Welcome, friends, to another edition of Christmas in July Beer Reviews! Every year, I stash away some special winter and holiday brews to enjoy in my annual Christmas in July celebration. I even try to reserve a few new beers I’ve never had before, and to post reviews of same here on Guruofbrew.com.

One such beer is Clown Shoes Blaecorn Yuledragon, which I am trying for the first time and…wait what? I’ve had this beer before? I have indeed, I just never reviewed it. Well, at least we can rectify that situation.

Blaecorn Yuledragon was included with the 2022 12 Beers of Christmas sampler pack, and I drank it post haste on November 19^th of that year. I took the following tasting notes:

Blaecorn Yuledragon pours to a dark black (but not opaque) color with a medium head of creamy tan foam and a nose of dark roast and spicy nutmeg and cinnamon. Taking a sip, the beer is medium in body, and a little less than I expected there.  It’s not lacking on the spice though, nutmeg and hotball cinnamon and clove and a solid roastiness, too. Finishes dry with spice and roast. A little more body and this would be a 5 star beer, but 4 as it is.

That can was stamped Best by 01/31/24

Apparently, Blaecorn Yuledragon went over well, because it was included again in the 2023 Clown Shoes 12 Beers of Christmas pack.

Blaecorn Yuledragon is a variation on Blaecorn Unidragon Imperial Stout, another beer I have had but never reviewed. I can’t even find any tasting notes on it. I had better buy some more and fix that.

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.

Blaecorn Yuledragon is only available in the 12 Beers of Christmas Sampler. It has an alcohol content of 9% by volume and I paid $29.95 for the 12-pack. Parsed out over 12 cans that is $2.50 each, very reasonable for what is basically 12 singles. This can was stamped Best by 01/31/25.

My can pf 2023 Clown Shoes Blaecorn Yuledragon pours to a jet-black color with a thick creamy tan head and a nose of roast and cinnamon. Taking a sip the beer is rich and full in body, dark roasty with notes of chocolate pudding and bright spice. Cinnamon and nutmeg come to mind, cinnamon hotballs especially. I love the way the spice pops against the dry roast, and really dries out in the finish.

You could call this an imperial stout or a spice ale, I think the spice is really the star here, and it is a holiday brew, so I will lump it in the spiced ale category.

Beers of the 2023 Clown Shoes 12 Beers of Christmas:

Space Cake Double IPA

Galactica Dank Nebula West Coast IPA

Mad Perf Sesh Session IPA

Mango Kolsch

Tecoh’s Mexican Cerveza

Aurora Orangealis IPA w/orange zest

Coconut Sombrero Mexican Stout

One Man Holiday Belgian Quad

Reindeer Games Bavarian IPA

Blaecorn Yuledragon Spiced Imperial Stout

Royal Standard Wee Heavy

Burnt Caramel Brown Ale

Glad I tried it?  T

Would I rebuy it??