Trip In The Woods: Narwhal Imperial Stout (Aged In Red Wine Barrels)
Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.

From the 22oz corked and caged bottle - Stone IRS Snifter glass

Dark cola brown body topped off with a loosely fitted dark khaki foam froth that hugs the glass walls as it sinks back away into just a halo. Rich and decadent with a chocolate roast and cabernet character. There is a touch of smoky char to this and faint hints of coffee bean as well. The flavors develop more of the same with a pleasant blend of bitter chocolates, dark roasted malts, toasted oats/grains, red wine, and charred oak. There is some earthy spice hop elements and a moderate full body that sits frothy on the palate with a sleek feel. The red wine notes are bicely nuanced here, This is a real nice treat but I definitely prefer the Bourbon barrel treated Narwhal over this.

Appearance is cola like black and poured with 2+ fingers of spongy dark khaki head.

Aroma is roasted malt, bittersweet chocolate, oak and red wine . The wine barrel is pretty evident immediately. To me, the nose is the best part of the beer.

Taste is classic narwhal up front. But then the red wine takes over. It actually comes across as very tangy if that makes any sense. This is borderline too much barrel influence for me.

Feel is medium to light. It’s definately on the thinner side for my preferences.

Overall it’s a good barrel aged stout. I just think I’d prefer this in a rum or a bourbon barrel a lot more.

 

750ml cork & cage bottle poured into a snifter

A- pours deep black in color with a viscous body, one-finger khaki colored head dissipates completely

S- aroma is a nice balance of roasted malt and wine barrel. Charred malt opens up, along with some chocolate notes, followed by aromas of red wine, currants, black cherry & oaky vanilla

T- classic Narwhal taste up front, roasted charred, malt & chocolate. Mid-palate brings out immediate flavors from the red wine barrel; vinous red wine, dark cherries. The finish brings out plenty of oak, that adds an earthy tone, as well as some vanilla notes on the linger

M- medium-light body with low carbonation leads to a slightly foamy mouthfeel that continues into the finish, alcohol hidden well

O- the fruitiness of the wine barrel provides a nice contrast to the roasty nature of the base stout, very good

 

Thank you goingbrokeonbeer for this
750 ml bottle poured into a teku

A- Black with a two finger mocha head

S- Dark chocolate, dark fruits, red wine, some oak, touch of vanilla, hints of caramel malts, some roasted malts.

T- Dark chocolate, red wine, dark fruits, some roasted malts, some oak.

M- Smooth, medium to full body.

O- A solid stout, definitely can tell it’s red wine barrel aged.

 

 

 

 

03/26/2017

 

 

 

The beer pours a very bubbly brown head that dissipates very quickly and leaves nothing after it's gone. The beer itself is a dark black with an interestingly thin looking texture to it.

The smell is interesting and pretty nice. It's a good mixture of wine notes and the imperial stout notes as well. The wine notes consist of a nice berry note with wooden oak notes. The stout notes mainly consist of a nice dark chocolate note and lightly roasted malt notes that seem to get buried by the wine notes.

The taste is certainly interesting and good. It's a nice combination of a raspberry and currant tart with a hint of wooden oak barrels. The imperial stout notes mainly consists of the dark chocolate notes with a light roast malt and hop bitterness.

The feel is interesting. It's a heavy bodied beer but feels thin and slightly wine-like with a nice carbonated feel.

Overall, I think this one of those beers that could be forgettable but would be interesting when using the right glass. Still, I'd recommend having it at least once.

 

 

I don't see any bottle date. The listed ABV differs from the label: "ALC 10.5% BY VOL."

Appearance: The body is black. It has a thin light khaki head with a creamy texture. It fades out shortly after being poured and leaves a few wisps of small bubbles on the surface and a thin ring around the edge.

Aroma: It has a strong red wine aroma that pops out alongside a woody scent. It smells a bit like the aroma on a wine cork. It's not a strong scent but it is nice. A bit of nondescript alcohol is also in there.

Taste: There is a nice bit of charred wood and some light pine up front which is followed in turn by cocoa powder and a bit of alcohol. The finish has a light bitterness and just a touch more of that woody oak character. It's a very subtle beer.

Mouthfeel: The beer is nice and smooth with a light bitterness on the finish. Medium-full body leaning closer to medium. Alcohol is present but it does not impact drinkability.

Overall: While the beer lists that it is "aged in red wine barrels" the wine character really only showed up in the aroma. The oak from the barrels was present in both the aroma and flavor which was nice, and the base Narwhal beer really did benefit from this. It was enjoyable and it was well made but it just seemed to lack the depth that is expected from incorporating wine. While I wouldn't recommend it based on the premise of red wine alone, the beer was good enough that I would recommend it if you enjoy barrel aged Imperial Stouts. It's the age old story of a beer that is interesting enough to try once but doesn't demand a repeat.

First thing I want to say is that the version I am enjoying is labeled as being 10.5% but the bottle is the same as the one in the photo.

This beer looks incredible. Everything I want to see in a big stout. Great head retention along the edge of the glass with the head slowly disappearing in the center. No lacing to speak of.

Smell is damn good also! The wine / berry is the main aroma without a doubt. Some vanilla and a hint of cocoa in the background.

The taste is surprisingly balanced and a great combination. The red wine blends perfectly with the Narwhal and the flavors don't clash together whatsoever which is what I was most worried about. Vanilla, dark fruit, berries, and bitter chocolate. I really enjoy sweet beers and this is right up my alley.

The feel is not very thick for a barrel aged beer but isn't thin whatsoever. The wine barrel definitely adds some complexity to the drinkability of the beer.

Overall this is so much better than I expected. I bought this as part of a Barrel Aged Narwhal 3 pack with the three barrels being wine, bourbon, and rum. I was most worried about the wine barrel narwhal but all my worries were put to rest after the first sip of this.