy Scotch ale and ages it in bourbon barrels.
Why did the reviewer pick it up?: It was affordable for a barrel aged beer, had drawn some great reviews, and was a style the reviewer had been wanting to try, so it served as a nightcap after finishing a big project.
How drinkable is it at 11%?: The reviewer found it dangerously drinkable because the barrel is smoothed so well into the wee heavy flavors that there is no alcohol heat at all.

Editorial note: grammar and clarity of the original 2014 quick-take were lightly corrected in 2026. Facts, opinions, and ratings are the author's own.