Left Hand Brewing Company - Black Jack Porter

The Black Jack Porter is a traditional London style beer with plenty of chocolate malt and Kent Goldings hops. It has won gold medals in the Brown Porter and Robust Porter categories at the Great American Beer Festival , in 1995 and 2000, along with a Bronze medal in the Traditional Porter category, in 1994. This is a well-balanced porter, with a slight sweetness at the start. But this beer quickly changes to a distinctive chocolate malt roastiness at the finish.

The Left Hand Brewing Company merged with Tabernash Brewing Company on April 1, 1998. The breweries combined to become one of Colorado's ten largest craft brewers, as well as, one of its most recognized and awarded makers of quality ales, lagers and weiss beers. When the two breweries merged, they stayed in the original 2.5 acre location of the Left Hand Brewing Company, in Longmont, Colorado.

In spring of 1998, an additional 7,000 square feet were added to the original 6,000 square foot brewhouse, fermentation, and conditioning facility. This extra space was added to accommodate 12 new fermentation vessels, 2 new beer tanks, a brand new bottling line, labeler, new cooler storage for finished product, as well as space for keg cleaning and filling, storage of packaging materials and office space for the central administrative functions of the brewery. A new four station keg cleaner and filler was added to the brewery in December 1999, providing for a more efficient cleaning and filling operation. This new brewhouse is capable of producing up to 20,000 barrels annually.

Left Hand Brewing Company's original product line consisted of four year-round beers: Sawtooth Ale, Black Jack Porter, Juju Ginger Ale and Motherlode Golden Ale. The current Left Hand product line consists of Sawtooth Ale, Jackman's American Pale Ale (introduced in 1997), Black Jack Porter and Deep Cover Brown Ale, all in six packs and kegs. Their other beers include Juju Ginger Ale, Imperial Stout and the seasonal XXXmas Ale in kegs and 22 oz. bombers.

The now larger and more comfortable tasting room enables visitors to relax and sample the wide variety of award-winning ales, lagers and weiss beers produced on site, while perusing the wide variety of merchandise available for purchase. The tasting room is open to the public from 12:00 - 6:00 Monday through Friday, and 10:00 - 5:00 on Saturday. Tours of the brewery are available on Saturday, 10:00 - 5:00 or weekdays by appointment. The brewery is closed on Sunday.

For more information about the brewery and scheduled tours, call (303) 772-0258 or check out their web site at www.lefthandbrewing.com.