Categorized under: Advent

Day 27: Sierra Nevada Narwahl

@SierraNevada @QueenCityDrinks

To celebrate the Holiday Season, we have teamed up with beer bloggers and craft beer enthusiasts around the country to host the fifth annual beer advent calendar. This is the season of sharing and we intend to share our love of beer with you.

During the 31 days of December, we will be sharing our favorite regional/winter seasonals/holiday beers with the help from our fellow beer enthusiasts. We hope that you tune in every day, to hear our stories and share our holiday cheer.

Narwahl Pour
Sierra Nevada Narwahl

Blogger: Tom Aguero
Website: http://queencitydrinks.com/
Twitter / Instagram / Facebook : @QueenCityDrinks
About Tom: Overly hairy person standing on a soapbox called the internet and yelling about beer like a cankerous old man telling those young whippersnappers to get out of his yard!

TomA QCDBeer: Narwahl
Brewery: Sierra Nevada Brewing – Chico, CA & Mills River, NC
Website: http://www.sierranevada.com/
Twitter: @SierraNevada

Commercial Description: Narwhal Imperial Stout is inspired by the mysterious creature that thrives in the deepest fathoms of the frigid Arctic Ocean. Featuring incredible depth of malt flavor, rich with notes of espresso, baker’s cocoa, roasted grain and a light hint of smoke, Narwhal is a massive malt-forward monster. Aggressive but refined with a velvety smooth body and decadent finish, Narwhal will age in the bottle for years to come.
Beer Details:
-Style: Imperial Stout
-ABV: 10.2%
-IBU: 60

Old Narwhal Label

Why I selected the Sierra Nevada Narwahl:
Stands up in front of the group. Nervously clears throat.

“Hi, my name is Tom and I hate winter warmers.”

When Sean asked me to take part in their 31 Beers of December my first question was:

“Is it reviewing a winter style beer?”

This is a crucial question for me. Out of all the seasonal beer styles I hate winter warmers the most. The only two beer styles I generally refuse to drink are winter warmers and smoke beers. Luckily, the seasonal beers released between October and February redeem themselves thanks to all the seasonal stouts. From Dark Horse Plead The Fifth to Great Lakes Blackout Stout. I would be talking about one of those two beers today, but they’re largely confined to the midwest and Sean wanted to feature a widely available beer. My first choice in that regards is what I’m about to talk about, Sierra Nevada Narwhal Imperial Stout, because who doesn’t love the unicorn of the sea.

When the temperature plummets I get cold. The 10.2% ABV of Narwhal warms me back up. The rich flavors of baker’s chocolate and roasted coffee don’t hurt either. This malt forward monster of the ocean depths challenges Bryan D. Roth’s INSATIABLE ANIMALS with it’s lack of any recognizable hop flavors.

The one thing I really love about stouts is that they’re like Transformers, they’re more than meets the eye, er… palate. You pull one out of your fridge and it’s all coffee, but this is a big horned beast of a beer, you have to sip it slowly. As you slowly sip it warms revealing hidden depths of chocolate not found at first. The best stouts hide their alcohol, leaving only a hint of warmth from all the alcohol you’re imbibing. Narwhal excels at all these things. As soon as the leaves change colors I first look forward to Great Lakes Nosferatu, then once I’ve had my fill of the vampire I crave Narwhal.

What would you pair this beer with?
Honestly, I’m not a foodie so I’d pair it with a lit up Christmas tree, a sleepy Goldendoodle, a bathrobe, and Fallout 4. Which perfectly describes my current situation. If I was forced for a food I’d go with a rich chocolate cake to compliment the chocolate notes in the beer.

What Tom’s Excited About:
Well, Cincinnati Winter Beer Week and Winter Beer Fest are just over a month away, and with that comes Cincinnati Malt Infusers All American Homebrew competition which I always judge. But before all that begins, only a few people know this right now so this will be the first big announcement, Queen City Drinks will cease to be and will transform into Brew Minds as my friends join me for a YouTube series. Don’t worry, I’ll still rant about beer in the written word just like a cankerous old man yelling at young whippersnappers about the virtues of White Rajah and why Zombie Dust isn’t worth the effort.

QCD Logo
About Queen City Drinks:
Just shy of its fourth birthday Queen City Drinks is supposedly about what, where, when, and with what to whet your whistle in the Queen City. The Queen City being Cincinnati, screw those Charlotte folks. In reality, it’s me spreading knowledge about beer though my Learning About Beer series or ranting like the aforementioned cantankerous old man. This, and Charlotte, NC’s vastly superior claim to the name Queen City, are both reasons for the transition to Brew Minds.

 

Sierra Nevada Logo
About Sierra Nevada:
I guess I’m supposed to include something about the brewery here, but let’s face facts; if you’re reading this you already know about Sierra Nevada. What you might not know is that the best reason to visit their Mills River taproom just outside of Asheville, NC is not for the beer. Yes, the beer is fantastic, but oh my wow is that food N U T S nuts! Easily one of the best hamburgers I’ve ever had. Plus the brewery and grounds are simply put, palatial. No other word describes the grandeur and beauty they’ve built there. Plus… the beer kicks ass.

For more information, please visit http://www.sierranevada.com.

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