Sundae
Carton Brewing Company

SundaeSundae
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From:
Carton Brewing Company
 
New Jersey, United States
Style:
Russian Imperial Stout
ABV:
10%
Score:
95
Avg:
4.33 | pDev: 7.39%
Reviews:
15
Ratings:
51
Status:
Retired
Rated:
Jan 02, 2023
Added:
Apr 26, 2017
Wants:
  7
Gots:
  7
"Neapolitan Russian Imperial Stout Aged in Cognac Barrels with Walnuts and Maraschino cherries: 10% | IBU: 24 | SRM: 42

The first stride along this path was enough Super Galena in the middle of the boil leading a strawberry hop tone in vanilla and chocolate malt notes creating a Russian Imperial Stout with a different gait. The move to “let’s throw some Neapolitan ice cream in there and see what happens” isn’t a giant leap. Going from a big bold stout with chocolate vanilla and strawberry freeze dried ice cream to “brandied walnuts and a cherry on top right?” is actually a small step. Sundae is Cosmonaut put down in cognac barrels with maraschino cherries and walnuts for a year. Drink Sundae cause this one’s for you, Mr. Gorsky."
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by jgunther71:
Photo of jgunther71
Rated by jgunther71 from Illinois

4.5/5  rDev +3.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

May 20, 2017
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 4.02 by Taenim from Maine

Jan 02, 2023
 
Rated: 4.52 by hopley from Massachusetts

Oct 31, 2020
Photo of larryi86
Reviewed by larryi86 from Delaware

4.14/5  rDev -4.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
Thank you TheGent for this
12 oz can poured into a snifter

A- Black with a two finger mocha head.

S- Cherries, roasted malts, cognac, chocolate, some walnuts, oak.

T- Dark chocolate, roasted malts, cognac, oak, some strawberries and vanilla, touch of cherries and walnuts.

M- Smooth, full body.

O- Cognac is pretty big in this along with the stout base. I have been enjoying a few different Neapolitan stouts and this falls short of a lot of the others with delivering those ice cream flavors. The starting stout seems to be more bitter being a Russian Imperial Stout and I feel more of the ice cream flavors could have done better with a sweeter stout base.
Aug 19, 2020
Photo of IvoryFoxhole
Reviewed by IvoryFoxhole from Virginia

4.12/5  rDev -4.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
12 oz. can from early June, poured into Aslin anniversary glass and allowed to warm.

L: 1F or so light tan head with good retention, leaving lots of tan lacing and a cap and ring. Beer is pitch black.

S: A pretty good amount of cognac barrel with sour cherries coming through. Only faint whiffs of the sweetened base Cosmonaut stout.

T: Impressed by the transformation. You definitely get a good dose of the cognac bottle and the sour cherries and nuttiness really come through. The sweetness of Cosmonaut is almost gone, maybe erased too much. Not too much of the booze at the end, but you notice it.

F: Full-bodied. Slight carbonation. Construction is very good, but personally I think they overrode too much of the Cosmonaut and it's a little bit out of balance.

O: It's innovative and pretty good.
Jun 30, 2019
 
Rated: 4.71 by PDinunzi from New Jersey

Dec 09, 2018
 
Rated: 3.75 by macrosmatic from Florida

Nov 02, 2018
Photo of hoptheology
Reviewed by hoptheology from California

3.96/5  rDev -8.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Got in a trade. Canned quite awhile ago. We'll see how this pans out.

Poured into Crane snifter.

Deep black pour with a beige-brown ring of head about 1/2 finger tall.

Aromas are of chocolate and roast notes; and I get some of the marachino cherry as well. Some faint deep red wine notes.

Flavor starts off with a bitter roast char and slight piney/earthy hop, but then gains complexity as it swerves into hot fudge, marachino cherry, slight vanilla, slight strawberry, and some faint red wine, but what remains strongest is the piney hop just blasting through the whole profile.

Feel is tannic and clinging, with a biting carbonation to match. Medium-heavy body.

Overall, not really that impressed. I think if I'd had gotten a fresher can maybe these flavors wouldn't have fallen off so much.
Sep 02, 2018
 
Rated: 4.44 by NolaHopHead from Louisiana

Jul 11, 2018
 
Rated: 4.25 by cp45 from New Jersey

Jun 23, 2018
 
Rated: 4.24 by AZBeerDude72 from Arizona

Jun 11, 2018
 
Rated: 4.29 by Mikexw from New York

Jun 02, 2018
Photo of BEERchitect
Reviewed by BEERchitect from Kentucky

3.98/5  rDev -8.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
Perhaps the use of freeze dried ice cream wasn't enough to make brewers of Carton happy. So they take their Cosmonaut imperial stout and lay it down in a time capsule of cognac with marachino cherries to absorb all of that spicy, fruity, tangy and sweet wisdom into the stout for a taste that can only be described as sundae.

Jet black and layered with a solid brown froth, the ominous looking Sundae hits the nose with all things roasty, toasty and full of char. A spicy fortified wine tingle and wood spice come in quickly with the character of chocolate, strawberry and vanilla taking a backseat in scent. Carbonized sweetness carries a dry molasses, toffee and chocolate sweetness onto the tongue along with an inordinate amount of roast.

As the stout marches across the middle palate, it sheds the bulk of its sweetness and highlights the sharp roast, burnt toast, smoked chocolate, walnut and strong char. Any softer vanilla, cherry, strawberry, or milk chocolate flavors are subtle and only come through after the piquant spice of cognac, oak and toasted nuttiness begins to subside deep into the late palate. Bitter and a light acrid roast does much more than balance the sundae sweetness.

Full bodied on the palate overall, the sharpness and ash-like state of the beer links up with boozy spice for a drying sensation that would suggest a lighter body. Laced with bitter baker's chocolate and a campfire whimsy, the aftertaste is long, stubborn and prickly with vinous spice.
May 29, 2018
 
Rated: 4.35 by johnlatona from New Jersey

May 24, 2018
 
Rated: 4.29 by Vivs85 from New York

May 20, 2018
Photo of GuyFawkes
Reviewed by GuyFawkes from Illinois

3.5/5  rDev -19.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Canned 3/22/18; drank 5/17/18 @ the Yarchives.

Black appearance; champagne bubbles throughout.

A violent pour yielded a HUGE dark tan head; strong lace.

Fresh earth & faint strawberry notes in the nose.

Medium mouthfeel.

Fresh earth, mild caramel & faint strawberry flavors; no booze heat.

Thin & mild for the style; far from offensive but hardly worth the effort.
May 18, 2018
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Reviewed by deleted_user_995920

4.5/5  rDev +3.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Looks jet black, smell like maraschino cherries,chocolate,vanilla,berries. Taste is right on the nose. This is way better than Cosmonaut which was outstanding. Taste is like an ice cream sundae. But not too sweet. Feels like a perfect consistency, not too viscous or chewy. Overall this is a fun beer and brings back childhood memories of (Neapolitan ice cream , not beer.
May 09, 2018
 
Rated: 4.21 by sposter4 from Pennsylvania

May 06, 2018
Photo of Jsalz21
Reviewed by Jsalz21 from New Jersey

4.65/5  rDev +7.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5
Totally shocked to have been able to pick some up off a shelf that wasn't literally at the brewery. Anyways, canned 3/22/2018 nad poured into a snifter...

Pours a dark khaki/brown head and opaque black. Fittingly enough, almost like chocolate whipped cream in appearance.

Incredibly multifaceted nose. Dark fruit, sweet fruit and spirits notes. A little bit a chocolate and maybe sasparilla once it reaches room temp. It's very fragrant and captures a litany of aromas that lead into the tasting.

Very sweet cherry notes, dark malt and dark fruit, blended vanilla and chocolate and a dash of brandy, or at least what I interpret as brandy. Super delicious.

It's hard not to mistake this beer for one of lower abv, but at the same time it clearly is. It's very boozy feeling but is also a bit cloying in a good way. The cognac barrels have not made it feel all that tannic which is strange, but regardless it is pure fun drinking.

Might be my favorite Carton beer, but in regards to what Carton does, this one is only slightly off the beaten craft. A off-kilter spirit-barreled RIS is something I feel like I could expect from other breweries to a certain extent. I wouldn't however, expect them to be this good.
May 05, 2018
Photo of Werdna
Rated by Werdna from New Jersey

4.73/5  rDev +9.2%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
Cosmonaut is amazing and this is probably better. Get some while you can. Cherries and chocolate and cognac.
Apr 27, 2018
Sundae from Carton Brewing Company
Beer rating: 95 out of 100 with 51 ratings