We sent our original Narwhal Imperial Stout into bourbon-barrel hibernation. After nearly a year, Narwhal rises from the dark depths of our cellar, transformed with notes of oak, vanilla, and coconut layered onto the Stout's malt flavors of dark chocolate and espresso. It’s all in the barrel-aged beauty sleep.
Carafa, Caramelized, Chocolate, Honey
Challenger
Ale
Most beer we drink fresh to experience the bright, complex flavors. Some styles of beer, though, improve with a bit of age—not unlike a fine wine. Prime candidates include beers that are high in alcohol (e.g. Bigfoot Barleywine) and those with a moderate amount of roasted grains (e.g. Narwhal Imperial Stout). Over time, oxygen sneaks into bottles and changes beer flavors, adding notes of sherry or port wine and smoothing out harsh alcohol flavors. For the best results, vintage beers should hibernate in cool, dark places.