Rye Barrel Aged Night Whale
Rhinegeist Brewery

My second 500ML barrel-aged stout from this brewery, once again while watching the Twins on the West Coast. Have to do something with my liver when watching baseball.

Black, of course, with a nose of mild chocolate, bourbon, & bunky dirt. Uh-oh.

Rye Barrel Aged Night Whale has taught me that I do not like this brewery’s barrel aged stouts. Just like the first one (Café Ink) the dominant taste is mucky, icky, muddy earth, except stronger. And it sticks to the palate like mud, too. There is some rye in the background & a sturdy booze burn, but licking farmland really makes this undrinkable.

Looking at other reviews I can’t believe this is the same beer. Do other people sprinkle warm dirt on their French Fries? I don’t. Borderline burn the glass awful.

 

 

 

500 ml bottle into a snifter. 2022 edition, had 4/21/23.

Pours a mostly opaque dark cola color, garnet at the edge, with a brief head and sparse light lacing. Aromas of rye whiskey, vanilla, oak, caramel, malt, some chocolate, light cherry. Smells spicy and lightly herbal. Flavors of rye whiskey, malt, oak, caramel, some vanilla and cherry, herbal hops, light chocolate. Has a spicy taste. Mostly smooth, fairly dry, a lighter for the style body, appropriately carbonated.

Tons of good rye, expressive barrels and a solid base. Very nice.

Pours black with a couple fingers of khaki foam. Aroma is dark and heavy, with roasty and toasty malts supporting dark fruits, caramel, and molasses. Rye whiskey brings with it a herbal note and char, cutting the backend of the aroma down, keeping it from lingering. Despite the high ABV, alcohol does not singe or burn the nose, instead presenting itself in a way that snuffs out the delicate sugary notes underneath. Flavor profile centers on dark fruits. Molasses, toffee, and fig build up the profile even more. It has a slight sweetness, at least at the onset, that is cut away by herbal, floral rye whiskey. Char is present in the back half of the flavor profile, elevating the bitterness just a touch. Balance is good, especially considering the ABV (this bottling is 15.7% ABV.) Mouth feel is thick and full. While effervescence is mild and soft, creating a velvety blanket for the tongue. A little alcohol clings to the tongue after a sip, akin to a quality rye whiskey. Overall, rich and full. It uses rye whiskey to keep it from lingering past its welcome. A heavy, hard hitting, but balanced stout.

Served in a 15.5oz Spiegelau tulip from a 16.9oz bottle. Vintage 2021. Aged 12 months. ABV 15.7%. Barrels selected from New Riff Distilling. Reviewed / consumed November 27th, 2022.

 

Hot heavy and spicy. This is one of the best beers ive ever bought off of the shelf. It rivals some voodoo black magicks ive had with maybe only a touch less thickness.

Poured at fridge temp. Pours jet black with a thin layer of brown head. Looks THICK! The nose is incredible. Nose is chocolate, toffee, brown sugar, black licorice, roasted malts, rye, oak, a touch of lactose, and a nice layer of dark fruit. It's a bit difficult to tease apart the specific fruit. Raisins and prunes. Really nice and smooth.

The taste is fantastic. Chocolate, toffee, roasted malts, vanilla, rye, lactose, raisins, sweet truffles, dark cherries, walnuts, and a bit of brown sugar. Definitely leans more on the sweet side, but this is incredibly well-integrated. The mix of barrel, sweetness, and roasted notes are amazing. I am really enjoying this.

Mouthfeel is thick, robust, and creamy. Fantastic. Overall, a really amazing barrel-aged stout. I love the rye barrel.

 

 

Not for the faint of heart, Rhinegeist rolls out the most challenging of drinker's beer with a super-imperial stout with the undeniable grit of rye whisky barrel aging to exceed all reasonable measures in brewing.

Brewed in excess of fifteen percent in alcohol content, Rye Barrel Aged Night Whale pours tawny black and bleached slightly by the oak aging. Above it all rests a creamy sheet of foam that reduces to reveal a dark brandy-like appearance. As its scent rolls off of the foam, a spicy, sweet, savory and roasty perfume is nearly mesmerizing to the nose. Equally a robust, its early taste is a slather of molasses, caramel and hints of mocha.

The soothing sweetness is quickly interrupted by the beer's strength as the alcohol plays a big role in the session's impression right away. Peppery spice mingles with espresso roast. Oaken char does the same with bittersweet chocolate undertones. As the husken grit of rye whisky plays a strong role in the beer's taste late on the palate, its does so with a bitter coffee spice and hints of campfire and grilled fruit.

Full bodied but dried considerably by the booze and oak tannins, the stout is dangerously drinkable although powerful with nearly brandy-like heat. Slightly numbing to the tongue, the Night Whale finishes bittersweet and with a long savory spiciness that's not for the faint of heart.

From the cap and wrapped bottle in a snifter. This surprise
of a big imperial pours a rich coal black with a nice head of
brown foam that subsides to a thick ring, thin dusty layer,
and shows some nice light lacing. Nose of dark coffee,
char, vanilla, oak, spicy rye, astringent booze, and rich
dark chocolate. Flavors put the right foot forward with
a fine presentation of spicy rye whiskey, vanilla, oak,
coffee, dark chocolate, earthy malts, dark fruits of plum,
and dark raisin bread. Nice mouth feel; slick, coating,
full body, smooth, warming, rich, light carbonation, and
a bitter malt finish that is lightly dry and very warm.

Gotta love their tenacity for brewing big and bold brews,
this is no exception. An excellent imperial and worth
the money for special occasions....like Christmas!

Cheers