Wake Up Dead
Left Hand Brewing Company

 

12oz bottle. Stamped on bottle neck is 'Vintage: 2022 Best By: 09/12/2027'.
Black colored body, with wider mahogany back lit edge. One finger of tan head, which retreats to an island and a ring. Leaves behind very small spots and one short string of lacing.
Aroma of dark roasted malts, dried dark fruits, and black licorice.
Taste is sweeter than expected from the nose. Flavors of dark roasted malts, milk chocolate, dried dark fruits, and lots of black licorice. There is a slight, and late, bitter coffee expression. Mellow chocolate malts and black licorice in the aftertaste.
Medium mouth feel. Very drying on the roof of the mouth. Some alcohol burn on the tongue. Quiet carbonation.
The higher alcohol content is not really tasted but rather "felt" by a dramatic drying effect in the mouth, especially the roof of the mouth. Good mix of sweet and bitter. One must like black licorice to have any affinity for this beer. Old time RIS.

 

 

From the shoulder of the bottle: "Vintage: 2022 25609:01 Best By 09/13/2027"

Appearance: It is a black bodied beer with a short, creamy textured, light tan head. It slowly recedes out to a ring that has a bit of thickness to it. Spotty lacing on the glass.

Aroma: There is a bit of a woody note to the beer. It smells a bit like old twigs. There is a bit of soy sauce and a touch of cola on the nose as well. It is very mellow and just barely comes through.

Taste: Up front there is a bit of chocolate with some cola character and a touch of soy sauce. As it approaches the middle of the tongue, soy sauce develops more on the palate near the sides. Alcohol pops into the forefront and there is a bit of charred bitterness. Some charred bitterness towards the back-end of the palate. A bit of an earthy old coffee ground flavor in the aftertaste.

Mouthfeel: It feels noticeably thin, but it still manages to sit firmly in the medium body range. Carbonation is low which is fine. A touch of alcohol burn. It has a medium bitterness from the grains which only really shows up towards the back of the palate.

Overall: The beer as a whole just felt old. The aroma came across as a much older beer and was very muted. The flavors felt dull and the mouthfeel was not ideal. The label states that this is "BOLD YET SMOOTH WITH NOTES OF DARK CHOCOLATE, DRIED FRUIT & COFFEE." It states that the ingredients are "Rocky Mountain water, malted barley, rolled oats, hops, yeast." The beer does have dark chocolate character which is a nice showcase of the malts, but it also has a lot of soy sauce character. There is a bit of a coffee note in the aftertaste as well but it isn't very pronounced. Although the label recommends that you "CELLAR FOR UP TO 5 YEARS" I probably wouldn't given how old it already feels. It's not a beer I am likely to buy again and there are much better Imperial Stouts that I would recommend.

2021 version - a 12 ounce bottle poured into a snifter.
Tanny foam receded quickly, but left a ring of lacing b4 disappearing altogether.
Smell is nondescript, and only a faint aroma of coffee lingers.
Taste. Hmm., I’m not sure this is a RIS. Doesn’t have the hallmarks at all. In fact, it’s barely a coffee stout either. Good ABV leaning on all mild flavors of dark fruit, cacao, burnt toffee and a light hop finish which counters any sweetness.
Feel is thin for the style. Just under medium carbonation.
Overall, there are better Russian Imperial Stouts out there for sure.

Solid black appearance with an average size tan head that left very good lacing. Roasted malt aroma that brings along layers of chocolate, ripe fruit and toffee. Taste is sweet without being cloying. Dark chocolate is prominent. Toward the finish there is a smattering of floral hops that contribute a bit of contrast. Smooth, full bodied, modestly carbonated mouthfeel. Overall: ready for a 2nd without hesitation.

Pours black, very little head.
No noticeable smell.
Very nice taste. Rich, not thin at all.
Smooth drinking, however I do "taste" the ABV.
Overall, a very good well priced RIS.

December 2022. Athens. Overall solid imperial Stout smooth not too strong not too boozy even though it’s a 10.4% .

12oz bottle vintage 2022 best before 08/12/2027 poured into a teku glass at just above fridge temp 10.2% ABV. The beer pours midnight black with sparce light brown head. The head recedes to a thin ring and island. Minimal lacing. The aroma is mild with dark chocolate and licorice, plus a hint of berry. The taste is bittersweet roasted, charred malt with more dark chocolate, dark fruit and coffee notes. Medium bitterness. The mouthfeel is medium plus bodied with just less that average carbonation and a mostly dry finish. ABV is well hidden. Overall, very good RIS.

Undated bottle into pint glass. Pours a deep dark mahogany with a brief tan head. Initial impression is dark chocolate, bitter espresso, and a hint of raisins. Mouthfeel is clean and medium thick. Alcohol is quite well hidden. Finish fades to a chocolate-y bitterness. Overall, a thoroughly enjoyable Imperial Stout. I will revisit.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Viscous black with a steady creamy tan head; licorice, raisin + beef jerky on the nose; black chocolate, rock candy, blackberry jam, dates, espresso, cola hard candy and gentle roasty end; full, chewy, smooth.

4 4.25 4.5 4.5 4.25

Tug of war between dark savoury notes and surprising sweetness. Full + satisfying body without ever being cloying. The Nitro version is smoother and far more chocolaty - “cold Irish coffee” - but nowhere near as good; every sip tastes the same. Deep, complex + compelling.