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

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

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

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

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

JDizzle

Indiana

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

Bought a growler at Party Town for $6.99-steal!!

Poured a dark, slightly amber color with an off white/brown head that slowly let up. Smells of smokey roasted malts was nice. Got a little chocolate as well. Taste is of the same, with dark roasted malts and a smokey hop finish. Really smooth. Mouthfeel is solid with good carbs, medium feel and thickness.
Great beer by Lefthand! Glad I got to try this one after it was gone!

For the price it's a no-brainer!

Serving type: on-tap

03-07-2012 04:14:56 | More by JDizzle

Knapp85

Pennsylvania

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

This beer poured out as a really nice deep black color. The head was fluffy and fan colored. The smell was roasted and a little musty. The taste was rich with chocolate and roasted malts, it was a little sweet at first and then fell into a dry bitterness. The mouthfeel is very smooth and leave a nice creaminess in your mouth. Overall I was glad I picked this one, it was one of the better stouts I've had in a while.

Serving type: bottle

07-03-2011 03:02:59 | More by Knapp85

GoldenVIKE

Illinois

2.98/5  rDev -27.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Served on tap at Kuma's Corner in Chicago

A - Pours pitch black with not a whole lot of head--maybe 1/2 finger. It did cling to the glass pretty well.

S - Not a very strong smelling stout. Some roasty, smoky, faint smells of old coffee. Not "bad" by any means but nothing special here. Pretty disappointing.

T&M - pretty much like it smells. it's a dry, smoky stout. leaves a roasty aftertaste. Average body for a dark stout, but good.

O - Underwhelming all around. Bear in mind I'm comparing this to GOOD stouts. I'd say that it's on par with a Guinness. Pretty good, but nothing to write home about.

Serving type: nitro-tap

05-27-2011 12:12:42 | More by GoldenVIKE

jefferz5000

Texas

4.22/5  rDev +3.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Thank you to stakem for this bottle.

Pours a beautiful black with a very nice creamy beige head. Looks fantastic and maintains that look for a few minutes before slowly fading away and leaving a bit behind around the edges.

Smell is quite good, very aromatic with notes of roasty caramely malt, toffee, cocoa and maybe vanilla. Richer than I was expecting.

Taste follows the nose to the T, a very robust beer. Moderate bitterness, somewhat espresso-y, is the only real addition to the attributes already noted. Alcohol is slightly detectable in the finish.

Mouthfeel is pretty good. Fair amount of carbonation, a bit slick. Medium body. Fitting.

Overall, this seems to be a pretty good example of an export stout, and I shall rate it accordingly. Wish I had a bottle of Vol. 2!

Serving type: bottle

05-08-2011 22:02:37 | More by jefferz5000

JayS2629

Alabama

4.43/5  rDev +8.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

I wish my beer looked like the picture here. Its black as black can get. Solid and thick dark coffee black with a thin tan head. I wish the head was a little bigger, but the lacing is great. The smell is nice but faint. Lots of roasted flavor, coffee hints, sweet cocoa, and even some dark fruit. Hints of smoke. The flavor is robust and roasty, good doses of coffee and hints of cocoa. Smokey notes of charcoal, burnt sugar and some earthy elements. The hops might be a bit much for my taste on a stout, but this is a export stout which is higher in the hop area...so graded on that scale it is delicious. Sweet and roasty front with a bitter aftertaste.

The body is what impressed the most. Thick, full, and creamy. Very drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

04-14-2011 22:31:03 | More by JayS2629

jpmclaug

South Carolina

3.8/5  rDev -7.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bottle poured into a pint glass

black body with a big fluffy, light brown head. Roasted notes and dark malt. Really nice roasty aroma and some sweetness. The flavor is a decent amount of roast, some dark fruity flavors, some chocolate notes, smoky notes and some earthiness. medium to heavy body with a decent amount of carbonation.

Overall a pretty solid brew. I traded for this a long time ago and then lost it at the back of my beer fridge. A solid beer for sure but nothing extraordinary. I wouldn't mind getting more of this but I wouldn't go crazy seeking it out.

Serving type: bottle

04-07-2011 00:36:27 | More by jpmclaug

orangesol

Pennsylvania

4.08/5  rDev -0.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Served on Nitro-tap at Al's of Hampden into a nonic pint.

A - Pours jet black with a small half finger tall light tan head, dissipating down to almost nothing, leaving sticky webs of lacing down the glass.

S - Smells of dark roasted malt, coffee, chocolate, light smoke, and a bit of dryness. A tiny bit of booze comes thru as it warms up to room temp. Nothing too over the top, just your typical dry export stout.

T - Lots of dark roast up front giving way slowly to a mix of coffee, light smoke, and earthy dryness. The flavors blend well to form a well balanced stout. Finish is dry with some lingering dark roast. It really isn't anything mind blowing but it is a very solid beer.

M - Heavy body and flavor with moderate carbonation. Big, dry, feel with plenty of lingering dark roast throughout the finish.

O - Pretty good. I liked this one, the flavors are well rounded and it is quite drinkable, but it really wasn't anything mind blowing, just a solid export stout. It fits the style to a T.

Serving type: nitro-tap

03-30-2011 18:29:31 | More by orangesol

Slatetank

Pennsylvania

4.25/5  rDev +3.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I had this on tap at Al's of Hampden on 3/21/11

The stout appears a deep coffee brown with medium tan cap and tight bead w/ caramel color at the base. The lace stickage is good and clarity is translucent. The aroma has a strong roasted nose w/ mild smoke and slightly nutty dry odor w/ mild alcohol scent. The feel is rich and roasty w/ dry medium body and moderately carbonated feel with a semi-dry finish.

The Foreign export stout has lots of roast as indicated by the nose w/ mild smoke in the flavor w/ gentle grain astringency and subtle yeast fruitiness. There is some coffee-like earthy qualities with a finish that is semi-dry. I really enjoyed this - a quality strong dark brew overall. It fits the style well and has nice malt layers w/ a very drinkable quality as it opens up. I could enjoy this beer repeatedly.

Serving type: on-tap

03-26-2011 01:24:09 | More by Slatetank

billab914

Virginia

3.9/5  rDev -4.6%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured from a 12oz bottle into my Dogfish snifter. It poured dark brown in color with a very thin tan lacing scattered across the top of the beer.

The aroma shows some very nice chocolate and coffee flavors to it. I get a good amount of malty sweetness to it with some notes of caramel and brown sugar coming through.

The taste shows a lot of dark, bitter-sweet chocolate to it throughout the flavor. It has a pretty bold, roasty, burnt like flavor to it as well. The sweeter malty, chocolate, caramel flavors come out more up front, while the bitter, roasty, burnt, coffee flavors come out more towards the finish.

The mouthfeel feels a little thin for the style, while carbonation is on the lower side. Drinkability is good, I really liked the roasty, burnt, dark chocolate, bitterness it brought in the finish. Pretty nice beer overall.

Serving type: bottle

03-11-2011 21:44:15 | More by billab914

ronniebruner

Arizona

3.88/5  rDev -5.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Wow! Left Hand Path continues to make great new beers! This beer pours a dark amber color, with a hint of burgundy. It pours smoothly into a snifter, with minimal head, a light sugary aroma, and almost zero carbonation. This beer is thick but smooth. A very good brew.

Serving type: bottle

02-20-2011 02:40:06 | More by ronniebruner

sholland119

Pennsylvania

4.45/5  rDev +8.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Growler from the Pony Bar. Thanks to Garth and Mike for this one!

A-Wow, really nice. Deeply opaque with a generous frothy mocha haed. Great retention as well.

S-Rich roastiness with a subtle sweet creamy aroma underneath. Again, really appealing for the style (and I like this style a lot).

T-Roasty and sweet in equal measure with a prominent bite of earthy hops in the finish. Abit boozy but not unpleasantly so.

M-Medium bodied with great creaminess. Is there oatmeal in here?

D-We made quick work of this growler. And enjoyed every drop.

Easily the best Left Hand beer I have ever had. And a great example of the style.

HV

Serving type: growler

01-26-2011 23:31:52 | More by sholland119

jds1469

Indiana

4.5/5  rDev +10%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Great beer to drink one of. I just cant get past the instinct to chew this beer, it taste like a chocolate covered Filet Mignon.

A - PITCH BLACK color, very tasty looking. Head is a dark tan color that will just no go away. Great lacing down the glass.

S - Very deep smell, chocolate, malts, hops, caramel, sugar,,,, it just keeps going. Changes completely once it gets a little warm.

T - Just want to chew it, reminds me of being at a good steak house.

M - Little thin for a stout.

D - Very good, for one beer. Second is not so good as the taste is very pungent.

Going to put a few of these in the cellar to age and re-review

Serving type: bottle

01-23-2011 23:12:42 | More by jds1469

brystmar

New York

4.05/5  rDev -1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

On draft at The Gate in Brooklyn.

A: pitch black, one finger of tan head with average retention. Some lace. But not sexy black lace like when I close my eyes.

S: pretty singular: sweet roasted malts. Simple, yet inviting.

T: malty, creamy, a touch dry on the finish. Some boozy warmth as it goes down. Simple again, but well done.

M: full-bodied, creamy, low carbo. Would benefit greatly from nitro tap.

D: smooth & easy to drink. A sessionable stout if there ever was one.

Serving type: on-tap

01-19-2011 21:34:02 | More by brystmar

womencantsail

California

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

Thanks to Jeff for this beer. From notes.

A: The pour is just about black with a short lived mocha head that starts off at about one finger in height.

S: Lots of roasted malts on the nose with a nice coffee aroma to it as well. Seemingly not as dry and acidic as a lot of export stouts can be. A slight char is present along with some bitter dark chocolate.

T: The roast is the dominant flavor and there's some slightly acidic coffee tones to go with it. Not as much in terms of chocolate but there is a good toffee character. A solid bitterness that lasts to the finish.

M: The body is medium with a moderate level of carbonation.

D: Not always my favorite style, but this was a pretty good example of it. Definitely higher in alcohol than I was initially anticipating, but it does not really show itself.

Serving type: bottle

01-16-2011 04:02:24 | More by womencantsail

stlsportster

Missouri

4.4/5  rDev +7.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

On tap, poured in a tulip glass. Dark brown, almost black, with a 1 inch tan head that stuck around for a good while. Smells of chocolate with a hint of fruits.

Excellent flavor, hides the abv well, malty, chocolate with a hint of a bite on the finish. I could drink a lot of this beer and hope to find some in the bottle soon to add to my fridge.
k,

Serving type: on-tap

01-08-2011 04:11:44 | More by stlsportster

ElGeordie

Virginia

4.08/5  rDev -0.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

After a couple of pints of mild (Cain's) at the Capital Ale House I decided to try something a bit more substantial; this fit the bill very well.
A good looking black stout: very dry with a strong coffee presence. I don't drink coffee - I don't care for the flavour but after drinking this pint I can see why millions of people do drink coffee - does that make sense?
A very enjoyable way to end a drinking session. I'll try this one again.

Serving type: on-tap

01-05-2011 14:44:12 | More by ElGeordie

Richardberg

New Jersey

4.1/5  rDev +0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A - on tap at The Grove in Brooklyn. Very dark, small dense head, ok retention.

S - chocolate malt, charcoal. Not very complex, just straightfoward example of the style.

T - as above, with a dry, almost sharp finish. Reminiscent of left hand's milk stout, minus the lactase and extra sweetness.

M - moderate to full body, somewhat slick, nicely creamy. A good pour. (strikes me as the kind of beer I'd rate lower out of the bottle, barring a Guinness-style widget)

D - very drinkable and enjoyable. Turns out it's pretty strong -- coulda fooled me, until I stood up!

Serving type: on-tap

01-02-2011 05:51:40 | More by Richardberg

BB1313

Ohio

4.6/5  rDev +12.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Finally decided to review this one, w/ the recent release of Volume 2. I've been impressed w/ this one since my first sip last year. I really had no expectations, but wow was I wowed! Pours a beautiful dark black w/ brown hues; fluffy head w/ nice sticky lacing. Smells amazing, w/ scents of expresso, coffee, chocolate, vanilla, and faint hops. The taste matches w/ bursts of flavor. Coffee is very prevelant, slightly burnt w/ strong roasty characteristics. Smooth on the palate, carbonation is just about perfect, which makes for good drinkability.

This was probably my biggest surprise of 2009. I'm very glad I saved a bottle.. now on to Volume 2.. but I really hope I haven't seen the last of Volume 1. Amazing beer, highly recommended.

Serving type: bottle

12-27-2010 21:38:17 | More by BB1313

jrallen34

Illinois

4.05/5  rDev -1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

12oz bottle poured into a tulip...Black pour with some new light tan head. Rises about two fingers then falls to a light watery cap of a finger, ok retention...Sweet malty aroma, coffee, oatmeal, very buttery. A touch sweet, but nice, needs some roast...The taste is very roasty, cuts a lot of the sweetness, the missing piece on the nose for sure. Roast covers up almost everything though, so again this is a little out of balance. Light hop presence on the finish that I don't really enjoy.

Not a fan of Left Hand at all but this is downright decent. I would drink this again.

Serving type: bottle

12-24-2010 01:36:04 | More by jrallen34

Thorpe429

Illinois

3.63/5  rDev -11.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Reviewed from notes.

Poured into a tulip. The color is definitely pretty close to black with a nice head. The nose brings quite a good amount of dry, roasty malt characteristic of the style. There is some light chocolate and coffee behind that. Roasted malt comes back after those diminish. The taste follows the pattern of the nose with a really strong roast presence. Takes of the feel is well, that's for sure. Drinks pretty well as everything comes together in the end. A good beer but not quite what I was expecting after all the hype.

Serving type: bottle

11-14-2010 03:10:50 | More by Thorpe429