Somnambula
Jaws Brewery

 

 

Am I the only one who sees irony in a Russian brewery making an Imperial strength British stout? My hat's off to Jaws!

Tasted from a 500 ml bottle after an impulse buy based on BA reviews. I was not disappointed, especially since this was probably my first tasting of a Russian beer. I also bought it at a Knightly Spirits in Orlando, like Nerofiddled did.

Black, opaque appearance, although it appears clean and clear at the edges. Not much head, but a nice, light tan ring around the glass and lacing made of extremely fine bubbles. Aromas are nice, but not very assertive; coffee, low chocolate, plums, smoky, charred oak in the background. Flavors are of course malt-focused, but lean toward prune, plum and stone fruit, rather than chocolate and espresso, although those are there at lower levels. Some low oak and smoke, especially in the finish. No yeast or hops character in the flavors. Body a bit thin and carbonation is very subtle, but probably appropriate for an English style. Moderate hops and roast bitterness. Alcohol burn seems about right for the ABV.

A very enjoyable sipping beer. The oatmeal does not make itself known to me the way I'd expect, and the roasted "stout" character is a bit lacking, but tasty nonetheless.

Jaws Brewery "Somnambula"
500 ml brown glass bottle, "Date of bottling: 05.04.2017" and sampled on 12.23.2018
$5.99 @ Knightly Spirits O.B.T., Orlando, FL

Notes via stream of consciousness: So the Jaws Brewery, eh? AND they're from Russia! Who ever heard of a Russian craft brewer? I guess everyone's keeping up. So, this is an oatmeal stout at 8% abv. It's poured the expected opaque black body beneath an inch and a half of tan foam that's slowly dwindled down to a thin but solid surface covering. Some lacing is left where the head once was. The aroma displays coffee, nutty and roasty, and a little bit of spice. It's not the brightest coffee aroma but I have to keep in mind that this bottle is over a year old. On to the flavor... the coffee remains although there is a little bit of 'green pepper' to it as well. That's what the spiciness in the aroma was. That's OK, it's to be expected in an older coffee beer, and it's not really that bad. I've had worse in younger beers; and to be honest, knowing where that 'green pepper' is coming from seems to make it all alright. There's more to it though. It's got some caramel nougat to it, a dollop of golden caramel, plenty of light milk chocolate and cocoa powder, some underlying dark fruitiness that's mainly like raisin, and a soft, ashen roastiness. I'd say it's a pretty solid oatmeal stout that's very British in character. A median bitterness balances it and it finishes dry with the ashen roastiness lingering steadily. It's a little like a chocolate covered espresso bean. The alcohol never shows and really doesn't even give it that overhanging "this is a strong" beer impression. Is it really 8%? Because it seems more like 5; this could be dangerous. Looking back, the head has now dropped to a standard collar but there's still plenty of solid lace going around the glass. Nice. In the mouth it's medium bodied and remarkably smooth with a very fine-bubbled, seemingly natural carbonation although it's not; this is definitely a filtered beer. I took a chance on this knowing that it was a bit long in the tooth and it paid off.
Review# 6,410

 

 

500 ml bottle, bottled on 28.11.2016. Served in a snifter, the beer pours dark brown/black with about a half inch tan head that stayed around a little while. There's also a decent amount of lacing. The brew smells like roasted malt, chocolate, coffee, cream and oats. It tastes pretty much just like the aroma, but with also the addition of a hint of dark fruitiness too. Mouthfeel/body is medium, it's a bit coating with a moderate amount of carbonation. It's also smooth and easy enough to drink. I thought it was a good overall oatmilk stout, I liked it. $3.99 a bottle.

 

20% extract, opaque blaque, 2-finger beige retention, good head.
Cocoa nose, roasted smell, creamy.
Taste follows the smell - coffee, cream, chocolate, some oat roundness.
Medium body, mild carbonation, balanced and terrific.