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Thursday, August 8, 2013

Beer Review - Sierra Nevada Narwhal Imperial Stout



Sierra Nevada Brewing Company - Narwhal Imperial Stout


Beer Type: Russian Imperial Stout - 10.20% ABV

Appearance: 12oz black/brown bottle with a nice narwhal image and a classy font. Beer poured a dark (dark!) black. Just black. A tiny bit of brown head quickly faded but leaves nice lacing on the glass.      

Smell: First up is the dark chocolate smells followed by some roasted coffee and some hops in there as well. And just a hint of the high ABV too.  

First Drink: A lot of dark malt flavor here followed up with a nice bit of hops bite and something not unlike the bitter taste of black licorice (without the anise/licorice flavor... does that make sense?).   

Mouthfeel: A thick beer with a bit of carbonation but not a lot. A little sticky on the palate.   

Last Drink: Just lots and lots of roasted malt flavors! Dark chocolate, coffee, a tad bit of toffee, then just a hint of hops and a big bitter finish.           

Drinkability: I've come a long way on liking dark beers and this one is right up there for me.           

Notes: Limited edition and I only manged to score one four pack this year! It was the last one at the "friendly local beer store" so here's hoping I see it again next time around.           

Verdict: 4.75 out of 5. A lot of dark roasted malt flavor levels going on here. A good beer for sippin' as you plunge beneath the depths...    

3 comments:

Scottswargaming said...

Must admit I enjoy trying these flavoursome stouts, far more enjoyable than your typical pale ales and lagers...

Randroid said...

I'm a dark beer lover... it's true! Love to drink a black ale, stout, or porter when I can!

DrunkethWizerd said...

I've only had one 4pack of Narwhal. I read about people saying they can't find it anywhere, but I see tons of the stuff wherever I go, and it's from last year naturally. I still got my eye on a Hoptimum 4pack just for the simple fact.