Narwhal Imperial Stout - Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.

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BA SCORE
93
exceptional
-
1,528 Ratings

rAvg: 4.15
pDev: 9.88%
Reviews: 421
Hads: 1107

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Brewed by:
Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.

California, United States

Style | ABV
Russian Imperial Stout | 10.20% ABV

Availability: Rotating. bottle (398), 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 Mitchster:

Mitchster

Michigan

4.13/5 rDev -0.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

$2.69 for a 12oz bottle @ Bevco. Brewed with Two-row Pale, Caramel, Chocolate, Honey, Carafa malts & Roasted barley. Hopped with Magnum & Challenger for bittering and Challenger for aroma.
OG=24.2 Plato, FG=6.6 Plato, 60 IBU's, 10.2% ABV.

Pours out to a thick near black, forming a large sticky creamy dark brown head like espresso crema, with superior retention and sticky lacing. Mild to moderate carbonation, ~2.0 carbs. Nose of burnt marshmallows, black walnut, prunes, green leafy herbal hops and a little bourbon (fusels?). Mouthfeel is thick and creamy with a dense syrupy body. The taste is a recap of the aroma...prune juice, bittersweet chocolate, a touch of french press, black walnuts and burnt marshmallows. There are some moderately boozy fusels in the middle, but they quickly dissipate by the finish which is mostly hops, wood ash and dark pipe tobacco. Bitterness is well-balanced for a RIS with a nice lingering bitterness in the aftertaste (probably the best part of the beer).

At first blush, the nose and look of this beer reminded me of Bells Expedition Stout, however once tasted, it's just not as cleanly fermented. This is a good RIS on par with Blackout or Victory , but just isn't on the same level as Expedition, Founders, or Siberian Night.

Serving type: bottle

12-04-2012 02:30:20 | More by Mitchster

More User Reviews:

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