Narwhal Imperial Stout - Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.

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BA SCORE
93
exceptional
-
1,532 Ratings

rAvg: 4.15
pDev: 9.88%
Reviews: 422
Hads: 1110

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Brewed by:
Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.

California, United States

Style | ABV
Russian Imperial Stout | 10.20% ABV

Availability: Rotating. bottle (399), on-tap (21), growler (2).

Notes:
No notes at this time.

View: Beers (116) | Reviews (49) | Events (0)

Reviews

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Reviews by GeckoPunk:

GeckoPunk

Connecticut

4.2/5 rDev +1.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Copied from Beer_Runner... Couldn't have said it better myself... (Although I poured aggressively and got about a finger and a half of Khaki head (Great Lacing!). I was told from someone at Amity Wine and Spirit that it had a stronger hoppiness to it, however, I didn't really pick up on it, although he said it was prominent only when the beer was cold. I had it at cellar temp, leaving me to believe I only tasted the robust stout/porter tastes associated from the beer.

A: An aggressive pour into a standard pint glass produced about half a finger of espresso creama colored head that was very dense. The head is fairly robust and lasted through about half of the glass and left a good lacing. The beer is a midnight black, and light will not even think about passing through it.

S: The aroma is a rich blend of strong, dark roasted coffee, unsweetened chocolate, and roasted barley. There is also some earthy hops making its way into the mix.

T: The taste begins with a big shot of strong coffee along with unsweetened chocolate and roasted barley. Very quickly bold, earthy hops and then some spicy hops join in for a west coast flair.

M: The beer has a heavy and full body that is very smooth and creamy. It feels thick and leaves a slick coating. All-in-all, it has a very satisfying feel.

O: A top notch imperial stout. The coffee, chocolate, and roasted barley flavors mix well together and provide a solid backbone to balance the earthy and spicy hops. It is a fairly complex tasting beer, but each element has its own characteristics, and together they create a bold and pleasing imperial stout.

Serving type: bottle

12-07-2012 04:15:08 | More by GeckoPunk

More User Reviews:

ipas-for-life

Virginia

4.25/5 rDev +2.4%

05-23-2013 13:05:43 | More by ipas-for-life

kingmaker

Louisiana

3.75/5 rDev -9.6%

05-23-2013 03:27:57 | More by kingmaker

MadScientist

New York

4.5/5 rDev +8.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A: Jet black with a creamy, express colored head that has a good long retention period.

S: A solid roast with some licorice, moderate coffee and light citrus hop aroma. There is a low caramel malt sweetness and a light alcohol sweetness as well.

T: A huge malty flavor with rich dark flavors of roast, coffee and caramel along with a moderate sweetness. There are some underling burnt sugar and slight charcoal in there as well. The citrus hops flavors and bitterness are at a medium level. The balance is about equal between the bitterness and sweetness and almost out to a medium finish. The hops bitterness lingers a bit an edges out the dark roast flavors.

M: A full bodied beer with a moderately-strong level of carbonation.

O: Rich and full with equally strong malt and hops character; simply an excellent beer. I'm hoping this will be easy to find than Night Stalker where I live because Narwhal is running neck and neck with it as my favorite Imperial Stout. There will have to be a side by side tasting to for me to call a winner though.

Serving type: bottle

05-23-2013 00:58:29 | More by MadScientist

Busker

Connecticut

4.25/5 rDev +2.4%

05-22-2013 12:27:22 | More by Busker

Jamison85

Indiana

4.75/5 rDev +14.5%

05-21-2013 18:18:23 | More by Jamison85

Mikecap

Rhode Island

4.5/5 rDev +8.4%

05-21-2013 16:02:00 | More by Mikecap

TravisR

New Jersey

4.75/5 rDev +14.5%

05-21-2013 03:38:54 | More by TravisR

Kreko7

California

4.5/5 rDev +8.4%

05-20-2013 21:23:25 | More by Kreko7

beeragent

Texas

4.38/5 rDev +5.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

Reviewed from a 2012 bottle. Poured into a glass.

A - Pours a deep brown with ruby highlights. Appears black as motor oil once in the glass. Thin mocha head with no lace.

S - Strong roasted malts, chocolate, and espresso.

T - Roasted malt and bitter chocolate coat the palate. A slight hop bitterness in the finish. The alcohol is very well hidden.

M - Heavy bodied, thick and very smooth. Low carbonation.

O - Just like most of what Sierra Nevada does, they have set a standard for the style. When I think of an RIS, this is exactly what I expect it to look, smell, and taste like. Just a perfect example of the style.

Serving type: bottle

05-20-2013 21:01:13 | More by beeragent