Narwhal Imperial Stout - Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.

Chickenhawk9932

Pennsylvania

4.45/5  rDev +7.2%
look: 4.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5

Pours black as night with a coffee colored head that hangs around and leaves some nice lacing.

Smells of plumb, coffee, chocolate, and rum. Has a mild nose.

Big roasted malt chewy mouth up front explodes across the palate with coffee notes and leaves a chocolate coating. The nose was small, but the flavor is huge. The alcohol is not noticeable until it warms your belly, but the flavors are heavy with a thick and chewy mouth. Plumb and raisin, and rum come out in the back end almost hidden. One of the best imperial stouts I've had.

Serving type: bottle

01-20-2013 23:26:12 | More by Chickenhawk9932

JohnnyMc

Ohio

4/5  rDev -3.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Another release in the High Altitude Series that houses big names like Hoptimum and Bigfoot!!

Pours out pitch black with a thick, mocha/tan head that lingers for a long time given the ABV.

The aroma has huge notes of semi-sweet chocolate, coffee and dark roasted malt.

The taste is also primarily chocolate and coffee, but there are the dark roasted notes and a surprising amount of hops that makes the beer somewhat bitter and dry. This is very balanced between the sweetness from the coffee and chocolate and the bitterness of the hops and coffee. The ABV is well masked with only a slight warming effect.

The mouthfeel is big, rich, creamy, silky and smooth.

A very nice effort from Sierra Nevada! Not the greatest Imperial Stout and I would have liked a little more complexity, but an extremely solid example of the style.

Serving type: bottle

11-02-2012 03:35:49 | More by JohnnyMc

spoony

Colorado

4.23/5  rDev +1.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

From a 12 oz bottle into a snifter.

A-The brew is pretty much black in color and opaque. Maybe a bright light would get through, but you would have to work at it. The head is one (fat) finger of dark brown foam that fades slowly.

S-I smelled light whiffs of roasted coffee, dark chocolate, toasty malts, and a little bit of toffee. Not heavy or cloying. Lighter and more floral than most RIS beers.

T-Taste is similar to the smell, i.e., some chocolate (although the chocolate taste is not as bitter and cocoa forward as the smell), a little bit of roasted malts, toffee, and a surprising amount of floral flavors, too. Only mild, roasted bitterness at the end, and very little alcohol on the front or back end.

M-The feel is lighter than most RIS beers I have had. There is a little wave of carbonation that quickly fades on the palate. The carbonation may turn off some serious stout fans, but I thought it worked.

O-I would call this a highly drinkable RIS. This brew certainly isn't some barrel-aged, bourbon-wannabe monster, but it hit a sweet spot for me. The flavors are well integrated and reasonably complex and, when combined with the lighter mouthfeel, I could definitely see myself drinking this again on a chilly winter evening.

Serving type: bottle

12-18-2012 04:25:54 | More by spoony

jmerloni

Massachusetts

3.65/5  rDev -12%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A - Solid black. There's no light getting through this one. Pours thick and oily with a big chewy looking brown head that keeps a nice film and laces pretty evenly down the glass.

S - Boozy chocolate, roasted java, with a heady vanilla overtone. Nice.

T - Booze really comes through first, followed by flurry of dark cocoa and heavily roasted/bold java. Booziness is a little overpowering on the palate and lingers after each sip.

M - A thicker beer than you might originally realize. The carbonation is pretty heavy here, and it makes the beer seem lighter than it is. This is a full, heavy, chewy beer - and it would be good that way. But the carbonation clouds it.

D - A decent beer with room for improvement. Sierra Nevada should dum down the carbonation and let this beer speak for itself. This would be better between 8.0-9.0% abv and would benefit from a dark chocolate flavor profile rather than the dark/unsweetened cocoa profile that is pronounced here.

Serving type: bottle

11-09-2012 00:20:03 | More by jmerloni

BierStein711

Illinois

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

Narwhal stout was a very delightful brew! It has a high abv that is quite noticeable!

Appearance: jet black, four finger burnt tan head.

Smells: Oak, booze, roasted malt, hop, more booze at the finish with the bite

Taste: Wood, booze, roasted malt, coffee, baking chocolate and something else, but I would have to say this is a close cousin of Old Rasputin!

Mouthfeel: Creamy and smooth!

Overall, this is an outstanding beer, but I'm all for old raspy!

Serving type: bottle

12-25-2012 21:15:39 | More by BierStein711

Flightoficarus

Washington

4.4/5  rDev +6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A - Pours an extremely deep black hue, with a thick, creamy sepia head. Lacing/retention are mild.

S - Smell is of roasted espresso beans, bakers chocolate, and vanilla.

T - Taste is of rich, velvety-smooth chocolate malts, with notes of caramel and molasses. Finishes with mildly bitter espresso notes. Incredibly well balanced overall between malty sweetness and hop bitterness.

M - Full-bodied, and velvet-smooth, with light carbonation.

O - Overall, a fantastic imperial stout, and one I wouldn't hesitate to return to in the future. Sierra Nevada did a stellar job here!

Serving type: bottle

11-08-2012 10:05:02 | More by Flightoficarus

kagent777

Utah

4.25/5  rDev +2.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This beer was purchased begrudgingly from the Utah system on December 15th, even though this bottle has been bottled since Oct 12, 2012 according to the date code. I poured it into a CCB snifter after about thirty minutes of being out of the fridge

Appearance: Black with some legs as I swirl it around the snifter. Not much of a head, but that is not expected. Appears to be well carbonated.

Smell: Unsweet chocolate, coffee, roast and charcoal. A bit of boozyness also.

Taste: All of the flavors carry over from the smell, I also pick up on some dried dark fruit (figs, raisins, and dates) and licorice. I cannot tell if the bittering on the finish is from the hops or the roast. It all works really well together.

Mouthfeel: The carbonation is a little strong for my taste, while the body is smooth and rich. The finish is very long and bittering from the level of roast.

Overall: I like this beer quite well, but I am not sure it is worth more than double the price of Old Rasputin. I need to taste them side by side to be able to do a better comparison. Utah really screwed the pooch on pricing on these (4/bottle retail). I am glad to have had one, but unless Utah lowers the price, I cannot purchase any more. I imagine this would age really nicely, too.

Serving type: bottle

12-17-2012 03:38:42 | More by kagent777

jifigz

Pennsylvania

4.46/5  rDev +7.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Bottle poured into a pint glass

The appearance of this tenebrous brew is jet black with a nice creamy lighlty creamed coffee colored head. The head lingers for an average amount of time. No sunlight passed through this beer or changed its color when held up to the window. The aroma of this brew is rich and creamy chocolate, booze with hints of spicy hops, rich caramel and toffee and burnt toast. The flavor of this beer is hefty. It starts off rich and creamy with hints of a chocolate malt milkshake. The ending is riding a nice bitter note that lingers resides in the mouth for quite a while. The middle is rather complex. It transforms from rich and boozy chocolate to almost a bitter liquor like flavor that resounds with toasted malts. The end has a stale cigarette flavor in the mouth along with the bitterness. The MF is creamy yet slick, it is heavy enough to support such huge alcohol and flavor, yet certainly not too thick and is actually rather medium bodied.

A fantastic Imperial stout. Sierra Nevada pretty much always does it right.

Serving type: bottle

01-14-2013 17:38:16 | More by jifigz

tut2528

Illinois

4.43/5  rDev +6.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

thanks to Jaap for sending this one!
2012 Release

A: pours black as night, with high viscosity and it creates about 1/2 fingers worth of a rich mocha colored head formation. minimal lacing. alcohol legs are also apparent (was to be expected at 10.2%)

S: nice rich sweet body comprised of milk chocolate, figs, and a touch of vanilla with a big roasted malt backbone. biter dark chocolate is also detectable along with a fair amount of coffee grounds.

T: big roasted malts bitter dark chcolate are the main players here. but there is also a nice balance of dark fruits, sweet milk chocolate, and a slight smokiness. No alcohol is detected.

M: full bodied brew. thick viscosity coats the palate with a nice cocoa and coffee notes. there is some alcohol heat, but it honestly fits extremely nice here.

O: just a big, bold brew that has a terrific balance. and is a perfect fireside beer. One of the best offereings that I have had from Sierra Nevada.

Serving type: bottle

01-19-2013 22:00:10 | More by tut2528

rdilauro

Connecticut

3.78/5  rDev -8.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Tis the stout season and I've been trying them all. Another nice beer from Sierra Nevada.
The pour was black, not quite jet black, but the first thing I noticed as I poured was a lot of carbonation.

The taste was more chocolate than coffee to me, perhaps a little blueberry in there. I was surprised by the amount of carbonation. That was the one thing that sort of left me a bit while tasting this one.

Because of the carbonation, I really had a hard time feeling the complete mouthful and then the final after taste.

Serving type: bottle

11-17-2012 18:38:33 | More by rdilauro

BigCheese

Massachusetts

4.53/5  rDev +9.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

12oz bottle. About 2.5 months old. Served a bit below room temp.

A: Pours straight black, a thin but thick light brown head forms and sticks around for a few minutes. No real laving.

S: MMM. Dark Coco, espresso, raisins, maybe some vanilla. Pretty aromatic out of the bottle, enticing.

T: Not as viscous as I would have thought. A mix of dark coco nibs and espesso, some vanilla oak and maybe even coconut. Some caramel maltiness linges on palate. There seems to be some substantial hops trying to fight through, cascade perhaps, something with a very slight hint of pine. Primarily chocolate, with some cherries and honey too. A little bit of heat, but not much.

M: Super thick mouthfeel. Real chewy, very heavy, very creamy. One of the richest bodied beers I've ever had. Low carbonation.

O: A really smooth velvety brew, definitely well executed, I'd love to see how this ages. A great sipper to have on a cold winter night. Probably the best value RIS I've had to date. I will have to buy this again to drink and cellar. Try it if you can, a real winner from SN.

Serving type: bottle

01-06-2013 02:50:57 | More by BigCheese

BilbosNuts

California

4.43/5  rDev +6.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a 12oz bottle into a pint glass.

A: Pours a very dark brown that is very close to black. A creamy, mocha colored head sits on top. Sheets of lacing is left behind.

S: Dark, slightly bitter chocolate and roasted malt appear first in the aroma. A light and delicate hop profile provides a pine-like finish. Mild dark fruits (plums, raisins) come through as well.

T: Similar to the aroma with dark chocolate and roasted/burnt malt. The hop profile makes a similar appearance. More sweet chocolate comes through in the taste along with. A slight bittering effect finishes it off with some mild dark fruit.

M: It has a body that is on the heavier side and a creamy, yet slightly oily feel. A small amount of carbonation lets the flavors coat the palate.

O: This is one delicious RIS. A great example of the style and very easy to drink considering the high ABV. I'll be sure to pick up some more 4 packs while this is still around.

Serving type: bottle

12-02-2012 19:18:33 | More by BilbosNuts

Mojo

Alabama

3.7/5  rDev -10.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

12 ounce bottle -> tulip glass

This beer poured up a deep obsidian black with a lucious black appearance, one to one and a half finger foamy head, and lots of spotty lacing left behind. Smell is coffee, roasted nuts, and a bit of alcohol. Taste is pretty much the same as the smell. There is a sweet maltiness that is pretty well balanced by the taste of coffee, roasted nuts, a smoky flavor, and alcohol. The finish is a little too hot for my taste. This is not bad as you'd expect from a Sierra Nevada product, but it is nowhere near as good as Ten Fidy or Ol' Raspy.

Serving type: bottle

04-13-2013 05:33:32 | More by Mojo

jsulko

Illinois

4.4/5  rDev +6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Bottle poured into a snifter glass

Pours a very dark black with a chocolate head that disappears rather quickly.

Dark malty smell with a hint of coffee.

Taste is malty with dark chocolate and hints of licorice. Alcohol slightly present on the finish but not in a bad way.

A very drinkable RIS. Disappointed that this is seasonal as I would love to have it as an option year round.

Serving type: bottle

12-31-2012 04:53:54 | More by jsulko

BrownNut

Florida

4.45/5  rDev +7.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

A - 4.5 - Pours dark brown with some light around the edges but goes opaque black in the glass. Lovely thick textured tan head that endures for quite a while.

S - 4.0 - Mostly chocolate on the nose with a hint of char underneath. Possibly a leather note in there.

T - 4.5 - On the palate, the char and the chocolate switch places, with the char coming more forward, though overall it's fairly balanced. It just barely approaches chocolate sweetness. That appears more on your hard palate and lips after you swallow than in the main taste. A bitter char/bitter chocolate aftertaste lingers.

M - 5.0 - Wow. This is a top 5 mouthfeel, maybe top 3. I just googled the words luxurious and luxuriant and apparently neither is what I'm going for, but you get the intent. Wonderful. It's not pudding-like, as are some big imperials, which is something I like. It's closer to medium bodied than pudding bodied. Call it north of medium. But it's just so well done. I've never thought about mouthfeel being balanced, but that's what this is - balance between the silkiness of a thick pudding-like mouthfeel and the drinkability of a medium bodied beer.

O - 4.5 - Fantastic. Sierra Nevada just doesn't disappoint. I bet you could go through the gallery of beers that didn't make it out their door because they didn't measure up to their standards and find a bunch of great beers. Because the ones that make it out the door are just flat professional. These guys are master craftsmen. Their way is not the flashy way - it's the balanced, understated way, which delivers top quality humbly. Their touch is so deft and delicate.

Serving type: bottle

11-27-2012 01:46:13 | More by BrownNut

TempeBeerMan

Arizona

4.45/5  rDev +7.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a bottle into a nonic pint.

A - Pours an inky black, with a creamy, dark brown, two-finger head. Decent retention. Moderate lacing.

S - Lots of burnt stuff going on here....grains, a little wood, ash. No sweetness to speak of.

T - Taste follows the nose, and SMOOTHLY at that. Charred grains, bakers chocolate, burnt coffee, blackstrap molasses, and a little bit of smoke. A little dried prune sweetness in the mid-palate, but just a hint. No astringent or metallic notes, justrich, bittery goodness. ABV crazy hidden, and really only detectable as the taste settles on the back of the tongue between sips.

M - Out of this world. Creamy, medium-bodied, and on the low end of "medium carbonated". Dry finish. Very drinkable.

O - If you like your stouts in the "burnt and bitter" style, it's hard to find better. It might not be the most complex stout I have had, but it's perfectly presented. A stunner.

Serving type: bottle

11-26-2012 04:49:43 | More by TempeBeerMan

sevenarts

New York

4.15/5  rDev 0%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

A: Very dark black, dense and totally opaque. Tan head with some lacing.

S: Coffee, sweet chocolate, alcohol, a liitle boozey.

T/M: Rich coffee and chocolate up front, roasted malts, followed by boozey, warming alcohol on the back end. Thick and full bodied with a bit of a bite going down.

O: A very good imperial stout, dense and heavy and intense, and its ABV is really felt.

Serving type: bottle

01-15-2013 00:43:14 | More by sevenarts

Pinknuggets

Vermont

4.21/5  rDev +1.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Bottle into a Lawson's Sniffer

A:dark brown almost the color of black coffee with a very thin mocha head totally opaque throughout most of it

S: a deep aroma of roasted coffee beans and a hint of malt, very chocolatey and smooth right up my ally

T: yum the taste follows the nose lots of dark chocolate at first that then fades into a coffee flavor that quickly mixes with the bitterness of the malt. The finish is roasted coffee and bitterness 4.5

M:thin for an IS smooth and easy to drink and it definitely will warm you up on a cold night. Very low carbonation doesn't blow me away.

O: I really like this one balanced taste and true to the style the abv is well hidden. Above average imperial stout and good for being readily available but not my favorite

Serving type: bottle

11-08-2012 19:29:12 | More by Pinknuggets

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

mfavoino

Washington

4.2/5  rDev +1.2%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Poured from a 12 oz bottle on 19 Jan 13 at The Beer Stein in Eugene, OR.

A: Nearly pitch black with a finger or so of espresso head that settled to the rim of the glass. Very nice looking.

S: Strong burnt roasted malts, bitter chocolate, and a subtle coffee aroma.

T: Chocolate and a touch of alcohol heat hit my palate right away, then the dark roasted flavor came through. Some coffee bitterness, more chocolate, and dark fruits as it finishes. Left a strong roasted character lingering.

M: Full-bodied and thick, lower carbonation, and a touch hot with the booze.

O: Very good offering from SN in the RIS category.

Serving type: bottle

01-27-2013 22:10:02 | More by mfavoino

fank2788

Connecticut

4.23/5  rDev +1.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

2012 bottle served in a pint glass
Inky opaque black in the glass with a one finger dark khaki head of fine bubbles and good lacing. The smell is quite roasty with black patent and chocolate and brown malts coming through. A bit of smokey character, dark fruits and alcohol are all in the aroma as well. The taste is also dominated by roasted character it is actually quite overpowering at first as acrid bitter notes from the dark roasted malts bounce around. Also in there is dark chocolate, black coffee, molasses and a touch of alcohol. All of this is balanced by a dash of hops which are only in there as an attempt to balance the strong malts. Mouthfeel is pretty good as this beer is thick and chewy with low to moderate carbonation and excellent body. The finish is quite dry with puckering burnt malt bitterness and a touch of alcoholic spice. Overall this is a great beer and very surprising coming from sierra nevada a brewery that tends to specialize in hop bombs rather than malt focused beers like this. It appears as though I can now look forward to two great SN winter releases every year.

Serving type: bottle

11-29-2012 00:31:11 | More by fank2788

IKR

California

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

Appearance: Very dark brown, looks black unless it's held up to a light. Has a generous light beige head. Good looking beer.

Smell: Chocolate and coffee/roasted malt aroma. Nice nose on this one.

Taste: Chocolate, moderate roasted malts notes and a mild hop presence. The finish is fairly dry and clean.

Mouth-feel: Medium to full-bodied with a moderate level of carbonation appropriate tor the style.

Overall: A beer that's tastes good, is priced well, and is reasonably accessible. Sierra Nevada does good tasting value packed beers as well as anyone.

Serving type: bottle

01-22-2013 00:27:50 | More by IKR

mrandypandy

Georgia

3.18/5  rDev -23.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

12oz bottle purchased at Green's, in Atlanta.

A - Pours a jet black, big mocha head that recedes down. Nice sticky lacing on initial pour also dies down. All-in-all, pretty.
S - Roasted malts and hops, not much else though.
T - Big and roasty. There's quite a bit of a harsh bitterness as well that I'm not quite a fan of.
M - Medium body, good carbonation, but the bitterness lingers.
O - Not a bad, but there are much better imperial stouts out there. I had heard some good things about this beer, but was slightly disappointed. Too much hops/bitterness, and not enough malts to balance it out. Reminds me a bit of other highly hopped imperial stouts like Sweetwater's Happy Ending, and Victory's Storm King. Needs time to sit and mellow out.

Serving type: bottle

12-11-2012 01:10:52 | More by mrandypandy

gkatsoris

Pennsylvania

4.78/5  rDev +15.2%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

A: Pitch black; period. A huge, thick, foamy head that lasted for a few minutes!!! Lots of bubbles, minimal lace. Gorgeous.

S: As soon as I cracked the bottle I could smell this. Dark chocolate!!! Caramel. Cocao. Slight butterscotch and vanilla. A hint of expresso.

T: Delicious. Creamy dark chocolate up front, and an enjoyable bitterness on the very end. As big as this beer is, one could drink these all night. There is a longer linger on cocao and dark chocolate in the nose.

M: Rich and creamy. Very full bodied. Almost borders foamy, but in a maltshop good way.

O: I could very well see this beconing the 'next' beer of 2013. I remember when I could get KBS off the shelf at my beer store, and now...uh no. Narwal has the potential to become the next 'highly sought after/impossible to get' delicious brew.

thanks Charity (Towamencin Bev)!!!

Serving type: bottle

12-21-2012 17:37:37 | More by gkatsoris

BeerDocT

Georgia

4.38/5  rDev +5.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

They say that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, and judging by the subject matter and colors of this beer's label, they seem to be attempting to look like a famous and very popular beer from the Great Northwest named after a mad Russian holy man. What about the contents of the bottle? How do they measure up?

-Appearance 4.0: Poured out an inky black that almost looked thick. It looked like it was actually going to stain the sides of my glass! No head to speak of and a big glop of something dropped in at the end of the pour. Look out!

-Smell 4.0: In spite of its inky blackness, this brew has a subdued bouquet. I smell hops and toasted malt, but nothing really jumps out at me.

-Taste 4.5: Whoah! Front is mildly sweet and bitter. Middle is a huge, rushing wave of smoky grains, alkaline hops, dark chocolate and yummy malty goodness. Finish is huge too and is very hoppy and malty, but very well balanced. Aftertaste is long, smoky, chocolaty and delicious. Wonderful.

-Mouthfeel 4.5: So smooth and perfectly balanced with the taste of the beer. Really outstanding.

-Overall 4.5: I don't remember what I gave Ol' Rasputin, but this baby is a close second. Wonderful, huge beer that does not seem to be as big (in ABV and other areas!) as it really is. Deliciously smooth and robust, but at the same time very complex and nuanced. A chip off the old block. Recommended.

Serving type: bottle

11-30-2012 03:25:28 | More by BeerDocT