Left Hand SmokeJumper

Dark brown with a huge thick tan head. Aroma of smoke, wood, roast and some malt. Flavors of smoke, meat, malt, roast and some chocolate. Fairly well balanced and the smoke is not overpowering.

A Mes rate: Nice 75cl bottle at Ølfestival 2007. First off I have to say thanks to Henrik for pouring me some of this as it was being sampled at the Mikkeller stand. A true gent. Dark black brown colour with a pretty impressive tan head. Smokey alcoholic porter nose that to be honest is not amazing but I just love smoked beers. Considering the obvious trouble the brewer has gone to to smoke this beer I find it a shame that the smoke is very faint in the flavour. Would have liked it even more if the smoke was a little more assertive. That said the flavour is still pretty impressive with lovely malts, chocolate, slight liquorice and some faint English cheddar from the smoke. Plenty of alcohol showing however and it is just about bearable. Typically American in it’s lack of finesse but all in all still a jolly fine drop.

Dark Brown Color with Sandy Head. Heavy Creamy Mouthfeel. Coffee Roast, Smoke Aroma. Burning and Smoke Enflame the Mouth...Creamy Lactose Flavor Balancing it Out...Coffee Roasts and Bitter Chocolate. Alcohol Well Hid. Aside From a Flare Up of Smoke Flavor, This Brew is Well Balanced.

22 oz. bomber. Ruby tinged black/brown body under a lasting head of creamy tan foam and some slippery lace. The smoke is immediately very evident, although not as smoky as the beer from Bamburg’s Schlenkerla Brewery. Addtionally, some maolasses, coffee, and a little chocolate makes a showing, but it all takes a back seat to the smoke. The mouthfeel is rich, creamy, lightly carbonated, with a hint of astringency. Flavor shows some pretty good balance between a malty sweetness and some peppery bitterness. Finishes dry, with some chewiness. If you like smoked beers, this is a good one, and the best I’ve had from Left Hand if I’m not mistaken.

Thanks beer_hawk for this brew. A super smokey aroma with a slight bitterish smell to it. A huge dark brown pour with excellent lacing. A flavor of super smoked oysters. Must me about as much smoke in this beer that can be captured in a brew. Just a tad over carbonated. Overall a very good beer. I hope to pick up another and enjoy a larger longer sample. Thanks Steve

Huge nose, ham and metallic. Nice meaty, chocolate taste with lot"s of alcohol that unfortunately totally numbs your tastebuds after a few sips. Nice example of it"s style though!

Pours a dark brown with a big ass light tan head. Looks thick. The nose is in fact thick. A significant smoke presence over a big malt backbone with hints of alcohol. Chocolate malt and some roast definitely sneak in as does just a smidge of grape maybe? Less emphasis on the coffee, more on the smoke, which I like. Reminds me of Stone Smoked Porter. The body is viscous with a good amount of carbonation and just enough carbonation to give this a creamy feel. the flavor is certainly on par. Big sweet malt, caramel and chocolate, meets head on with the smoke and the alcohol. Something resembling bacon about this smoke, like the Schlenkerla Marzen. the roast is a little more obvious here, getting into charcoal territory, but not overstepping that. The alcohol is very forward, but I think in a brew with this much malt, not a bad thing. There’s definitely a fair amount of diacetyl in here, but given the bigness of this brew, it’s covered up rather well, and in fact smooths this beer out to some extent. Big round malt up front. Roast acidity takes hold in the finish, with the acidity turning to alcohol with some floral hops showing up in the aftertaste. For half the price, which was 11 bucks, I’d drink this once a month.

750mL bottle drunk on 4/20/07
Nice to see a bottle conditioned left hand beer and the appearance confirms it. Big, cascading, dark-brown head billows up and recedes very slowly, though only leaving minimal lace. Medium to medium-high clarity, little, if any sediment on bottom. Very dark brown body, with an oily/ashy sheen to it and cranberry highlights.
Not much smoke in the nose, more like a coffee bean aroma with lots of medium-dry chocolate. Hard notes of black malt takes things very dry and there’s a bit of yeast blandness/doughiness. Cola and more chocolate, with only a late, very dry woodsmoke-like note coming on the end. The more I sniff for the smoke, the more I’m greeted by lots of chalkiness, doughiness and a very strong overtone of vanilla and somewhat hard coffee notes. A bit of solvent/glue-like vapors on the end as well. Medium to medium-strong strength.
The body opens up rather watery, with a somewhat loose carbonation and surprisingly light body. Chocolate-covered coffee beans seem to be the dominant flavor that I get, followed by a little bit of "day-after-campfire" notes. Some oiliness further disrupts any consistency that the mouthfeel could use and dark, roasted malts throw on the coffee bean-like notes as alcohol is strongly persistent on the end. More smoke comes with warming, a slight saltiness mixing with sweeter chocolate notes, but the alcohol never goes away and the body stays rather light, the carbonation too loose and the beer just seemingly too big for itself. Too forceful for me, without enough succulent smokiness or ample body to pick up some of the heavily dry, coffee/roasted hardness and alcohol. Oh, and I forgot the hops. They’re poorly done, to say the least. Bitter, acidic and without much redeeming flavor or aroma, they exacerbate the effects of the alcohol and create a stinging, harsh sensation on the palate.