Sierra Nevada Trip in the Woods Barrel Aged Narwhal goes national

Sierra Nevada Trip in the Woods Barrel Aged Narwhal is hitting shelves nationally.

Variants of this type are typically only found at Sierra Nevada's taprooms. This time, you are in luck. Narwhal, the brewery's imperial stout has been spending some time in bourbon barrels with red and black currants – both types of gooseberries. Red currants are a bit like muscadine grapes in flavor. Black – a bit like concentrated blackberries.

We age this rich, chocolatey Imperial Stout in bourbon barrels with a mix of both red currants and black currants for a pop of sweet and tart flavor. The deep, rich notes of the stout blend well with the berries in barrels to create complex flavors of coca and coconut with a mellow fruit undertone.

The base, which is barrel-aged Narwahl, is a big, boozy imperial stout. The berries muted the boozy aspects of this beer a bit. While we can't say we are experts on red vs. black currants, this beer seems to be very black currant heavy. The mix of berries, chocolate and bourbon, turn this beer into a something of a cocktail, or dessert. You be the judge.

Sierra Nevada Trip in the Woods Barrel Aged Narwhal is avaialbe in limited quantities in 750 milliliter bottles.

Style: Imperial Stout (w/ Red Currants, Black Currants. Barrel Aged. Bourbon. )

Availability: 750ml Bottles, Corked & Caged. D

Debut: November, 2016

9.8% ABV

The post Sierra Nevada Trip in the Woods Barrel Aged Narwhal goes national appeared first on Beer Street Journal.