After hurrying in from the blustery, winter-washed city and in to a local fine dining establishment, my eyes immediately and eagerly scanned the drink menu. I was hoping for a selection of fine and craft brews, but was preparing to be let down. Wildwood of Geneva, however, did not do me the injustice. A beer menu, which I would confidently describe as extensive for this type of venue, had everything from Delirium Noel to Lindeman’s Lambics and several options in between. As I wanted a hearty, warming brew, my eyes drifted toward the Porter/Stout section and settled on Left Hand Brewing Company’s Black Jack Porter. As I knew little about this brewery, it was perhaps a risky choice, but my confidence in the rest of the selections (many of which I knew a bit more about) gave me the gumption to plunge into a bit of yet uncharted territory.

To me, the Black Jack was a perfect dinner accompaniment. It was not as rich, complex or intriguing as an after-dinner beer would need to be, but it kept my attention and was tasty enough to continue sipping it from the French Goat cheese through the last bite of my entree. It poured black, at least by the glimmer of my tableside candlelight, with a very thin slight brown head that didn’t hang around long. I realized, drinking this brew, that I like the head, especially on dark beers, to last all the way through the beer. The smell was filled with both coffee and chocolate and the taste mimicked it surprisingly, accented with a bitter, nutty finish. It was easy to drink and good enough to have another, but for the eagerness of getting home to the warmth, and to our annual viewing of Scrooge!

ABV: 6.4%

Grade: B+