Darktime Vostok Slumber
Foreign Objects Beer Company

 

 

 

Foreign Objects Beer Co. "Darktime Vostok Slumber"
16 fl oz can coded "19-1050"
$6.49 @ Total Wine & More, Cherry Hill, NJ

Notes via stream of consciousness: So this is just an Imperial Stout? No coffee or Bourbon barrel aging or gimmicky stuff? Cool! It certainly looks like an Imperial stout, but that's easy. It smells like dark bittersweet chocolate with just a touch of an almost smoky roastiness in the background. On to the taste... well, it pretty much tastes like it smells. There's a light touch of apple-like fruitiness, and a hint of caramel and nuttiness, but that's about the extent of it. Ahhh, I guess there are some very mild leafy hops in there as well, but for the most part it's quite straightforward. The bitterness is moderate, and yet it's very nicely balanced and smooth - not at all sweet. On the other hand it's not that bitter either but I actually prefer it this way. So how strong is this? I'm only getting a suggestion of alcohol in the finish. 9.6 - that's pretty good then. In the mouth it's medium-full in body, and a gentle, fine-bubbled carbonation leaves it creamy-smooth. Overall I'm really liking this one. It's super easy to drink, and probably dangerously so. It's rich but not overly so, and yet very satisfying. It's also very cleanly fermented, without any harshness, and as noted, not a lot of alcohol showing. It could be bigger, more flavorful, and more powerful but there are already a lot of those on the market, so, no, I'll take this when I'm in the mood for it. It probably makes a great after-dinner beer, but it would most likely be good at almost anytime.
Review #7,008

 

Poured Batch #1 into a snifter and smelled the chocolate and malt aroma. This is just sweet enough. Some caramel and vanilla overtones. This isn't overly bold for an imperial stout but it's pretty decent.

A - Dark brown pour with thin toffee colored lacing.

S - Light spiciness, chocolate, light char and cream.

T - Chocolate malt, light char, milk cream sugar, and finishes balanced with a slight bit of alcohol warming on the back end.

M - Big, thick, creamy, and silky.

O - The best part of this beer is the lingering chocolate char. Overall - not much personality for an Imperial Stout.

L: Poured from a tallboy can to a pint glass. Had a dark brown / black color and a thick, opaque consistency. There was a quarter inch of foamy, tan-colored, somewhat long-lasting head. Not much lacing to speak of.

S: A decent, but not amazing, aroma of chocolate, malt, cream, coffee, and caramel.

T: Tasted of a bit of cream (very fleeting), a bit of caramel (quite sweet), some dark chocolate notes (could've used more), some malt (present throughout; a steady factor), and a hint of coffee, too. This is an okay flavor, but not a brilliant one. It seems to need a little bit of a boost in some ways. Still, not bad.

F: A fair amount of carbonation with a smooth finish. Medium-bodied.

O: Definitely an uneven beer, but it has some good attributes. Worth a look.

Batch #1. Poured from a can into a snifter glass, forming a finger of brown head that soon faded to a glassy surface. Deep brown/black color. Smells of barley with a bit of chocolate. Taste is slightly fruity, maybe raisin, barley with some chocolate in the background. A little bit sweet, not too much though. A bit of hoppiness, but also not much. Definitely tasty. Medium body with just a bit of carbonation. Enjoyed this fairly straightforward stout quite a bit, $5 a can isn't bad at all.

 

16 oz can poured into a snifter
Batch #1

Appearance
Pitch black. No light penetration. Short creamy brown head.

Nose
Roasted barley, charcoal, espresso, prune, raisin, cocoa, caramel, and cinnamon.

Taste
Roasted barley, charcoal, earth, and rye. Espresso, cocoa nib, and caramel. Prune juice, raisin, and caramel. Cinnamon and slight vanilla.

Mouthfeel
Medium-plus bodied, smooth, crisp, oily, sticky, and lightly bitter.

Overall
Loudly flavorful while maintaining a smooth approachability.