Cosmonaut
Carton Brewing Company

CosmonautCosmonaut
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From:
Carton Brewing Company
 
New Jersey, United States
Style:
Russian Imperial Stout
Ranked #360
ABV:
10%
Score:
90
Ranked #9,371
Avg:
4.03 | pDev: 8.44%
Reviews:
50
Ratings:
203
Status:
Active
Rated:
Jan 19, 2023
Added:
Feb 03, 2015
Wants:
  16
Gots:
  34
Super Galena hops early in the boil bring a strawberry touch. Russian imperial stouts have a dark chocolate presence with vanilla nuance; quite pleasing when accented by a bold hop addition. Our walk around this space had us skirting the territory of those three tone blocks of supermarket ice cream. All we needed was an ingredient you can ferment that would push those notions without running over the beer-ness of the flavors. We turned to that classic museum snack, freeze-dried Neapolitan ice cream. Drink Cosmonaut because exploration is what it’s all about.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by Moestavern:
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Rated by Moestavern from New Jersey

3.86/5  rDev -4.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Apr 16, 2017
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 4.56 by cafequaid from North Carolina

Jan 19, 2023
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Reviewed by Rug from Massachusetts

4.26/5  rDev +5.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
Canned 1/4/22

So after the run of Carton Cream Ales I went through, we’re moving on to other styles I picked up there. This one being equally weird as some of the others, a RIS brewed with freeze dried Neapolitan ice cream. Sounds very strange on paper, let’s see what the execution is like

Pours a very dark brown with 2 fingers of mocha head that fades to a thin cap and leaves decent lacing

The ice cream aspect of this is pretty subdued, like a pastry Stout of an earlier era that isn’t trying to be over the top. I’m picking up on aromas of cocoa powder, medium roast coffee, lightly smoked malt, creamy vanilla, brown sugar, dehydrated strawberry, and toffee

The ice cream is more evident (and oddly candy-like) in flavor, but still not in an overbearing way. On the front end of the sip I’m tasting dark chocolate, roasty malt, strawberry candy, sweet vanilla, toast, and light brown sugar. The swallow brings notes of strawberry ice cream, sweet vanilla, spent coffee beans, lightly smoked malt, cocoa powder dark cherry, and toast

A medium body pairs with gentle tingling carbonation, resulting in a surprisingly sharp and crisp beer for the style. Finishes mostly dry, not at all indicative of the abv

This one is really different and I enjoy it quite a bit. I’m really starting to see how unique Carton beers are
Feb 03, 2022
Photo of NeroFiddled
Reviewed by NeroFiddled from Pennsylvania

3.87/5  rDev -4%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Carton Brewing Co. "Cosmonaut"
12 fl. oz. can coded "JOURNEY BEGAN 01/04/21 START @ 50˚F". Sampled on 01/30/21.
$5.49 @ Total Wine & More, Cherry Hill, NJ

Notes via stream of consciousness: Once again I need to ask what is this? It's a Russian Imperial stout with freeze dried ice cream and spices. OK, that actually sounds kind of cool. It's 10% with 65 IBUs. I'm at 49.4˚F but that's close enough. It's poured the expected black body beneath a finger's width of mostly big bubbled tan foam. The head is dropping rather quickly... and now it's mostly gone. The aroma is roasty, toasty, a little candyish/sugary, chocolatey, and subtly fruity. The flavor is also quite roasty, and there is a weird kind of candyish character. I can only assume that's coming from the freeze dried ice cream and I have two thoughts on that. Number one, it doesn't really help the beer. In fact, I personally think it'd be better without it but maybe that's just me. Secondly, that's why this beer cost $5.49. Now I don't know how much that added to the cost of the beer overall, but I'd rather not have paid for it given that it doesn't seem to do much. Rant over, what else is there in the taste? There's some bittersweet dark chocolate, some fruitiness that's like strawberry, a solid bitterness, and a lot of earthiness and decaying vegetation. It finishes bitter and dry with some roastiness and a bit of the candy-like fruitiness sticking around. It's a little bit of a bumpy ride to be honest. In the mouth it's medium bodied but with a little bit of a dextrinous edge, and smooth with a limited carbonation. As I said before, I don't think that the freeze dried ice cream has done much for this, or at least nothing that other ingredients could have done, but at the same time it hasn't really hurt it so there's that. Forgetting about that it's an OK Russian Imperial in my mind, but far from great so I'm wondering why it's scored so high. I should also note that once the head dropped no lacing was left behind. In a standard beer that's one thing, but in a sugary Imperial stout that's a problem.
Review #7,760
Jan 31, 2022
 
Rated: 3.6 by Duncian from Pennsylvania

Oct 22, 2021
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Reviewed by fujindemon74 from Pennsylvania

4.76/5  rDev +18.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.75
L- pitch black

S- dark fruit, char, coffee roast

T- follows the nose, slight hip bitterness n the finish

F- overall medium body/mouthfeel

O- a tasty imperial stout punching above its weight class, would purchase again
Aug 29, 2021
 
Rated: 4.05 by Jdells09 from New Jersey

Mar 31, 2021
 
Rated: 4 by Patches826 from Massachusetts

Nov 16, 2020
Photo of WayneRooneyFan
Reviewed by WayneRooneyFan from New Jersey

4.1/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
After enjoying Carton Brewing's Cosmonaut countless times on draft, COVID-19 forced me to pivot towards the 12 oz. can version. While the usual elements of its Russian Imperial Stout stature stood out, the Neapolitan feature was slightly muted. That being said, I did sense more bitterness and enhanced spice flavors. This is not a typical sweet stout by any means, which is a good thing. Cosmonaut certainly stands on its own merits.
Apr 13, 2020
 
Rated: 4.29 by Curt3 from Ohio

Feb 24, 2020
 
Rated: 4.08 by BeerForMuscle from New Jersey

Feb 18, 2020
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Reviewed by ichorNet from Massachusetts

4.33/5  rDev +7.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
This is a really smart and inspired beer recipe if you've read the inspiration behind it, and I happen to love Neapolitan freeze-dried ice cream (got it very frequently at the Boston Museum of Science in my youth), so this seems like a match made in the cosmos. Let's dive right in to this immense space!

Pours a deep, dark, black hole-like color (okay, I'll cool it with the astronomy references now, I promise) topped with a moderate mocha head that lasts and lasts. Awesome legs on this one with great lacing to boot. Hey, it has superb surface coverage, too... this is one of the better looking imperial stouts I've seen in recent memory. Off to a great start with this one.

The nose is very forward on coffee, roasted malts, chocolate, and light notes of vanilla, though I guess I can detect a bit of strawberry from the Super Galena addition (I personally would have probably chosen to use Belma toward the end of the boil with a more-neutral bittering hop in the beginning, but I digress). Earthy, ashen notes and slight tobacco with a hint of spice in this one as well. It's definitely more of a RIS than any kind of "flavored stout" first, which is probably the safer and more widely-appealing way to go, though I have had a couple "Neapolitan ice cream" stouts that embody the elements of that confection better than this does. As a stout, though, this smells fantastic.

My first sip is definitely heavy on the bitter dark grains and roasty chocolate malt flavors, with some backing notes of toffee, burnt caramel, charred barley husks, and light fruity esters. The finish, in particular, is surprisingly smooth and contains some unusual (yet inviting) berry flavors, likely what they intended to accomplish with the freeze-dried ice cream addition. It's honestly really good, and, like I said; it's a stout first and foremost, and a flavored beer second. The base here is superbly well-crafted; heavy and dense with a moderated carbonation and light slickness through the finish. Vaguely dry and crisp as far as dark American strong beers go, though that's not to say it isn't heavy-bodied... it just feels a little more "fun" to drink than some other big stouts I've had recently. I would drink this again, for sure.
Feb 15, 2020
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Reviewed by Roguer from Connecticut

4/5  rDev -0.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
Huge, frothy head from a moderate pour. Good retention and excellent lacing.

Nose is fairly straightforward RIS; if the freeze-dried ice cream brings anything to the table, it's to tone down the harshness and bring out the sweeter, richer notes. Toffee, raisin, red grape, toast, burnt coffee, strawberry, vanilla, bitter Baker's chocolate, espresso, and brown sugar.

Presentation on the palate is similar, with familiar RIS tones reined in just a touch. Still bitter and roasty, in particular from the second third and through the finish. Definitely nicely sweet up front, but by no means a dessert stout.

Full bodied and smooth, with a little heat from the ABV; not exactly chewy-thick, but definitely still quite full bodied.

This comes across as one of the more approachable takes on an RIS, without seeming wild or gimmicky.
Nov 12, 2019
Photo of AyatollahGold
Reviewed by AyatollahGold from Indiana

4.27/5  rDev +6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
From a 12 oz. can into a Willi Becher style glass, this beer pours out dark brown with streams of highlights running throughout. It forms three fingers worth of tightly packed, light caramel colored bubbles that stick around with great retention. Heavy lacing as crown slowly recedes. 4.5

The nose carries in frozen strawberries tangling with silky chocolate and vanilla sweetness. 4.25

The taste brings in silky milk chocolate, bitter baker chocolate, vanilla sweetness and the touch of lingering strawberry ice cream throughout. 4.25

The mouthfeel is medium bodied, leaves some bitterness and roastiness behind. 4.25

Overall, a very interesting brew that was fun to try and worked out well. Fun, experimental brew with a traditional backbone.
Oct 27, 2019
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Rated by brutalfarce from Connecticut

4/5  rDev -0.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
Smells like neopalitan drinks lighter than expected heavy roast and neopalitan is muted but abv is hidden good stuff
Jul 09, 2019
 
Rated: 3.88 by tobelerone from New Jersey

May 24, 2019
 
Rated: 3.76 by newcastlemike from Connecticut

Mar 17, 2019
Photo of jzeilinger
Reviewed by jzeilinger from Pennsylvania

4.09/5  rDev +1.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
Many thanks to DEdesings57 for this beer!

A - Black pour with thin caramel colored lacing and lots of viscosity on the sides of the glass.

S - Dark chocolate, cinnamon, and light strawberry on the nose.

T - Dark chocolate and cocoa, strawberry, a hit of vanilla, and a little bit of booziness on the back side. Lingering roasted cocoa with light cocoa bitterness and a little bit of strawberry.

M - Thick and viscous with a healthy amount of dryness on the back of the tongue.

O - A rock solid Imperial Stout that's interesting and packed full of flavor.
Mar 17, 2019
Photo of Harrison8
Reviewed by Harrison8 from Missouri

4.01/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
Pours black with a finger and a half of khaki foam. Head retention is good. Aroma is roasty, toasty, nutty, caramel malts with bits and pieces of nutmeg, clove, cinnamon, strawberry and vanilla. Strawberry and vanilla give it a little bit of a Neapolitan ice cream aroma. Flavor profile is roasty, toasty, nutty, caramely malts in a very smooth blend. Strawberry, chocolate, very light vanilla bean and cinnamon and clove add to the hearty malt base, without adding a lot of sweetness. Balance is great. While the aroma is a little course, the flavor profile is smooth. Mouth feel is smooth and creamy with a medium-thick consistency. Thanks to the slightly thinner consistency and the creaminess, this beer goes down quick and smooth. Overall, a splendid stout with a little spicy and sweet variety in the mix.

Served in a 15.5oz Spiegalau tulip from a 12oz can.
Mar 10, 2019
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Reviewed by dacrza1 from New Jersey

4.19/5  rDev +4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
DATE: March 1, 2019... OCCASION: celebrating a fourth straight win in rec with Michael and Joey by watching the first Iron Man... GLASSWARE: Duvel snifter... this is quite a find on tap from the Liquor Factory... a jet black body holds an off-brown head, arching in waves and cloud smears...formidable if not awe-inspiring.... thick lactic milk sugars, chocolate nibs, sea brine, light charcoal, pear, apple, sudden sweet fruits, and a bit of syrup... this sips at an appreciable rate, smooth, rich, and substantial... although no bourbon is involved in this, a boozy experience is afforded... the peat is strong, as is the chocolate, coffee, and sweet lactic milk... the fruits round this into a drink beyond its initial bite... its strength overtakes the senses, with a winning, numbing confidence akin to something 80 proof... the "cashier" asked me if I liked this, though I didn't sample it--and I laughed: it's a Carton product--how far off from its genre could it be? And it wins with a thick drawl, a long aftertaste that holds throughout the glass... a dessertif that holds strong to its style, and provides heft with its 10+ ABV....
Mar 02, 2019
Cosmonaut from Carton Brewing Company
Beer rating: 90 out of 100 with 203 ratings