My foray into big hearty beers continues. Today I'm checking out Sierra Nevada's newest beer, Narwhal, an imperial stout. What a great name for a beer, and what an even cooler label! Clocks in at 10.2% ABV and 60 IBU. To the beer!
Narwhal pours a silky, inky, viscous looking black. It is completely opaque. Not one glimmer of light is getting through that beer. It's capped by a thin, layer of mocha colored head that leaves some spotty lacing.
The aromas on this beer are pretty straightforward. Intense notes of dark roasted coffee and bitter dark chocolate. Not particularly complex, but very bold.
Narwhal is massively full bodied and hugely flavorful. The flavors, much like the aromas, are not wildly complex, but they sure are big. Humongous flavors of bitter roasted chocolate mingle with baker's chocolate. This a very dry, quite bitter beer. I was a bit surprised that such a big, malty beer wasn't sweeter. Finishing it off are some more powdery cocoa notes alongside just a hint of smokiness.
I talk about big beers a lot. This is a big beer. I mean, like huge. Also, this is a real winter ale. This is the kind of beer that will fight that winter chill. If big stouts are your thing Narwhal is for sure a beer worth checking out. One last thought, I would love to see what a year or two of aging might do to this beer. I did enjoy this beer, but some age might allow some complexity, which I found a bit lacking, to shine through.
HD
I just bought a four pack last week and tried one New Years Eve. Like you, I enjoyed the beer but didn't love it. I'm going to let the remaining beer age and try again in the future. Good advice!
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