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
$20 for a bomber at my local total wine in VA is a tad pricey
Out of pure curiosity, what price would make you purchase the bottle?
My purchasing $ is all over the place. I prefer to stick to $10-15 for a high quality bomber from a larger brewery like sierra or stone. I dont mind paying $15-20 from a smaller mom and pop brewery.
I passed over 120 minute bottles this year even those were going for 10.99 (which was probably a good price). Theres just so many other beers out there i would rather spend my money on.
Fair. So if Sierra Nevada was a smaller brewery, the price of this beer would be acceptable? (Again, just understanding beer fan perceptions.)
these are good questions to help you gauge how people feel about this.
id rather give my money to smaller start up businesses then huge industries when i can. I try to stick with that methodology with not just beer. Obviously you cant always do that, or sometimes it doesnt always make sense to.
It does make sense. Does that mean you consider Sierra Nevada a big industry? Additionally, would you pay more for a beer that might not be very good from a small business, rather than pay more for the one that might be better from a larger brewery?
i do consider sierra nevada a big industry
i wouldnt say im willing to pay more for a beer that might not be very good, but im wiling to pay more money for a good beer from a smaller brewery, than the same quality beer from a HUGE company.
If the same beer, same price from the article was from DC Brau or The Veil Brewing company, id probably would have purchased it.
I also try to buy beers from breweries ive enjoyed a visit to, or made personal connections with. By having that connection with a brewery, i dont mind paying a premium (Bonus premium of having them in my backyard-Wash DC region)