Left Hand – Fade to Black Vol. 3 – Pepper Porter

I tried Left Hand’s Fade to Black Vol. 2 at the beginning of the year and I really liked the Smoked Porter.  Vol. 3  is a Pepper Porter (7.2% ABC and 1,984 Scoville Units) and I picked up a six-pack when I saw it.  It pours very dark – black – with a lacy head.  One can definitely pick up pepper on the nose and I was somewhat surprised that I did not pick up a strong pepper presence on the taste.  This is a very nice porter and has a great taste, I was expecting a bit more of a pepper bite, which may have been somewhat muted by the spicy dish I was eating.  I think Left Hand brews two volumes during the fall and winter and I will purchase these when I see them.  They are always something a little different, are here for only a limited time, and are always tasty.

Website Description – “Imagine Robert DeNiro sitting in your darkened parlour near the fire in his Louis Cyphre persona smoking a Tuscan cigar. This may be the beer with which to save (or lose) your soul. Dried fruit flavors entwined with smoky pepper and licorice embossed on roasty malt sweetness open on your tongue as the slow warmth of chilis creep up on your tongue and throat, finishing in an herbal smoke ring flourish.”