Location: Longmount, CO
Beer: Fade to Black
Type: "Foreign export stout." Or, stout.
Coming off of bashah, I wasn't sure what to expect. Would my tastebuds be fit to handle another round of liquid black hole? Because that's how this beer poured. Could my palate handle another round of flavor bombardment? I mean, who am I to pass up a challenge?? Tessa grabbed this one at Total Wine and More (because she thought it had a fancy label) and felt I should put it through the ringer. Happily, I obliged. I'd like to take the time to say that my selection time has not gotten any quicker, but thankfully Tessa humors me. In any case, let me tell you about Fade to Black. You like Guinness? Do you wish Guinness had some more flavor to it? Ok. Good. Here's what we've got. Fade to Black pours black as coal and leaves a modest, light chocolate milk colored head. You get a nice whiff of roasted malt right off the bat. Not shocking it has a very low carbonation level, as is common with stouts. That low level of carbonation does nicely to not interfere with tastes. Strong black coffee comes first with a slight tinge of bitter and gives way to a modest roasted malt flavour. Flavour? How'd that "u" get in there? That was pretty English of me...anywho... Mild hops show up and take over. Fade to Black does not yield as thick a mouthfeel as its color would make you believe, which is fine by me and easily makes this an "all year beer." Sadly, this is considered a winter brew for the folks at Left Hand. Twice as strong as Guinness at 8.5% and more flavorful, if you can get this, do so!
