Sierra Nevada Narwhal - Barrel-Aged
Barrel-Aged Narwhal is our deliciously dark Imperial Stout aged in Kentucky bourbon barrels. Barrel aging is a strange science; it mellows some characteristics of the original beer while intensifying others. Narwhal’s aggressive roastiness has calmed, but the rich, chocolate-like malt backbone is brought to the fore. Black as midnight, this intense stout is complex with notes of cocoa and espresso balanced with hints of vanilla and toasted coconut from the oak casks. Nearly as rare as it’s nautical namesake, try Barrel-Aged Narwhal while you can because like the creature itself, it will soon dive into the depths and leave nary a trace behind.
4
562 reviews
Chico, United States
Community reviews
Blikje, bij de lokale Plus gevonden. Verbazingwekkend, maar ik klaag niet. Vanillegeurtje met wat roast en een beetje bourbon. Bolle body waarbij de alcohol niet vergeten is. Drop, eikenhout, beetje tabak. Caramel, vanille en, jawel! Bourbon. Je proef de alcohol, maar zoals gezegd: ik klaag niet.
Can. A black beer with a beige head. Aroma and flavour of malt, caramel, wood, chocolate, bourbon, alcohol and swetness.
1 pint can. Pours black with moderate bubbly tan head. Atomas chocolate nougat, dark berries, bourbon, cinnamon, root beer and soft roasted malts. Flavors of booze, acidic woody dark fruit, nutty chocolate and roasted malts. Flavors did not live up to expectations. Disappointing.
Can at home, 11th November 22. Pours a black beast. Aroma is soy, liquorice, cocoa and barrel, wood. Taste is liquorice, cocoa, barrel and wood, bourbon and vanilla, coffee beans, smooth and delicious. Great beer
Boom. Nonsense juice. An almost elite level (CBS) stout.
Black with a large foamy brown head that left decent lacing. Strong whiskey with roasty malt, floral hops, anise and cocoa. Long whiskey finish. Moderately full bodied.
Dose 0,473l (Beyond Beer-Adventskalender): Schwarz, kräftige Trübung, kräftiger mittelporiger brauner Schaum; sehr würzige + kräftig malzige Nase, kräftige Süße, dezente Hopfenaromen, leichte fruchtige Säure, dunkle/eingelegte/getrocknete Früchte, Röstaromen, Röstmalz, Getreide, dunkles Karamell, Vanille, Nüsse, Kakao, dunkle Schokolade, voluminös, Fassaromen, Tannine, dezente Whiskynoten; sehr würziger + kräftig malziger Körper, kräftige Süße, komplex/voluminös, dezente trockene Hopfennoten, eingelegte/getrocknete Früchte, kräftige Röstaromen, Röstmalz, Malzzucker, dunkles Karamell, sehr cremig, dezente Kohlensäure, kräftig Vanille, Nüsse, Kaffee, Kakao, würzige Fassaromen; trocken-würziger Nachgang
Dark brown, almost black with a chocolate milk colored head. Malted milk ball nose. Sweet with some bitter and a hint of sour. Chocolate, alcohol and oak notes predominate, slight vanilla and coconut.
Can from market street wine in Charlottesville. Sweet and soy nose, flavor is a bit sweet and very nice complexity. Low bitterness. Smooth vanilla bourbon notes, doesn't taste like a twelve percenter, really awesome.
Appearance is black, with a foamy/fizzy tan head which settles. Aroma is lots of chocolate, coffee, oak, bourbon, vanilla, burnt treacle, dark malt, overdone fruitcake, oaky wood. Taste is coffee, dark fudgy malt, vanilla, chocolate, earthy woody malt, sweet chocolate, burnt dark fruit, caramel, bourbon, boozy fruit, rich dark chocolate. Rich and full, lots of barrel in this. Very good.
Dark brown color. Thin head. Slight bourbon flavor which mellows the bitter coffee of a stout. Easy drinking for an 11.9%.
For me, the original Narwhal is easily one of the top imperial stouts I’ve tried so I have high hopes for this.
Lovely aroma with wood, vanilla and bourbon. Medium body, perhaps a bit thin, with light carbonation. Bourbon comes through quite strong but very pleasant. Finish is long, with roasty black espresso and high cacao chocolate. Superbly crafted and delicious but overall can’t improve on the base beer Narwhal.
Dåse: Sort øl med let skumhoved. Ikke olieret, men tør i udseendet. Duften er bourbon, mne ikke altdominerende. Der er stadig en god del kaffe i øllen. Smagen er igen vanilje fra Bourbon, kaffe men ikke for megen sødme da øllen er tør. Rigtig god balance.
Great stout.
Tall can, drank on 4/25/22. Darkest brown pour with a medium tan head. Aroma of malt, chocolate, roast, caramel, licorice and bourbon. Malty and chocolatey flavor with caramel and licorice before a bourbon and roast finish.
Black with medium creamy beige head. Slight roasted aroma. Good bitterness with roasted grain notes.
Expected much more. Smooth taste without the complexity I favor in other quality barrel aged Imperial Stouts. Drinkable but far from memorable
Can. SN UK online shop. Pours pretty much black. Sits heavy with a slim ring of tan. Nose is quality. Demerara sugar. Well roasted coffee bean. Dark chocolate. Vanilla. Orange peel. Sawn wood. Taste has some sweetness at first, with a robust coffee bean bitterness. Smooth as you like with fine carbonation. Lingering bitterness to finish.
Black pour, small tan head. Character of Dark chocolate, vanilla, and booze. Very nice!
From backlog as not published earlier. Opaque black color with tanned head. Aroma has roasted malt, vanilla, sweet fruits and chocolate. Taste is malty sweet with long sweet aftertaste. Flavors of caramel, sweet fruits, vanilla, chocolate and roasted malt.
Pots black with thin tan head. Aromas of oat and molasses. Medium to heavy body. Nice maltiness offset by light to medium bitterness. Oak flavors throughout. Chocolate finish.
Dark pour, frothy head. Bourbon, cocoa and coffee discernible on the nose. Cocoa and bourbon are really strong here. Bordering on too sweet, but not quite. The bourbon isn’t too strong in this one. Very subtle. Coffee comes out as it warms.
25-FEB-2022, can @home, from Systembolaget Hansa.
Black with a low tan head. Aroma is Bourbon, licorice, chocolate.
Taste the same plus molasses, and tar.
Sweet, bitter, soft carbonation. Very good.
Pours jet black with a tan head. Aroma is heavy bourbon, some coffee, chocolate. Taste chocolate up front, bourbon coming in fast, sweet, bitterness building as it goes into a nice long semi bitter finish, the bourbon forward chocolate carrying on throughout. Medium to full bodied, medium carbonation. Awesome.
Pours only black with a compact head that hills very well; dark chocolate fruitcake and oak on the nose; rich, chewy, creamy palate with lingering finish
Black with a lasting off-white head. Roasted aroma with chocolate and coffee, along with dried fruit, oak and a touch of booze. Sweetish and smooth roasted flavour with well balanced barrel character.
Can to tulip glass. Dusted cocoa, coffee and vanilla barrel. Black with brown head. Flavor is massive chocolate, bourbon barrel and chocolate. Sweetness retains long.
Can.
Pours pitch black with creamy pale chocolate head. Bourbon and dark chocolate on nose. Bit of booze. Taste of dark chocolate, roasted malts, bourbon, dried plums maybe. Warming alcohol. Great sipper.
Creamy light brown head left a cover on a still black body.
Bourbon, malt & port aroma.
Medium bodied, tingly over the tongue with a clean back.
Big boozy tastes with port, oak, bourbon, woody & syrup tastes with bitter citrus finish.
Now that is a big sipper.
Can, shared by Chris M. Pours black. Chocolate, espresso, biscuit, liquorice, bourbon, chocolate biscuit. Medium body. Good.