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Description:
Narwhal Imperial Stout is inspired by the mysterious creature that thrives in the deepest fathoms of the frigid Arctic Ocean. Featuring incredible depth of malt flavor, rich with notes of espresso, baker’s cocoa, roasted grain and a light hint of smoke, Narwhal is a massive malt-forward monster. Aggressive but refined with a velvety smooth body and decadent finish, Narwhal will age in the bottle for years to come. (Description provided by company)
Brewer:
Beer Style:
ABV:
10.20% ABV
Availability Frequency:
Rotating
Containers Available:
bottle
Locations Where Available:
nationwide
Store/Serve Temperature:
close to 60 degrees F
Comments
surprising Depth from a surprising creature
Sierra Nevada’s Narwhal Imperial Stout pours ink-black with an attractive chocolate brown head. Aromas of nutty chocolate are prevalent. This is a dense beer. Thick and rich with all kinds of malty chocolatey goodness. The bitterness in the finish has a pleasant weight to it.
I didn’t even know Sierra Nevada made a beer like this. I haven’t been a fan of their stuff previously, so this was a pleasant surprise. If you want a heavy dark beer and you can pick this one up, it’s worth your time.
Narwhal exceeded all my expectations
The 2014 batch of Sierra Nevada's Narwhal MUST be sampled by any person proclaiming a love for stouts. I have come to consider Sierra Nevada a brewer of "good, not great" beers; a brewer that will save me from all the megabrews next to them at the grocery store. This stout is one I will seek out now.
Narwhal is very black with a lovely foamy brown head that left a beautiful web of lacing on the glass. The smell has a few roasted malt traits, mostly chocolate with some coffee and something creamier than smoke. When I taste it, I get a great balance of bitter and sweet. I get both bitter dark and sweet milk chocolate flavors. The coffee aspect also seems to demonstrate both bitter and sweet. This imperial stout is thick and velvety on the tongue.
Sierra Nevada's imperial stout is an absolute delight of a beer.