Barrel-Aged Narwhal
Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.

 

 

 

Poured stout black and sported a 1 inch light brown head that left little lacing. Looked very nice.
The taste led with raisins and plums and a little cherry all wrapped in chocolate, then the bready base malts carried on. Notes of oak, worn leather and bourbon finished the swallow.
The feel is very appropriate for the style; light viscosity and though there was no lack of head the carbonation was not prominent.
OA, excellent BA imperial stout.

 

16oz tallboy can purchased at Rocket Market, high atop Spokane's South Hill, for around $6. According to the stamp on the bottom of the can, this was canned on December 13, 2024.

Poured into the glass, this was a stygian black, even when held up to direct light. Big, mocha colored head that had decent staying power for a beer that's practically 12% alcohol.

Rich smelling, surprisingly sweet and chocolaty for a bba beer. After warming up a bit, the expected bourbon barrel aromas come out to play.

Roasty, boozy, sweet are all words that could be used to describe the flavor, pretty much all at the same time. This is a really luxuriously melded beer, taste wise. What's particularly nice is that, while there's definitely some alcohol heat here, it's way down in the mix for something canned roughly six weeks ago.

Body seems a little bit thin for the style, but it's nowhere near being a deal breaker. Fairly creamy mouth feel.

Really nice BBA imperial stout that is ready to drink, but could also be set aside for a year or two, if you can wait that long. I think I might go back and grab a couple more for aging purposes.

Three inches of light chestnut foam turns to pancake batter as it settles to one half inch over five minutes. Ultimately a thick collar frames the shiny black beer that allows no light to pass. Spotty lace is particularly interesting on a Pretentious Glass Company "Malti II" pint glass.

The aroma opens with pleasant booziness from the barrel aging. Roasted malt and chocolate quickly come to the forefront, while blackberries and licorice provide counterpoints. Warmth brings out a combination of light pitch and smoke.

The flavor is similar to the nose, with barrel aging and charred malt up front. It is bittersweet. The licorice starts mild then builds to strong. The finish is long and boozy. Rye whisky and charred malt ultimately share equal footing.

Light, prickly carbonation adds to the coarse cotton texture. The full body helps to control the arm alcohol as expected.

I enjoyed this as an afternoon relaxation and found that it goes well with football on a bitterly cold afternoon.

Copenhagen 23/12 2022. 47,3 cl can from Meny, Nordens Plads, Frb. F. Black and gold can with a whale exploring the depths.

Pours opaque, dark brown with a mid-sized beige head. Settles a thin, flimsy, almost transparent layer of foam struggling to cover the surface of the beer. No lacing.

Aroma is medium intense with a sweet, sugary, malty odor mingling with sweet dark alcohol. Brown sugar, toffee and caramel. Touch of something earthy. Bourbon and alcohol saturated wood.

Light carbonation. Thick, oily, soft, slightly viscous, lightly tingling texture.

Flavor is intense with a strong sweetness followed by a moderately strong bitterness. Aftertaste is sweet with a searing boozy touch. Lingering. Finish is sweet alcohol.

Potent and boozy whale.

A 16oz. can dated 11/01/24 poured in a 12oz. snifter for the review.

Look- Pours a medium thick dark brown producing a little finger of tan foam. I'm impressed with the head retention.

Smell- Bourbon, cocoa powder, coffee, roast.

Taste- Bourbon, dark roast coffee, bakers chocolate, mild char, a hint of vanilla and a woody finish.

Feel- Medium viscosity, creamy and warming.

Overall still a solid barrel aged stout after many years. Can't beat the price at under $20/4 pack out here in Colorado. No nonsense straight barrel goodness!

 

Poured from a 16oz can dated 12/08/23 into a stemmed glass. Kept at or below cellar temperature for about a year.
Look: From certain angles, it catches the light and flows a deep brown, but make no mistake--this beer appears an opaque jet black in the glass, with a khaki brown head that slowly dissipates to lace the glass's outer edge.
Smell: Powerful notes of boozy bourbon are about the only scents my nose can pick out. It's appetizing (perhaps intoxicating?), but not very complex.
Taste: This is where layers start to take shape. The expected bourbon faire is accompanied by a grape port-esque note that I enjoy a good bit; these give way to roasted dark chocolate on the backend. There's even a sweetness here that's hard to pinpoint (possibly vanilla or coconut from the barrel, as the can suggests), although it turns into more of an ethanol punch as the beer warms.
Feel: A little thin for my liking, although I tend to enjoy thicker and heavier stouts. Note that it is a Russian imperial.
Overall: Definitely a step above regular Narwhal, it may not be my favorite barrel-aged beer, but I can't help but give this classic the respect it's due.

Poured from a 16 ounce can dated 4/27/2022 into a snifter glass.
L - Pours a black color with a tan head that dissipates quickly.
S - Smells of booze, chocolate and cherries.
T - Tastes of dark chocolate, vanilla and booze.
F - Full bodied and lightly carbonated.
O - Very tasty stout.

 

 

 

Smooth vanilla bourbon overlays the coffee and chocolate flavors of the base stout. Barrel makes it a velvety delight to sip

Canned 5/9/2023. Drank 5/27/2024. Poured from a 16oz can into a snifter. Many years ago I chased this beer but with the tremendous variety of options available these days this beer just doesn't compete. Thin. Chocolate and light roast but nothing great.

 

Thick, oily, black pour, small khaki head leaves behind just a hint of lace. Booze, chocolate, vanilla. Taste matches the aroma, molasses, coffee and chocolate. I realy enjoyed this, hope to see it again.

L:
-pours the darkest of brown with no light coming through and a small-to-medium,quickly dissipating,foamy,khaki head
S:
-coffee,vanilla,coconut,leafy,chocolate,syrupy,prunes
T:
-Follows the nose + spicy,oak bitterniss
F:
-low-to-medium carbonation
-medium-to-full body
-boozy
O:
A great Barrel-aged Imperial Stout.