Sierra Nevada Brewing Narwhal Imperial Stout

Sierra Nevada Brewing Narwhal Imperial Stout

Style: Imperial Stout

Alcohol Content: 10.2%

From: Chico, California, USA

Purchased From: Beer Boutique, Putney
http://www.sierranevada.com/ 

Located in Chico, California, Sierra Nevada Brewing is one of the top craft breweries currently operating in the United States. Sierra Nevada's Pale Ale is the second best-selling craft beer in the United States, behind the Boston Beer Company Samuel Adams Boston Lager. It is currently the sixth-largest brewing company in the United States.The brewery produced 786,000 barrels of beer in 2010.

The brewery was named "Green Business of the Year" by the United States Environmental Protection Agency in 2010 for its practices in sustainability.

Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. was founded in 1979, with founders Ken Grossman and Paul Camusi expanding their homebrewing hobby into a brewery in Chico, California. Along with the brewery's location, Grossman claims the company's name comes from his love of hiking in the Sierra Nevada Mountains.With $50,000 in loans from friends and family, Grossman & Camusi rented a 3,000-square-foot (280 m2) warehouse and pieced together discarded dairy equipment and scrap yard metal to create their brewing equipment.They later were able to acquire second-hand copper brewing kettles from Germany before moving to their larger, current brewing facility in 1989.

Colour: Pours a jet fuel black with a densely packed, tan coloured foam. It looks so thick in the glass you could mistake it for tar. The head will slowly die away after a few minutes in the glass but what's left will cling to the glass as if it's life depends on it. So far, so good.

Aroma: Rich, dark cocoa notes present themselves as soon as you pop the cap. Subtle notes of yeast or beefy marmite are also present and add a real sense of depth to the aroma profile. You certainly will love or hate the perfume that's for sure.

Body: As I eluded to in my above colour description, this drink is as thick as Paris Hilton. As soon as you take a gulp, your mouth will be flooded like an oil slick. Every crevasse of your palate will be covered like a bird near the Exxon oil slip. Luckily, this sensation is surprisingly brief as due to the lack of bitterness and lack of any clogging sensation at all. Very smooth and a true pleasure to drink.

Taste: Subtlety is the name of the game with this beer. There are no big, bold flavours in this beer, just a subtle yet complex set of tastes that have been blended perfectly together. A real melting pot of coffee, dark chocolate, liquorice and marmite are all present. The ABV is masked beautifully by both these flavours and a pleasant sweetness I have yet to come across in an imperial stout. For me, this is one of the best imperial stouts I have ever tasted. A true sipper without a hint of bitterness in the aftertaste. Well worth a repeat visit.

Similar to: http://beefsbrewery.blogspot.co.uk/2013/12/anderson-valley-barney-flats-oatmeal.html

Different to: http://beefsbrewery.blogspot.co.uk/2013/11/nogne-o-blonde.html

For the latest news on reviews follow me on twitter @beefsbrewery or like me on Facebook at Beefsbrewery

Durham Brewery White Stout

Durham Brewery White Stout

Style: White Stout

Alcohol Content: 7.2%

From: Durham, County Durham, England 

Purchased from: Beer Boutique, Putney, London, England

http://www.durhambrewery.co.uk/

The Durham Brewery was launched in August 1994 by two former teachers, Christine and Steve Gibbs.Thier initial brews came under the guise of the "White Range", a series of playful experiments using different hop varieties over a pale malt base. So successful were these experiments, that in 1999 the brewery upgraded to a 10 barrel production line and launched a range of bottle conditioned beers a year later. Thier adventurous bottle range is now available from the lightest 3.8% to the darkest 10%. By the end of the decade the brewery had outgrown their current premises and the brewery purchased some additional space to house their offices and a hospitality area.

A White Stout i hear you cry? Just like you, I was so intrigued when i saw the label, i just had to buy it. But what does the term White Stout actually mean? Well two hundred years ago, before the Porter brewers of London commandeered the term "Stout" to refer to a Stout Porter, the term used referred to a strong beer. It didn't have to be black in colour, just stronger than 5% ABV. Here is Durham's attempt at this traditional style, their White Stout.

Old School Celtic label

Colour: Pours a light copper or pale orange. A beautiful, thick white head is also present. It's so thick, it actually reminds me of a Mr Whippy ice cream I eat every time the sun comes out.

Aroma: This beer has such a beautiful nose that you could almost say its very similar to a German Weiss beer. Notes of spicy cardamom, cumin and sweet juicy mango will fill your nostrils and make you believe you are sitting on a beach in Goa. Personally, I think that this beer would work very well with spicy Asian food such as Kung Po Chicken or prawn Pad Thai.

Body: Even though this drink is clear, it actually feels rather heavy in the mouth due to the strength of the alcohol. This sensation mixed with the use of Columbus hops, causes a slight clogging on the back of your throat which can be a little unpleasant at first but this soon dies down to reveal a pleasurable drinking experience.

Taste: Notes of juicy blackberries and sweet mango dominate the palate on the first sip. This eventually gives way to hints of spicy cardamom and warming alcohol, followed a long, dry mildly bitter finish. Everything about this drink screams to me IPA! The strength and the sweetness of this brew remind me of the Kernel Brewery Columbus IPA I reviewed earlier in this blog. A drink of varying characteristics, that will add a spicy kick to any drinking session.

Similar to: http://beefsbrewery.blogspot.co.uk/2013/07/kernel-brewery-ipa-columbus.html

Different to: http://beefsbrewery.blogspot.co.uk/2014/04/east-london-brewing-foundation-bitter.html

For the latest news on reviews follow me on twitter @beefsbrewery or like me on Facebook at Beefsbrewery