Left Hand Oak Aged Imperial Stout

Brewed by Left Hand Brewing Co.
Style: Imperial Stout
Longmont, Colorado USA

2009 vintage. Brandy barrel aged version. Pours a dark mahogany color with a translucent chestnut edge. A frothy head of dark khaki colored foam fades quickly, leaving sticky, broken cobweb sheeting behind. The nose sports strange, plasticy, band-aid phenols over a baseline of roasted caramel and lactic, dark chocolate. The flavor is only slightly less offensive, yet totally unimpressive. Dark choco-caramel and hints of coffee roast are met with vanilla and more traces of plastic/chemical. Medium-plus in body, but syrupy and under carbonated, the palate doesn’t really work either. What were these, fresh plastic brandy barrels? The previous version of this beer from a couple of years ago is superior.
Earlier Rating: 9/5/2008 Total Score: 4
2007 vintage. Pours a dark but transparent mahogany brown color. A small, creamy, bubbly beige head lingers. Random spots and flares of lace mark the glass. The aroma is quite nice, showing notes of chocolate cake batter, caramel, nougat, and rum soaked figs. Licorice emerges, and a soft, oaky vanilla component permeates from start to finish. Flavors include caramello and chocolate fudge, with anise, licorice, and vanilla crème liquor. Medium-full on the palate, the body feels silky on the tongue. Excellent brew. Chocolate and soft vanilla abounds.

2009 Bottle shared by Butters. Poured black with a tan head that settles to a ring. Aromas of toffee, chocolate, and nut. The flavor found roasted malts backed with dark fruits and a light alcohol presents. Medium body with a cocoa aftertaste.

Black with fair, creamy brown head / Nose of wine, milk chocolate, oak, and spice / Medium body, some chewiness, with balance tending towards hops and with dry, hot finish / Flavors of bittersweet chocolate, dark roast coffee, oak, vanilla, and cinnamon, with a wine/bourbon notes from the oak barrels / Body lacks oomph to support the high alcohol, but still very good.

Pours a nice brownish black with a light brown head. Aroma of cocoa, malt, rasins, licorice and a touch of brandy. Flavor is fruits, brandy, licorice, rasins, oak. Different than I expected, but Im really digging this brew. Good stuff.

Tap at Mugs Alehouse. Dark black beer with a thin brown head. Aroma is full of light cocoa and soft vanilla. A touch of bittersweet cocoa. Lightly nutty character behind the other rich sweet components. There is a bit of earthy herbal character. Lightly sticky with a soft chewy sweetness. The oak is pretty subtle in here but it lends a light chewy character that is pretty nice. Solid brew.

pours a black with a ruby tint when held up to the light, medium size khaki head that dissipates quickly, and some lacing. smell is faint, cocoa, malt, and some vanilla. taste is dry, bakers and dark chocolate, some walnuts in the back, and a touch of licorice, ends dry with a slight bitter finish.

2009 bottle. Pours very dark brown with a smoewhat small, pillowy, tan head which is mostly diminishing and leaves some lace rings. Nose is better than its predecessors with some molasses, light anise, notable warmth, light oaky vanilla, dark toffee, and faint vinous/sherry fruit, and/or raisin. Flavor is decent as well with some roast in this one, which was lacking in the others; light express notes, light oaky vanilla, light anise, dark toffee, molasses, and vinous/sherry fruits (raisins). Palate is still young but soft to lively, silky, warm, and drying a touch with a medium to full body. Finishes fairly long with some of the sweet notes disappearing and leaving some mild earthy and herbal hops, faint oak, and expresso lingering. Not anything like the French Wine Oak-Aged IS and certainly much different from the original IS; roast has some presence, hops have some presence, and sweetness is finally balanced. This one is still too young to make a fair judgement, but I feel this will be a tremendous beer in a year or so. The palate is still silky but has some carbonation to lose now, the vinous/sherry fruity notes will become more prominant, hops and roast notes are there to balance, and complexity is already good but will be better. Looking forward to this one in some time; the best from LH I’ve had.
Earlier Rating: 3/23/2007 Total Score: 4
2007 Bottle. Black pour with garnet highlights and a tan, moderate, pillowy, mostly diminishing head. Still young but nice with oak and vinous notes (plum maybe), milk chocolate, faint roast, dark caramel. Flavor is also nice with some anise now to go with milk chocolate, light coffee, and dark caramel; vinous notes are more subdued in the taste. Palate is moderatelly-full, silky smooth, and just a touch over soft. As the flavor progresses more oak character comes into play drying the flavor out a touch and bringing out more roast. Bitterness from the hops is non-existant but has some from the oak and roast. Finish is fairly long being slightly dry with milk chocolate and vinous oak. The oak does add nice complimenting oak and vinous notes and gives some more depth from the sweet original. This, like the original, would be better with some hop balance, but overall, a solid beer with great supplemental vinous oak qualities.

Deep ruby-red brown body and small tan head. Rich woody, vanilla, coffee, spice and chocolate malt body. Heavily roasted with strong tart, port bourbon barrel essence. Spice pervasive through the rich dark fruit character. Great drink.