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Beer Review: Left Hand Brewing Company

This is a wonderful beer. It has everything you want from a dark pour with a little extra thrown in to boot.
Longmont Observer

This content was originally published by the Longmont Observer and is licensed under a Creative Commons license.

25th Anniversary Imperial Stout (Photo by Macie May/ Longmont Observer)

Source:  Left Hand Brewing Company

Beverage: 25th Anniversary Imperial Stout

12.1% ABV

Rating: 4.5/5

Availability: Draft

This is a wonderful beer. It has everything you want from a dark pour with a little extra thrown in to boot. The experience starts with the aromas of caramel and malt which then intensify as you start to drink it. Its smooth on the tongue, there isn’t a lot of carbonation left in it by the time it reaches your mouth, it’s a good thing because it plays well with the sweeter flavors alluded to in the aroma.

The whole thing finishes off with a burnt dark chocolate flavor that hangs around for a minute to chat. This is a wonderful beer that is ideal for this time of year in the Front Range and an open fire.

Left Hand Resilience IPA (Photo by Macie May/ Longmont Observer)

Source: Left Hand Brewing Company

Beverage: Resilience IPA

Rating: 3.5/5

Availability: Draft at a 1500 locations nationwide.

Resilience IPA has a bit of a back story that bears telling. The Sierra Nevada Brewing Company came up with the recipe and shared it with sum 1500 breweries to raise money to help those affected by the Camp Fire in California. So if you like to feel good because you helped a cause while you imbibe alcohol here you go. Here’s a link to a Forbes article that goes more into depth.

So now onto what we care about.  Is it any good? Yes, it's playing on a tried and true combination of a wheat beer with the flavor of orange. What they then add to it is enough hops that you start to get their fruitier notes without it overpowering the rest of the flavors and just enough bitter that it starts to play with the orange notes and enough just enough bitter that you know you’re drinking an IPA. This is a solid beer that most beer drinkers will enjoy.

Beer Review Scale:

0/5 Not fit for man nor beast

0.5/5 Have I wronged you somehow that you would offer this to me?

1/5 Not enjoyable

2/5 Drinkable (The base line.  Where one does not cringe upon tasting it)

3/5 A decent beverage.

4/5 A very good beverage that I am willing to spend my money to drink.

4.5/5 Sweet nectar

5/5 …