Fade to Black

Because my husband is recording music in the other room, I have the urge to write this review as a song. Don't worry, I'll valiantly fight the feeling. With him is a friend of mine who politely asked whether he could have one of the many beers in my fridge. Something malty, he said. I had just the thing.

Fade to Black is a winter seasonal that Left Hand Brewing Company calls a Foreign Stout, but I'm told it's almost more like a porter. As advertised, it's a really dark beer; we're talking bottom of a well on a moonless night. The most prominent notes are a sweetness like molasses and a sort of espresso undertone according to my friend, but other sources report licorice and cardamom flavors.

If you're not a big fan of porters or the sweeter side of stouts, this may not be the beer for you; try Left Hand's Milk Stout instead. If you want something malty, like my friend did, this beer is enthusiastically recommended. By which I mean that it was immediately stolen by someone else because it was so good, so my friend will have to wait until I can buy more.

Just the facts, ma'am: Fade to Black, Left Hand Brewing Company, Colorado, foreign stout, 8.5% alcohol by volume.

Consume in a well-lit area or you might lose your beer and never find it again.