Sierra Nevada Barrel Aged Narwhal – American Double / Imperial Stout at 11.9% ABV | 55 IBU (C$8.85 at Collective, 473 ml, packaged on 18-Sep-2025, acquired 5-Jan-2026, reviewed 20-Jan-2026)
Appearance: opaque black with no relief at the margins, a fizzy beige head diminishing rapidly and loudly to nothing, no lacing. (3/5) Aroma: dark roasted malt, coffee & chocolate, liquorice, bourbon, boozy dark dried fruit, coconut, hint of smoke. (8/10) Taste: moderate-high sweet, moderate-high bitter. (8/10) Palate: medium-full slick body, moderate carbonation, sweet lingering bitter warming finish. (4/5)
I was a bit hard (some might suggest harsh) on the non-BA version of this I had about nine years ago. Well, I’m going to do it again with this one. My biggest “complaint” (come on, you know I’m not going to give it less than an “A”) here is that the barrel aging seems to have contributed very little over and above the standard version. I’m detecting some oaky bourbon notes, but I have to work at it. I’m also surprised at how (relatively) light the body is and how (relatively) emphatic the carbonation is – I really think this would be better with a thicker body and softer carbonation. On the other hand, it’s of course boozy, but it really doesn’t feel like it’s nearly 12%, so there’s that. (16/20)
This will be my 6,338th unique Untappd check-in.
8/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com
