Wake Up Dead - Left Hand Brewing Company

BierStein711

Illinois

3.93/5  rDev +2.3%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Wow!

Nitro brew that was out of this world! Served in snifter: two finger head!

Very lovely!

Jet black with creamy off white head.

Smells of hop, ice, malt, and coffee, but with a little hint of cocoa

Tastes of coffee, fudge, cocoa, molasses, vanilla, grape, and a hop finish

Mouthfeel: Rich and smooth

Overall, perfectly creamy beer! A must have.

Serving type: nitro-tap

12-22-2012 07:07:46 | More by BierStein711

mdfb79

New York

3.85/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

From 12/16/12 notes. Thought I had had this but apparently only had the BA version. 8 oz. pour on nitro-pour at Pony Bar in NYC on the UES.

a - Pours a very dark brown color, almost black, with one inch of light tan head, and moderate carbonation evident. Looks pretty nice, like a nice stout.

s - Smells of sweet chocolate, roasted malts, sweet dark fruits, vanilla, cream, light coffee, and toasted malts. Nice and sweet, I like it a lot.

t - Tastes of sweet chocolate, sweet dark fruits, roasted malts, swete coffee, sweet cream, and vanilla. Taste is good but very sweet, a little bit too sweet for me. Slight step down from the nose.

m - Medium body and low carbonation, with a super smooth and creamy body. Awesome mouthfeel; the nitro-pour really lends well to this one.

o - Overall a pretty good milk/American stout. Very sweet but that is nice in the nose especially, and the mouthfeel was great. I think I like the BA version a bit better but would still have this one again.

Serving type: nitro-tap

12-17-2012 18:57:57 | More by mdfb79

Spider889

Ohio

4.35/5  rDev +13.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Served on nitro at the brewpub on 9/25/11.

Arrives with an awesomely thick creamy head.

Smells sweet - chocolate with a hint of bourbon-soaked vanilla bean.

The taste is full on semi-sweet chocolate and malty goodness.

Overall Left Hand sure knows how to do a beer on nitro... actually, this was the first time I had ever tried the base Wake Up Dead beer, and I like this better than the barrel-aged version. Very good.

Serving type: nitro-tap

06-10-2012 22:29:27 | More by Spider889

FINEBEERGUY

Michigan

4.08/5  rDev +6.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Had it on nitro tap into snifter at 8th Street Grill in Holland.

A Looks like it should on nitro dark body nice creamy head.

S A little on the light side leads me to believe the flavor won't be up to my liking.

T Like I suspected good roasty, easing, and a little amuse, not Mich coffee, a little light for an imperial stout.

F Good smooth almost too smooth. I like nitro on strong imperials but this didn't have the flavor exposition I was looking for in it.

OA I like it and would go for some more of it but not thrilled with it. Just a good quality stout not too imperial.

Serving type: nitro-tap

12-01-2011 21:55:50 | More by FINEBEERGUY

Bung

North Carolina

3.68/5  rDev -4.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

At Serio's World Beers in Louisville.
Blackish brown pour with a Guiness like off white head, due to the nitrogen for sure.

Subdued roast and dark chocolate, all right. Maybe also a bit subdued by the nitro.

Taste, blend of roasty malt and chocolates. Absolute faintest hops. Some dry roast coffee in the finish. It's good but a little one dimensional.

Mouthfilling creaminess created by the nitro tap. An easy drinking imperial stout, would be a good gateway imperial stout.

Serving type: nitro-tap

09-01-2011 00:41:48 | More by Bung

metter98

New York

3.69/5  rDev -3.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A: The beer is jet black in color. It poured with a short tan head that quickly died down, leaving only bits of bubbles on the surface and a thin ring of bubbles around the edge of the glass.
S: Initially, there are moderate aromas of licorice and raisins in the nose. These die down a bit and notes of dark roasted malts become apparent as the beer warms up.
T: The taste is similar to the smell but also has some notes of roasted malts and a light amount of bitterness.
M: It feels medium- to full-bodied on the palate and has a moderate amount of carbonation. Hints of warmth from the alcohol are detectable.
O: I thought this was an average beer compared to other Russian Imperial Stouts and could have used more roasted flavors and bitterness.

Serving type: bottle

05-10-2013 04:41:52 | More by metter98

DenverHopHead

Colorado

4.23/5  rDev +10.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

Here is another Imperial Stout that I didn't have great expectations for, but ended up being very pleased! Compared to some more notable Imperial Stouts like Yeti and Old Rasputin, I found this to be just as good. I wasn't blown away by any one characteristic, but wasn't disappointed by one either. Very good beer!

Serving type: bottle

05-04-2013 17:44:47 | More by DenverHopHead

rhoadsrage

Illinois

4.23/5  rDev +10.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

(Served in a snifter)
A- This beer pours an opaque deep brown body with a thick head that is a mass of microbubbles that takes on a milkshake quality. There is a microcarbonation that fights its way to the surface. The head leaves rings with each sip.

S- The faint smoky note to the full char of black malt has a soft bacon note that grows and some nice roasted raw grain notes aswell.

T- The leather and vinous flavors to the black roasted malt has some dark raisin to it and a slightly dry finish. There is a bacon smoke and leather hint that lingers and becomes a bit inky as it opens up. The bitterness in the finish turns to a green wood note as it warms.

M- The medium mouthfeel has a nice alcohol warmth to it.

O- Big complex dry beer with a unique character to the black malt. Leather and smoke hints and some dark dried fruit really make this a great sipper.

Serving type: bottle

05-02-2013 21:12:43 | More by rhoadsrage

Wheelzie

Tennessee

4.39/5  rDev +14.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.25

straight from the bomber into an oversized wine glass,

wow the appearance is all that it should be, i was suprised by the khaki 1 finger head....in fact it made me giggle a little bit....yes sir i am a beer nerd that got my jollys kicked liked a school girl,

but this is not a school girl beer, in fact it is manly as hell! its toasty and roasty and even gives me hints of some of those barrel stouts!!.. probably because the bottle says that it lurks in their cellars for 4 months! love this beer at the moment!

it is very filling be careful with this hairy beast

Serving type: bottle

04-29-2013 06:49:52 | More by Wheelzie

YoDude

Illinois

4.38/5  rDev +14.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Appearance: Black and poured with a short deep brown head. Head is slightly retained with a dark brown ring and about half inch of loose lacing.

Smell: The nose is dark roasted coffee with a hint of dried fruit, very pleasant and welcoming.

Taste: Rich roasted malt and coffee up front with lingering flavors of black licorice and dark chocolate. There is also a spicy finish that I accredit to the malt as the hops have long faded.

Mouth feel: It has a full body and light carbonation, with a nice finish of alcohol warmth and dark chocolate flavor. The use of oatmeal gives a smooth mouth feel that has you anticipating your next sip.

Overall: This is a wonderful version of an American Imperial Stout. Left Hand Brewing rarely disappoints. The hops have faded with age, but the combination of malts and other grains have married nicely to make this a wonderful beverage. I will definitely purchase again. Next time I will not age so long to make sure I include hop flavors.

Serving type: 22 oz. bottle aged 18 months in my beer cellar and poured into a Hamm's goblet

Serving type: bottle

04-20-2013 04:17:42 | More by YoDude

BurgeoningBrewhead

Pennsylvania

4.44/5  rDev +15.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.75

Bomber into 34oz mug. Black with a thick tan head. Smell is malty, a bit of yeast, and coffee. Taste is big, smooth coffee and chocolate at first, bittering out at the end and finishing relatively cleanly. Mouthfeel is full, could be a little smoother though. Still a great RIS, very drinkable for 10.2%. Love it!

Serving type: bottle

04-14-2013 03:23:34 | More by BurgeoningBrewhead

NilocRellim

Minnesota

3.94/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 4

Poured from the bottle.

The beer poured a very dark brown, almost black. The smell is quite mellow, sweet malts, slight coffee, chocolate, and toasti-ness. The taste is not as strong as most imperial stouts. It was a little bitter with a very creamy, malty, slight coffee notes and hints of chocolate. Pretty modest for an imperial stout and quite drinkeable, despite the 10.2% ABV.

Would I buy it again? Yes.

Serving type: bottle

04-06-2013 05:56:33 | More by NilocRellim

joefuzz

New York

3.78/5  rDev -1.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Pours deep brown with a tiny ring of bubbles surrounding the brim of the glass. Smells of raisins plums and black cherry. Tastes is dominated by dark fruit and mellows out to a nice cherry chocolate flavor. Mouthfeel is on the thin side with only slight carbonatin. Overall very good effort but not the best of the style.

Serving type: bottle

03-31-2013 05:45:17 | More by joefuzz

MaximalC

Illinois

3.78/5  rDev -1.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

*Note: This bottle was aged nearly a year before consuming.

Pours seal brown with a thin khaki head that dissipates in short order, leaving behind an uncommon microscopic froth. Aroma oozes dark fruit, with a thick, sticky raisin aroma complemented by caramel with a touch of chocolate and alcohol. The essence of raisin really is remarkably present in the nose.

The flavors are at least as audacious as the nose, with plenty of sweet, dark fruit, molasses, anise, cherry, and an alcohol that takes no prisoners. Herbal hops maintain a tentative detente with the huge malt flavors--a quaky balance to say the least. I'm sure the discerning palate could distinguish even finer complexities. The melange takes on a medicinal character that is only accentuated by the slick, oily mouthfeel, while the molasses lingers long into the finish. The alcohol becomes a little too ferocious as it warms, however.

Overall, this is a flavorful and powerful brew that keeps the palate on its toes. I wouldn't describe it as a traditional RIS however, as the body is a little lighter than ideal, and the mouthfeel a shade too slick. It almost comes off as more of a hybrid between a stout and baltic porter. With that said, you can't fault Left Hand for crafting a brew with some attitude.

Serving type: bottle

03-19-2013 01:09:56 | More by MaximalC

JK4Stout

Virginia

3.94/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

I'm keeping this short as I have to get on the road in meer seconds but here we go...Delicious as it warms, worth every penny, and very flavorful to enjoy on a quite night by the fire.
I am somewhat dismayed at the price depending on which location I visit. One place I see 8.99 another 6.75...i chose the later as I once learned math long ago.

Serving type: bottle

03-13-2013 00:05:24 | More by JK4Stout

RuEXP1

Illinois

3.83/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

A: Pours dark brown with a minor amount of coffee colored foam. Decent/slightly thin lacing.

S: Has a sweet and roasted malt smell. Also pick up on some chocolate/vanilla tones. Does not smell overly strong.

T: Not overly heavy. Strongest flavors are roasted malts and chocolate. Nothing is overpowering, but does taste more alcoholic than expected upon smell. Well balanced and smooth throughout sip.

M: Low to moderate carbonation. On the thin side of stouts, but still a very pleasurable feel in the mouth.

O: Overall a very solid stout. Well balanced flavor that is pleasurable throughout each sip. Light enough to enjoy at all times of the year, where a lot of stouts can be overwhelming (especially on hot days). Only real downside (for my preference) was the lack of head when pouring. Though this could be different on tap. Definitely recommended if you haven't had a chance yet.

Serving type: bottle

03-07-2013 03:36:01 | More by RuEXP1

Sunnanek

Sweden

3.33/5  rDev -13.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25

A: Pours dark reddish brown with a medium tall brown, very compact head. Decent lacings.

S: Tart; dark dried fruits, sweet. Some faint vanilla and smoky notes. A bit alcholic. Vineous and salty.

T: Loads of dark dried fruits, very sweet. Smoke and vanilla from the smell is still present. Some coffe and faint licorice.

M: Aftertaste fades quickly, mainly sweet. Chewy full body and very low carbonation.

O: Not bad, but not one of the better in this style. I lack a better balance; the sweetness dominates.

Serving type: bottle

02-22-2013 18:26:09 | More by Sunnanek

Moose90

Colorado

4.38/5  rDev +14.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

22oz Bomber
Dated 12/21/12
Tasted 2/19/13

A – Dark dark brown liquid that forms a very thin coffee colored head that leaves similarly thin lacing down the inside of the glass.

S – Big on the roasted malts. Chocolates and vanilla abound as well. Some light sweet fruit notes, figs, dates. But my favorite part is the strong black licorice tone, awesome.

T – Quite complex, but well balanced. Notes of rich dark cocoa and charred malts, as well as sweet fresh licorice and dark fruits. Some light hoppiness to keep things from being too heavy.

M – Moderate-to-low carbonation level, good sticky sweetness to this one, but not heavy like some others of the style. Leaves a nice long and lingering finish that allows the flavor complexities to develop. Quite smooth.

O – Just awesome, has an unmatched balance and is quite easy to drink considering it's imperial nature. Best part of this one is all the licorice, chocolate, and roasted notes.

Serving type: bottle

02-20-2013 01:21:37 | More by Moose90

BeerNinja007

New Hampshire

4.69/5  rDev +22.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75

22oz bomber from Provisions in Northampton, MA. I forget how much I paid but it was reasonable... $6-7? "Vintage 12/21/12 356:16:18 153-54" stamped on the bottle. FINALLY, a code that makes sense!!!! So this is only a couple months old.

Served cold in a tulip, but I intend to make it last well long enough for it to warm up significantly.

A: Pitch black brew puts up 1/2" of thick creamy taupe head from a vigorous pour. The foam condenses into ever-larger bubbles before settling to a whispy layer across the surface. Large bubbles cling to the glass. When held to a bright light, the brew reveals minimal very dark cherry red highlights. Some nice thick creamy lace, but not a ton.

S: Super thick biscuity malt and warm dutch chocolate backbone. As it warms some bright candied cherry aroma develops, along with dried figs or prunes, a little charred malt, and a good clean dose of black licorice. The licorice note is very true and distinct, no mistaking it. Warming further develops a really unexpected note of cantaloupe . This stuff is awfully dynamic, that's for sure.

T/M: First impression is very well balanced: it has a lot of everything, but not too much of any one thing. Thick enough to have a great viscosity, but not too thick to be syrupy or overly filling. Black but not acrid. Sweet but not cloying. Just enough hops, just enough carbo, and just enough EtOH burn to let you know that it's there without being overpowering. This is a supremely well balanced brew.

I have a hard time holding this in my mouth long enough to analyze it without letting it slide down and reaching for another sip. Taste starts with rich cocoa and biscuit, bready sweetness on the tip of the tongue. Then a nice dose of bitter charred malt and bitter chocolate mid-palate, mixing with a bit of dried fruits (prunes, figs?), then generic hoppiness, licorice, cola, and some welcomed EtOH heat on the back end. The charred malt kind of lays under everything from the mid-palate backward. Licorice and EtOH blend in toward the very back and it all lingers very long into the finish. As it warms a bit of melon and menthol develop in the mid-palate and finish as well.

O: Superb, stunning, superfluous. So well balanced, goes down so smoothly, that it's hard to just sip this even though it should be a slow sipping brew. A good dose of black charred malt and licorice lingers long into the finish with a healthy portion of slow burning EtOH. I find it appealing, but those with more sensitive palates might feel overwhelmed.

Update: the LH website informs me that this brew is aged on site for at least 12 months before bottling. Nice!

Serving type: bottle

02-19-2013 04:27:46 | More by BeerNinja007

ThomasAWilson2

Virginia

3.89/5  rDev +1.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 4

Left Hand caught my attention strangely with a cider, not a beer. After gobbling up bottles of Original Sin hard cider on a dinner date one evening, finding their imperial stout was high on the priority list. IS’s are my favorite style of beer so Wake Up Dead got the proper treatment, poured into a goblet at the prescribed 55 degrees. This left a firm 2 1/2 finger head that slowly dissipated without too much lacing. As for the rest of the appearance, this is one dark stout. Black, opaque and very difficult to find light through even as my glass emptied.

Wake Up Dead has a pretty standard imperial stout nose; you can’t miss the charred grains, dark fruits (mainly raisin) and deep, woodsy hops. Don’t get suckered into being a label reader though. This stout may have the expected dark chocolate and dark fruit smells and tastes but the real surprise is in the black licorice which doesn’t hide. You won’t get the wormwood hints one expects with most black licorice flavored food and drink or the popular liquor absinthe, but the taste is recognizable and a welcome break from the imperial stout pack.

As the brew warms, Wake Up Dead’s earthy hops, charred grains and the alcoholic burn of 10.20% ABV bully their way to the front and meld the other flavors together properly underfoot. Carbonation keeps things lively in the mouth and helps to create a thick and chewy mouthfeel. Overall, I am pleased with this one. What WUD lacks in strong flavors, it makes up in balancing the flavors it does have very well without the watered down characteristics of many a brewery’s attempt at this style of beer. Not overly expensive and pretty available in my experience, coughing up a few bucks for a bomber won’t hurt.

Serving type: bottle

02-18-2013 01:45:06 | More by ThomasAWilson2

russpowell

Oklahoma

3.69/5  rDev -3.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

Could've swore I reviewed this...

Pours mahogany with 3+ fingers of mocha colored head. Average lacing & head retention

S: Carob, slight smokeyness, charred grain a touch of salt water taffy & boozeyness

T: Dark fruit, carob & boozeyness up front, along with some charred grain & licorice up front. Some woody hops, raisins, prunes, black currant & more carob as this warms, some leafy hops as well & molasses & more charred grain in minute doses along with a little dark chocolate. Finishes dry, slightly smokey, along with pruneyness, & woody hops

MF: Very chewy, slight carbonation

This isn't bad, but there are beter ones out there for less money to be sure. Drinks fairly easy for the ABV & style

Serving type: bottle

02-11-2013 05:07:30 | More by russpowell

Sludgeman

District of Columbia

2.88/5  rDev -25%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.75

22 oz bottle with "bottled on" date was missing. Purchased on January 13, 2013. Poured into a large wine glass.

A - Poured midnight black, opaque. Healthy pour resulted in half a finger of head that quickly disapated. Little lacing.

A - Alcohol, dark fruits and a little yeast.

T - Burnt coffee, rasins, bitter. Hoppy alcohol finish. No chocolate.

MF - Dry and almost antiseptic.

O - Possesses many of the individual attributes of an imperial stout, but when combined does not work for me. Will not purchase again.

Serving type: bottle

02-07-2013 02:57:37 | More by Sludgeman

challenja

Virginia

4.96/5  rDev +29.2%
look: 4.75 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 5

22 oz Bottle bought at Arrowine in Arlington Va.props to Nick for selecting this beer.
Poured into Dogfishhead pint glass.
A: a delictable sinful black and red hued sacloth. Excellent slight sticky swiss milk chocolate froth head that turns into a lovely white lace that really coats the glass after finished. My glass looks like a Jackson Pollock painting.
S: gorgeous dark chocolate nose. Sweet bready malts. Molasses vanilla bean maple syrup. Medium roast costa rican nose. This is one Sweet smelling delicious russian imperial stout.
T: WOW! That is my first impression. What a delicious beer! An amazing imperial stout that will be bought again and again..I will store some of this bad boys for the keep. Taste profile is straight off the bat dark 85% cocoa. African in origin. Rich cream and sweet molasses. Medium expresso roast. Vanilla bean extract slight pomegranate but definately a bright red fruit. Sweet malty breads that tater on waffle cone.
M: A delicious full smooth body. Lushious and chocolate coffee biscuits. The froth kicks in at the back end of things. Tingly and inviting to the gums.
O: this is an amazing and richly complex russian imperial that is not a one trick pony. This beer just entered my top 5 all time Russian imperials joining Epic Big Bad Baptist Surly the Darkness ,Firestone Parabola ,Founders Imperial and now this baby.

Serving type: bottle

01-28-2013 22:55:20 | More by challenja

rudzud

Massachusetts

3.68/5  rDev -4.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

Bottled 8/8/11. I know I reviewed this beer before. Hmph...So this was meant to be drank on the Mayan Apocalypse but never got cracked. Sooo....

A - Poured into my Duvel tulip a deep dark brown almost black hue with a one finger mocha head that faded to leave a thin thin blanket and light side lacing.

S - Sweet roast, almost light licorice aromas hints of chocolate.

T - A bit on the sweet side for me. Perhaps thats what the aging has done here. Sweeter malts, older coffee and chocolate. Faint, faint metallic note along with some darker fruits (raisins/figs). That dark fruit kind of gets in the way for me a little.

M - Mouthfeel is nice. Good carbonation here.

O - Overall this wasnt a bad beer. Don't think age has done this well. Glad I got to rereview it, but I know my original review was 4's across the board. Oh well.

Serving type: bottle

01-22-2013 00:56:41 | More by rudzud

BEERchitect

Kentucky

4.05/5  rDev +5.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

Riding on the heels of the "Fade to Black" series, this barrel aged imperial stout exemplifies all things that are both dark and beer. It embraces the dark deadness and revels in its depths. Wake Up Dead is aptly named.

Its inky, jet black and opaque pour is absolutely absent of light and sucks the like into a depth of dense oily ale. Riding just above is a rather lively dense blanket of foam- tan in its color that's in stark contrast to the beer buried beneath. As the beer recedes, left behind is pocketed lace for a rich and robust display. A swirl of the glass reveals brandy-like legging with a tawny stain that draws in the eye.

The strong presence of espresso, cocoa, and toffee reach the nose well before the snifter closes to the nose. High roast scents of burnt wood- just shy of smoke, burnt fruit, and a general earthy soil scent offers light wood spices and the mild scent of ash to rise from time to time.

A malty-sweet collage of slightly burnt toffee, rich earthy espresso, bittersweet chocolate, and roasty campfire flavors mingle on the tongue with a savory underlay of creamy starch that coats the mouth evenly and firmly. Complementing fruit compounds of black cherry, aniseed, raisins, and currants all seem charred by open fire, giving only a glimpse of smoke and ash to the roast underpinnings. Firmly bitter by both coffee-like roast and woodish hops, the beer balances beautifully to finish.

And with its certain full body, the beer isn't overly chewy or thick- instead the rich taste of malt and protruding alcohol wrap around the tongue with a lush velvety, silky, and sultry feel. It's truly the closes your tongue will ever get to a massage. An extended finish of roast, caramel, bold alcohol warmth, and wood-derived astringency accompany the balance in taste that gives the beer a fortified dessert-like effect.

Dead in its demeanor, the beer is certainly alive with taste and texture. It's "awake" attributes are inviting, invigorating, and highly satisfying. Its a delicious imperial stout that begs for the accompaniment of walnuts and fruited cheese.

Serving type: bottle

01-18-2013 05:29:07 | More by BEERchitect