Narwhal Imperial Stout - Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.

Gatch

Massachusetts

4.08/5  rDev -1.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A: Deep black with a dark brown head that's thick and creamy leaving decent lace and retention.

S: Great, sweet, roasted malt aromas with hints of molasses, dark fruit, currants, and some booze.

T: Big roasted malt paired with bittersweet chocolate and super dark coffee. A bit of earth, dark fruit, molasses, brown sugar, and warming, sweet booze.

M: Crazy smooth, massive flavor, and the right body and feel. Stellar at room temperature.

O: Everything is spot-on. A very well-crafted RIS. A fun and tasty sipper.

Serving type: bottle

12-17-2012 03:50:32 | More by Gatch

tykechandler

Indiana

4.08/5  rDev -1.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A- pours black, little head, but with great lacing

S- malty, maybe some chocolate

T- boozy, with roasted malts, chocolate, tobacco. this beer is hot, with the slightest bit of a hop backbone. pretty intense shit.

M- feels so nice and thick. i love it.

O- nice, but pretty over-the-top. i am really glad i have another that i am aging. i have a feeling this will be just incredible in a year or two. it's good right now, but there's no way it doesn't get miles better.

Serving type: bottle

12-21-2012 07:46:35 | More by tykechandler

brewtus

Ohio

4.08/5  rDev -1.7%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured into snifter

Drank on 11/22/12

A- pours black with a dark tan head
S- a bit metallic, roasts, malty, a bit of chocolate
T- starts with a nice bitterness, hints of dark fruit and chocolate. There's a nice dark chocolate dry finish. I get a little smokiness. The alcohol is well hidden
M- for the abv, it's quite drinkable but has a bit less thickness than your bigger RISs, certainly has great texture
O- I usually like most Sierra Nevada beers, but I'm not usually overly impressed by most of the ones the brew. This one was really great. It was a lot thicker than I figured it would be and had a smoothness throughout. It's an easy drinking stout and I'm glad I grabbed a bottle.

Serving type: bottle

12-30-2012 00:19:09 | More by brewtus

StonedTrippin

Colorado

4.08/5  rDev -1.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

best russian imperial stout ive had in as long as i can remember. on tap at j. ryans in syracuse, ny. poured into a pint glass jet black, inky and thick, with very little head at all. the nose is moderately sweet like a milk stout, with all the familiar roasty coffee and unsweetened chocolate malt flavors i am used to in a big heavy stout. somehow the alcohol is also absurdly well hidden from the smell and taste, would never have put this at over 10%. coffee is the first flavor note, but its bitter and short lived. sweeter malt and chocolate flavors come in next, followed by a mellow carolina fres tobacco vibe that sets the whole thing off. maybe not the most complex stout ive ever tasted, but certainly one of the most elegantly put together big stouts out there right now. maybe just shy on the carbonation, but the feel remains light despite that and despite the full body because of a light silky texture to the liquid that just makes this way way way to drinkable for me. what can i say? another hit from sierra nevada.

Serving type: on-tap

12-31-2012 21:39:43 | More by StonedTrippin

chickenflea

Florida

4.08/5  rDev -1.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 5 | overall: 4

Thick black pour with small tan head, aroma brings notes of nice cocoa powder, coffee, roast, alcohol and maraschino cherry. Taste is very sweet with prune juice overtones. Very soon the coffee and dark chocolate tastes kick in followed by some alcohol burn and some floral bitterness. The taste is very promising but rough. I have two bottles left from the four-pack and these are definitely going to be stored for a couple years. The palate is perfect with medium carbonation and chewy texture. Full body. Overall it is good, but as I mentioned, it should get smoother with some age. I very nice beer in light of the price. Once again, SN gets props for staying true to their micro-brew heritage.

Serving type: bottle

01-03-2013 22:47:38 | More by chickenflea

cocojoe

Oregon

4.08/5  rDev -1.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Rich black roasty color, dark mocha head

S: Very Roasty, subtle floral qualities

T: Thick, creamy, roasty, dark chocolate, semi-dry finish, some bitterness. Some floral bitter hop qualities are perceived. Chewy and delish.

M: Full-bodied, but not unbearably sweet

O: Great Imperial stout, especially for the price range. Not super sweet, roasty bitter character is still fairly prominent.

Serving type: bottle

01-06-2013 10:29:06 | More by cocojoe

arizcards

Arizona

4.06/5  rDev -2.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Picked up a 4 pack from Total Wine in mid November for $8.99. Bottled on day 279 (Oct 6).

Beer poured black as night with a very nice head upon initial pour.

Nose is not as good as hoped, hints of roasted malts, coffee, and cocoa.

Taste is definitely there, cocoa and coffee with the malt backbone with an ample dry hop that keeps the sweetness at bay.

Mouthfeel is medium bodied and smooth.

Overall this is a nice tasty beer. It is impressive that SNBC can continue to brew these large brews on the scale they do yet keep a very high quality.

Serving type: bottle

01-12-2013 01:40:01 | More by arizcards

JayQue

Virginia

4.06/5  rDev -2.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Sierra Nevada is the Toyota of beers. Not always the cutting edge innovator, but consistently excellent with every offering. Narwhal pours a dense black color with a big dark tan head (on a hard pour). Good head retention, good lacing. Smell is about average for a big stout...Chocolate and rich malts. Taste is very good. A hint of alcohol while the beer was cold. As it warmed up, no harshness at all. About as smooth as an Oatmeal Stout, despite the big abv. Main flavors are rich malts and some chocolate. Expertly blended and very flavorful.

Mouthfeel is as smooth and rich as you could expect at this abv. Overall an excellent RIS. Well work a try.

Serving type: bottle

03-03-2013 20:38:20 | More by JayQue

ThickNStout

Georgia

4.05/5  rDev -2.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

12oz bottle from Sprayberry Bottle Shop (Marietta, GA). 10.49/ 4 pack. Bottled 10/5/12. Served in a Sweetwater.

Pours black with a frothy two and a half fingers of tan head. A good bit of dark lace.

Sharp anise hits the nose first. Followed by smokey cocoa, earth and booze.

Unique flavor profile. Bitter molasses, anise, licorice, cocoa, dark roast coffee, a powerful boost of alcohol and a bit of tangy stone fruit.

Medium full feel with moderate to low carbonation. Lingering bitter aftertaste.

This is a very different stout. It's quite good now, particularly as it warms, but my guess is that in 12-18 months this will be incredible.

Serving type: bottle

10-28-2012 05:36:39 | More by ThickNStout

Holland

Pennsylvania

4.05/5  rDev -2.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A: dark and thick with a one finger, tan head that gives way to a very thin sheet of foam on top.

S: big roasted smells like coffee and slight smoke. Sweet malt, too.

T: good bitterness and roasted flavor mix, with little of the sweetness I thought would be there from the smell.

M: thick body with medium carbonation that isn't too aggressive makes for a smooth stout.

O: very nice beer for $9 per 4-pack. Delicious stuff, would buy again, and I'm excited to age some of these.

Serving type: bottle

11-05-2012 01:18:59 | More by Holland

emerge077

Illinois

4.05/5  rDev -2.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Poured into a goblet, there was a brief crest of mocha tinged dark tan foam that receded after a few minutes down to a creamy collar at the edge of the glass.

Deep roastiness in the aroma, slight ashy char, mild dry bakers chocolate, coffee.
Flavors follow suit, huge roasted malt, blackened and ashy. Bitter dark chocolate and mild coffee notes dominate. Long lasting flavors of roast and chocolate that linger into the aftertaste. As it warms, some hop greenery comes into the picture. Reminds me of new green shoots extending skyward post-forest fire. For being 10% it's fairly approachable for the style, though still a slow sipper. Very tasty and palate coating.

As with most Imperial Stouts, allow to warm up as much as possible to get the full range out of it.

Review #2700

Serving type: bottle

11-15-2012 03:54:02 | More by emerge077

AdamBear

Pennsylvania

4.05/5  rDev -2.4%
look: 5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A-comes out thick and black with a nice tan head

S-faint scent of dark roasted grains and cocoa beans. I wish it were a bit stronger.

T-comes in with a wonderful taste of crisp dark roasted grains. It really is so smooth and hits the spot. There's a slight bit of bitterness before the long matching after-taste. It's a great beer. Good hints of mocha.

M-medium dry carbonation with a semi dry finish

O-the flavors aren't unique. They're not strong, but they are flawless. It's really just an easy drinking strong stout that remains true to it routes. The ingredients taste very real and genuine.i love this. It's one I could get by the case.

Serving type: bottle

11-19-2012 00:29:06 | More by AdamBear

UCLABrewN84

California

4.05/5  rDev -2.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Pours an opaque black with a foamy dark khaki head that settles to a film on top of the beer. Thin rings of lace line the glass on the drink down. Smell is of dark roasted malt, unsweetened cocoa, alcohol, and slight coffee aromas. Taste is much the same with a medium roasty bitterness on the palate with each sip. This beer has a lower level of carbonation with a slightly crisp and full bodied mouthfeel. Overall, this is a good beer with some solid aromas and flavors but I think the mouthfeel is the best part of the drinking experience with this one.

Serving type: bottle

11-26-2012 00:07:35 | More by UCLABrewN84

jsprain1

Minnesota

4.05/5  rDev -2.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A- Pours deep dark black. Head is one finger thick, lasts pretty well, I suppose. Good lacing, however.
S- Very nice smell. Coffee, espresso, dark chocolate, and a good bit of dark caramel. Hits all the notes a good RIS should.
T- A bit too much sweet caramel and not enough roasted flavors. Caramel is prevalent throughout. Coffee and chocolate are there, just not as strong as I would like.
M- A bit light, but nice smooth carbonation.
O- A decent to good imperial stout. I always like SN offerings and even if this isn't one of the top examples.

Serving type: bottle

11-27-2012 04:05:23 | More by jsprain1

CloudStrife

New York

4.05/5  rDev -2.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

12 oz bottle poured into a snifter. Bottled November 2nd 2012.

A: Pours a real dark black with a 1 very dense finger khaki head. Dissipates over a minute or two leaving a thin film. No real lacing. Light barely gets through the edges.

S: Real nice dark chocolaty malt along with a sweet dark fruitiness. Can get some booze.

T: Real nice blend of chocolate malts, vanilla and a great roastiness. Little bit of bite from the alcohol but works. Raisin and fig from the malts also a coffeeish taste.

M: Smooth and velvety with a nice full body. Appropriate carbonation for the style. Could enjoy sipping on these all night.

Overall great bold stout from Sierra Nevada. Glad they are offering another stout as I've always enjoyed their other one. Hopefully I can manage to save one of these for a year.

Serving type: bottle

12-06-2012 01:35:23 | More by CloudStrife

acelin

Kansas

4.05/5  rDev -2.4%
look: 3 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a bottle into a snifter.

Pours a pitch black with a lite mocha head that quickly disappears. Leaves no lacing.

Smells of roasted coffee, chewy molasses candy, and bitter hops.

The taste is certainly huge, and is very bitter in a great way. Very chewy, with giant mouthfeel - almost like slightly warm molasses. It also has great sweet, malty molasses flavor. It's almost like someone took a biscuit with molasses and turned it into a brew.

Mouthfeel is good, could be creamier, but this is a RIS.

Serving type: bottle

12-08-2012 04:08:31 | More by acelin

KTCamm

New Jersey

4.05/5  rDev -2.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Poured from a 12 ounce bottle into a pint glass.

Pours jet black with some tan foam. Eventually dissapates. Nose is dark chocolate, coffee. Pleasing. Taste is full boozy roasted malt with an opening bitter that fades out. Some lingers. Loads of chocolate with backing dark fruits. Dark puckering.

As with everything at SN, really good.

Serving type: bottle

12-08-2012 17:18:42 | More by KTCamm

ThePorterSorter

New York

4.05/5  rDev -2.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Fresh on shelves in Buffalo, NY

The beer pours a deep, thick black with a dense foamy tan head that laces. No sediment or oily residue. The nose is a pungent mix of roasty, chocolatey malts, piney hops, and a touch of caramel. The roast really punches forward while tasting, followed by a cascade of fresh hoppy bitterness. There is a lingering bitterness and bite from the alcohol that palate-coats, but it's otherwise very smooth and drinkable. It's almost as hoppy as a (weak) black IPA, but I like the bitter contrast against the rich, sweet, roasty malt base. This is an exceptionally priced, widely available example of a hopped up RIS done right.

Serving type: bottle

12-12-2012 23:06:28 | More by ThePorterSorter

Bierman9

New Hampshire

4.05/5  rDev -2.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

I picked up a 4-pack of this yesterday at Ayottes ($9.49). Time for a little half-time libation...

Poured into a small DT tulip... It's a dense, opaque, deep brown colored bier. Head is a mocha hue, and is smooth and creamy but thins quickly. Lacing was on the light side. Aroma was mild, with some choco and a touch of coffee present. Loved the mouthfeel, as it was quite smooth and almost full-bodied, bordering on being chewy.

Flavor is lightly sweet, with some dark choco, mocha, roastiness and cocoa present. The latter reminds me a bit of a dry, powdery, teaspoon-full of Nestles cocoa mix. It's a bit bitter, but in a good manner, like semi-sweet dark-choco baking nibs. There's decent hopping in the finish, with floral action lingering in the dry finish. Pretty good, all in all...

Prosit!

4.05/5 rDev -1.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

1552

Serving type: bottle

12-23-2012 19:32:17 | More by Bierman9

inlimbo77

Delaware

4.05/5  rDev -2.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

8oz taster pour
Mini pint glass
Two Stones Pub, Newark, DE

A: This pours out a completely dark black color. No light getting through. Thin layer of tan head that hangs around for a while. Some lacing bits. Getting some alcohol feet, but harder to see on this little pint glass.

S: Sweet and Dark chocolate on the nose. Some nice roasted malts and coffee. Very pleasant stout character.

T: Big roast character. Dark chocolate. Creamy flavors.

M: Full bodied. Nice and creamy/oily mouthfeel. Easy to drink.

Serving type: on-tap

12-27-2012 14:20:59 | More by inlimbo77

cosmicevan

New York

4.05/5  rDev -2.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

thanks to devi0us for hooking up this beer which surprisingly has never showed up in NY (i believe there is some sort of lawsuit over the name???). enjoyed from my sierra nevada snifter.

a - pours a velvety black with a great shine and about 1/2 inch of head that touched the tip of the glass. the head slowly fizzled away leaving some nice lacing in the small amount of glass real estate left behind by the 12ozes of brew. really attractive.

s - good subtle roast with great coffee scent. some nice bakers chocolate. just lots of greatness and great balance. really really nice, my mouth begins to water.

t - the roast comes through big with lots of chocolate bitterness and a surprising hop like wallop with the bitter finish.

m - finish is surprisingly bitter, nice carbonation...a bit of a porter like char.

o - overall, went into this with no expectations other than that it is a beer from sierra nevada. not surprised that they were able to tackle a big batch RIS with class, flavor and quality. not the greatest RIS, but certainly one that i would pick up if it manages to show up in NY.

Serving type: bottle

01-02-2013 02:37:31 | More by cosmicevan

tobelerone

New Jersey

4.05/5  rDev -2.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Very nice imperial from Sierra Nevada, well worth the wait. A quality effort that’s affordable and easily accessible to boot. Pours deep black with a smallish cream colored head; decent retention and a bit of patchy lace. Not the best looking example of the style but that’s nitpicking I suppose. Aroma of roasted, nearly charred malt, espresso, black licorice, baker’s chocolate. The flavor mirrors the nose closely; the roastiness is the prevalent note here, again black licorice or anise is present, but integrates well and isn’t overbearing; booze is well-hidden, sweetness is average for the style, some piney hops tidy things up in a fairly subtle way underneath. Far from cloying; in fact I would have enjoyed a bit more caramel, brown sugar and chocolate here. But it’s a well-meshed flavor, not too big, hits all the right notes while taking a bit of a middle of the road approach. Very drinkable and very appealing.

The body is moderately full and carbonation is medium; the feel has just a touch of creamy smoothness. Again, it’s not particularly massive, but it drinks like a charm. Overall a real winner. Not going to make anyone forget the heavy hitters but you could do a lot worse than grab a four pack of this for your stout fix.

Serving type: bottle

01-14-2013 14:27:14 | More by tobelerone

MattSweatshirt

Texas

4.05/5  rDev -2.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Pours a black body with a finger of brown mocha head.
Coffee and chocolate notes. The sweetness and the bitter coffee roastiness mixes so well with the chocolate making milk and darker bakers chocolate aromas. Some earthy hop and a kiss of booze.
Lots of sweet and bitter chocolate in here as well as coffee. Even with as hoppy as it is it doesn't get too bitter. Like in the nose a little alcohol is here but it doesn't hamper easy drink ability this stout has.
The body and mouthfeel is great on this. Subtle carbonation. It is pretty creamy like an oatmeal stout.
This is a pretty darn good stout. I was hoping it was going to be good enough to compliment that awesome label and it did. No extreme to it to separate it from the pack, but it goes on the list of super solid imperial stouts.

Serving type: bottle

01-22-2013 02:47:17 | More by MattSweatshirt

dbossman

Nebraska

4.05/5  rDev -2.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A: Black with a solid but fairly quickly dissipating head; beautiful lacing

S: Big roasty coffee beans; some dark fruits; hoppy bitter up front with a sweet chocolatey malt undertone; this is a big beautiful and delicious spelling beer

T: Deliciously bitter and roasty; quite a bit of booze but the coffee and chocolate come rushing in afterwards; I wish it had more sweet balance--quite bitter in the finish (though I imagine this will improve with some age)

F: Creamy and viscous

O: A nice, thick, boozy stout; I wish it had more balance though; like I said, this will get better with age

Serving type: bottle

05-03-2013 13:03:07 | More by dbossman

Powderhornphil

Minnesota

4.03/5  rDev -2.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This beer pours completely black with a nice head that recedes leaving a nice lacing.

The nose seems subtle coffee and chocolate.

Taste is coffee and chocolate a bit of alcohol on the end. A very nice tasting stout. I really enjoy the coffee notes on this one. Not too much roast.

Mouthfeel is nice and makes for easy drinking considering the abv.

Overall I like this stout; it's big but also subtle. I will put a couple of these away and will be interested to see how it ages.

Serving type: bottle

10-19-2012 23:30:47 | More by Powderhornphil