Fade To Black Volume 2
Man, I absolutely loved volume one of Left Hand Brewing’s Fade to Black series. That export stout was damn tasty — so tasty, in fact, that it ended up on my “Best Beers of 2010” post.
For volume 2, the Colorado brewing has taken inspiration from their 2009 collaborative brew (Pillage and Burn) with Denmark’s Nørrebro. This 7.8% ABV Baltic Porter uses malts that were smoked over hackberry — specifically a 100 year old tree from the head brewer’s home (at least that’s what I’ve found online). I’m not sure I could tell you how this type of tree has impacted the flavor of the beer other than saying, it’s got a nicely muted smoke character that compliments the style’s relatively sweet malt profile.
Appearance
Pouring nearly black, Volume 2 in the series sits in the glass with a large, dense mocha colored head.
Aroma
A light smoky chart wafts above the glass as hints of roasted coffee, chocolate, light dark fruits and a subtle sweetness present themselves.
Taste
Wow! This is one smoky Baltic Porter. It’s not quite on par with some Rauchbiers I’ve had in the past, but it certainly has a nice char to it — at a level that I would not consider palate wrecking. The char compliments the otherwise sweet nature of this brew as hints of chocolate and a half-smoked Maduro. The ABV is masked well as the smoke lingers for a nice long while in the finish.
Overall
I wouldn’t consider this beer as drinkable as the export stout that the brewery sent out as Volume One in the series, but it’s definitely my favorite of the two. The smoky char is at just the right level as to not overwhelm the palate or dominate the other flavors of this Baltic Porter. I’ll have to try and find more of it before it’s all gone.
Rating:4.25/5