Narwhal - Barrel-Aged
(has 3 batches)
Sierra Nevada Brewing Company in Chico, California, United States 🇺🇸
Stout - Pastry / Flavoured - Imperial Rotating|
Score
7.94
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Barrel-Aged Narwhal is our deliciously dark Imperial Stout aged in Kentucky bourbon barrels. Barrel aging is a strange science; it mellows some characteristics of the original beer while intensifying others. Narwhal’s aggressive roastiness has calmed, but the rich, chocolate-like malt backbone is brought to the fore. Black as midnight, this intense stout is complex with notes of cocoa and espresso balanced with hints of vanilla and toasted coconut from the oak casks. Nearly as rare as it’s nautical namesake, try Barrel-Aged Narwhal while you can because like the creature itself, it will soon dive into the depths and leave nary a trace behind.
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8.8/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 9
Flavor 9
Texture 9
Overall 8.5
Black. Aroma is slight booze cinnamon dried raisin, vanilla, wood, slight cocoa. Taste is sweet chocolate with dense boozy cinnamon. Quite balanced though very heavy. Almost no carbonation. Smooth and boozy on the tongue. Long finish. Not bad at all.
Tried
from Can
on 14 Jul 2026
at 22:51
7.8/10
—
Appearance 7
Aroma 7.5
Flavor 8.5
Texture 8
Overall 7.5
US Pint can from Benny’s place, Kuala Lumpur. Poured almost black in colour with a mostly lasting frothy tan head. The aroma is roasty, chocolate, oaky. The flavour is over moderate liquorice bitter and sweet, with a smooth, rich, roasty, light chocolate, vanilla, light spicy coffee, bourbon, dry, oaky, big coconut, warm boozy alcohol bitter palate. Over medium bodied with average to soft carbonation. Awesome.
Tried
from Draft
on 29 May 2026
at 14:58
7.1/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 7
Overall 7
Can 47,3 cl. Pours an opaque black with a rich, creamy and lacing light brown head. Distinct Bourbon and wood aroma. The body is surprisingly modest considering the color and strength and actually a bit too modest for the heavy Bourbon accents. Roast and chocolate, but the Bourbon dominates. Getting quite boozy towards the finish. 310126
Tried
from Can
on 31 Jan 2026
at 15:07
8.8/10
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Appearance 7
Aroma 9
Flavor 9
Texture 9
Overall 9
Deep dark brown colour, minimal creamy brown head; aroma and taste of coffee, dark chocolate, bourbon, liquorice, anise, nutmeg, soy sauce and some burnt sugary notes; really great one! Many thanks for sharing, Kapusil!
Tried
from Can
on 28 Dec 2025
at 21:36
8.6/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 9
Flavor 9
Texture 8
Overall 8.5
0.44l can. Dark brown body with a light brown head. Aroma and taste of chocolate, nutmeg, cocoa, bourbon, licprice and some floral hops. Silky, smooth beer with a noticable alcohol presence but not so overpowering.Great one.
Tried
from Can
on 28 Dec 2025
at 21:33
8.1/10
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Appearance 10
Aroma 8
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 7.5
Lattina. Il gusto al naso rimanda a caffè, cioccolato e vaniglia. L'intensità olfattiva è molto elevata e l'esistenza olfattiva è considerevole. Il cappello di schiuma color marrone castagno resiste poco. La grandezza delle bollicine è medio-fine. Il colore è nero come la pece. Il corpo è strutturato. L'amaro è di media potenza. La forza gustativa è elevata e la persistenza è buona. Le sensazioni boccali finali risultano di birra beverina e di birra impegnativa a causa delle elevato grado alcolico. Il retrogusto è intenso. Al gusto vengono donati toni di miele, crosta di panettone, cioccolato, caffè, liquirizia, agrumi, arancia, frutta passita, uvetta bagnata nel rum, prugna, rabarbaro, etilico, alcool presente, bourbon, whisky e vaniglia.
Tried
on 11 Feb 2025
at 04:55
8/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 8
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 8
Аромат сухой, очень кофейный, черный шоколад, немного какао. Цвет черный, угольный, но тело не такое тяжелое, пенки почти нету. Вкус очень классический, прям настоящий имперец старой школы. Сухой, кофеный, снова с горстью черного шоколада и какао, в меру горький. Баланс отличный, конечно уже не такой разнообразный по современныи меркам, но вспомнить отличные деньки крепостного права всегда приятно.
Tried
on 07 Feb 2025
at 05:44