About the beer:

Left Hand Brewing Company is located in Longmont, Colorado. The name Left Hand was chosen in honor of Chief Niwot, Niwot being the Araphoe word for “left hand.” The Araphoe tribe often wintered in the local area.  Fade to Black Volume 2 – Smoked Baltic Porter is a collaboration beer done with Nørrebro Bryghus in Denmark. The beer is categorized as Baltic Porter. If you are unfamiliar with the style, take a minute and check out our beer profile for Baltic Porters.

In a nutshell:

Fade to Black Volume 2 – Smoked Baltic Porter from Left Hand Brewing Company is simply fantastic. This beer will leave your mouth coated in sweet smokey flavors. If we handed out trophies for our favorite beers I’d be mailing one out today.

Review:

Like the name would suggest this beer is black. Black black actually. Of course, porters are known for being dark in color, but this one would put many stouts to shame. Perhaps one of the first things that grasped me about this beer was the smell of smoke as it hit the glass. I quickly picked up on the smoky aroma along with the scent of burnt wood. In a way, it reminded me of a campfire as the smells are truly relaxing and perfect for these last few cold Boston winter nights. Upon taking your first sip your mouth will be coated in sweet smoky flavors. If I had to relate the taste to something I may describe it as slightly burnt toast. Now I know what you are thinking. “Burnt toast? No thank you.” Trust me here burnt toast is a good thing. Next time you are at your favorite craft beer store and see one of one these sitting on the shelf – grab it! I assure you that this one does not disappoint. I’d even go as far as saying if you aren’t a fan of dark beers then put your prejudices aside and give this one a try.

Rating: 5 out 5 – Drinker’s Choice

Baltic porter is an extremely heavy beer, both in taste and alcohol content, that was brewed to help the people living by the Baltic Sea of Northern Europe get through the frigid winter. The beer was originally produced in England and shipped to the people of Finland, Poland and other nearby countries. Although it later gained fame as a way to stave off the cold with it’s high alcohol content, it was brewed so strong simply to allow it to survive the long shipment to the Baltic region. Eventually, the citizens of these Baltic countries began to produce their own varieties of the beer, particularly in Finland and Poland. These brewers made some changes to the English recipe, brewing the beer as a lager instead of an ale and increasing the flavor. The alcohol in these beers is extremely intense, usually weighing in around 7 to 10% Alc. by volume. The taste is equally mighty and quite dry, usually with notes of dark chocolate and rye. It’s one of the strongest variations of porter available, and also one of the tastiest.

These beers make excellent companions for the right type of food. Although it might seem odd, oysters go great with Baltic porter and other heavy beers. The rich, malty flavors provide a nice counter flavor to the hearty tastes of oysters and other sea food. Dark chocolate is also a lovely accompaniment to Baltic porters.

If you’re going to try Baltic porter I’d recommend Sinebrychoff from Finland, which is perhaps the most popular and traditional version.  Smuttynose out of New Hampshire also produces a wonderful version. What’s your favorite Baltic porter? Next time you try it, let us know by tweeting your beer and adding the #mybeer hashtag.