Fade To Black (Volume 1 - Foreign Export Stout) - Left Hand Brewing Company

JohnnyDuvel

Florida

4.03/5  rDev -1.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Roasty, roasty, roasty. This beer has a tremendously burnt flavor and aroma, like strongly roasted coffee. This could be Starbucks beer. Good, full body - ABV well disguised. Reminds me of Bell's Java stout. One of the better offerings I've had from Left Hand. Thanks Deepak!

Serving type: bottle

12-30-2009 04:50:11 | More by JohnnyDuvel

dalepryor

Kentucky

4/5  rDev -2.2%

05-07-2013 22:14:44 | More by dalepryor

NorthernSoul

Saskatchewan (Canada)

4.5/5  rDev +10%

04-17-2013 22:29:51 | More by NorthernSoul

elchingen

Georgia

4.25/5  rDev +3.9%

02-08-2013 04:50:51 | More by elchingen

zapahoppa

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev -2.2%

02-06-2013 20:10:20 | More by zapahoppa

fps_dean

Massachusetts

4.76/5  rDev +16.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

Bought some of this last thanksgiving, figuring it looked interesting. I have been buying more ever since.

Appearance wise, this is black as a stout. It smells like a stout should. What separates this from other beers is the flavor. It's on the stronger side, although far from being one of the strongest stouts out there, with hints of chocolate and coffee, hops, and a bit of smokiness. It also maintains the perfect level of thickness to it.

The one area that they could improve is I would like to see a little more carbonation added to this one. Even pouring it aggressively into a glass did not give me much of a head in my glass. Regardless, it is still my favorite stout and one of my favorite beers.

I get my Left Hand Brewing 6-packs from $8-10 for a 6 as well, making this a very good pickup for the price point as well. If they were to raise the price into "premium beer" territory, I would still pick this up. It clearly embodies everything a "traditional" stout should be, and executes better than any other offering at delivering the perfect "traditional" stout.

Brie and crackers compliment this wonderful stout very nicely.

It should be noted that this beer is 8.50% ABV but you would not guess it is any higher than 5% from the flavor of the beer.

Serving type: bottle

02-03-2013 22:38:11 | More by fps_dean

Darkmagus82

Montana

4/5  rDev -2.2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Served on tap in a pint glass. Not sure how they got this if it is retired, but never the less I thought I best give it a go as I am not sure I will have the chance to do so any time in the future.

Appearance – Served a pitch black colored beer with a one finger tan colored head. The head slowly over time to leave a nice level of lacing.

Smell – The aroma was heavy of dark chocolate and some bitter coffee. Mixed with these aromas was a small amount of smoke and a tiny amount of vanilla, giving an overall very roasty smell to the brew.

Taste – The beer is on the drier side with only a lighter amount of sweetness. The taste begins with a good dose of roasted malt and a more bitter cocoa flavor up front. Notes of coffee and vanilla mix into the taste as the flavor profile advances with the beer getting even drier as the tastes moves on. Toward the end a light bitter earthy flavor as well as some smoke and a light alcohol taste join in, with the combination of all the flavors leaving a rather dry and roasted dark flavor to be left on the tongue.

Mouthfeel – The body of the beer was on the average to slightly thicker side in terms of its creaminess with a carbonation level that was rather average. The slightly thicker body was good for all the darker and more bitter roasted flavors of the beer. A slightly thicker body and a tad less carbonation may have been slightly better for the flavors, but even with that said, overall the feel was quite nice.

Overall – A rather tasty and dry stout with a nice dark and roasted flavor. The mainly dark and bitter body was balanced by just the right level of sweetness, making for a nice roasty brew.

Serving type: on-tap

01-29-2013 00:29:14 | More by Darkmagus82

laxer8811

New York

4/5  rDev -2.2%

01-18-2013 02:18:14 | More by laxer8811

jkane101

New Jersey

4/5  rDev -2.2%

12-18-2012 15:43:55 | More by jkane101

Danobold

Texas

4/5  rDev -2.2%

12-13-2012 01:44:36 | More by Danobold

JoeLacy

Ohio

4.25/5  rDev +3.9%

12-12-2012 04:14:30 | More by JoeLacy

VFRAZ

Colorado

5/5  rDev +22.2%

12-04-2012 01:53:25 | More by VFRAZ

BYOFB

Wisconsin

4.25/5  rDev +3.9%

12-02-2012 07:10:35 | More by BYOFB

EyePeeAyBryan

Arizona

4.25/5  rDev +3.9%

11-20-2012 21:12:11 | More by EyePeeAyBryan

CJS

Florida

2/5  rDev -51.1%

11-08-2012 06:23:55 | More by CJS

bzach

Indiana

4/5  rDev -2.2%

10-16-2012 09:03:57 | More by bzach

freewill35

Indiana

4.25/5  rDev +3.9%

09-30-2012 14:01:07 | More by freewill35

netshark

Colorado

4/5  rDev -2.2%

09-02-2012 03:36:31 | More by netshark

LiquidAmber

Washington

3.75/5  rDev -8.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Review from 4/2010 notes. Poured into a Gulden Draak tulip. Pours black with a one finger tan head and lacing. Aroma of smokey and dark malt, chocolate, caramel. Smokey malts up front, then booze. Smooth, dark malty, caramel middle and more booze. Hops and malt finish. Flavor seems a bit uninspired and is overwhelmed by the alcohol.
Addendum and edit: I aged one of these and it was quite a bit mellower and better integrated after a year, improving the alcohol hit.

Serving type: bottle

08-03-2012 23:10:25 | More by LiquidAmber

hiphopj5

Colorado

4/5  rDev -2.2%

06-21-2012 16:52:51 | More by hiphopj5

ccozzi

Illinois

4.25/5  rDev +3.9%

06-05-2012 01:02:47 | More by ccozzi

Spider889

Ohio

4.15/5  rDev +1.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Big thanks to bobertkuekn for this want.

Poured into a CCB snifter. The brew is a nice thick black color with a one inch foamy mocha head. There was a bit of cascading going on after the initial pour that was rather nice. Left decent wisps of lace though the head itself doesn't stand around for all that long.

The aroma is really nice. Rich, lustrous, chocolate and fudge... Very faint innuendos of smoke. Slight buttery notes along with some hazelnut. Very smooth.

Tastes sweet and roasty, but not charred. Very rich with strong chocolate overtones and pleasant black coffee undertones. Nice toasted malt presence can be derived mid-palate - reminiscent of freshly crushed grain.

The mouthfeel is a little hot. Thick and sticky with lower carbonation. Smooth texture.

Overall - wow, I think this may be better than Vol. 2 which I have had previously. Really drinkable and a shame that it has been a one-and-done brew to date. Just one more finger pointing at the mastery Left Hand has shown over their ability to produce quality, drinkable smoked beers. Keep 'em coming Left Hand. This is the kind of stuff that has made you one of my favorite breweries in the country.

Serving type: bottle

05-30-2012 20:00:46 | More by Spider889

Magery

Kentucky

4/5  rDev -2.2%

05-03-2012 00:36:14 | More by Magery

cdkrenz

Wisconsin

4.68/5  rDev +14.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

I have had this individual bottle cellared since April 2010. I've kept it at exactly 42.5 degrees F for the 2 years its spent aging.

A - Poured into a sampling snifter it is dark as night with minimal head.

S - The aroma deep dark chocolate and a hint of bitter coffee fill the air with the pour.

T - Black licorice, coffee, burnt malts, smokey middle, and a slightly bitter ending bfore finishing again with burnt coffee. This is a full flavored stout that offers this category an exceptional specimen.

M - The feel is slightly coarse with an almost ribbony feel throughout. Basically the texture is stead from start to finish making for an easy to drink beer while allowing the robust flavor character to come through.

~ What more can I say other than go find yourself one of these retirees if you can. This beer, while aged appropriately has given true value to my cellaring project. I am extremely pleased and would not hesitate to recommend this fine beer to a friend.

Serving type: bottle

05-01-2012 20:27:19 | More by cdkrenz

chasmandocharles

Pennsylvania

4.25/5  rDev +3.9%

04-26-2012 20:23:55 | More by chasmandocharles