(Longmont, CO) – Left Hand Brewing received approval for its two Imperial Stout labels this week.

Of all the new labels to come out over the past year from Left Hand Brewing, these may be the best. Left Hand Wake Up Dead will be the moniker for the Imperial Stouts going forward. Here are the label write-ups (they’re pretty similar):

Wake Up Dead: “GOOD MORNING. YOU’VE WOKEN UP DEAD. YOU’RE IN RUINS. But don’t be discouraged. Here’s a black ale to brighten your day. Wake Up Dead lurks in our cellars for over four months before being unleashed. Hints of raisins, black licorice, coffee and dark chocolate are followed by earthy, herbal hop notes. Any apprehensions about the rest of your day are quickly forgotten, for whatever the mind expected, it finds. Sometimes you’re not in the mood for what everyone else is having.”

Barrel-Aged Wake Up Dead: “[…] On the brink of catastrophe. But don’t be discouraged. You are ripe for a revolution! Just like the Bolsheviks of the early 1900’s, our barrel-aged Russian Imperial Stout doesn’t happen overnight. Patience is required. Wake Up Dead hibernates in our cellars for over 12 months before being blended to woody perfection. Hints of raisins, cherry, licorice and toffee, followed by earthy, herbal hop notes that rise up, joining in your fight for a better life. Don’t be afraid of the dark. All power to the stouts!”

Per a release schedule for the brewery’s beers sent back in February, here’s another description for Barrel-Aged Wake Up Dead: “We be a-rackin’ the Imperial Stout into Heaven Hill Brandy barrels early in 2010, and will blend it with un-aged Imperial Stout to woody perfection. At 22 degree plato and 10.2% ABV, it’s the perfect warmer for those cold winter nights. Enjoy the complex flavors revealing hints of raisin, black licorice, coffee, dark chocolate, and, of course, a hint of brandy.” It is scheduled for release in late November in 22 oz. bombers and kegs.

The regular Imperial Stout, also in a 22 oz. bombers and kegs, has been a perennial release in the past though the brewery hasn’t yet announced when the current packaging will be replaced with the Wake Up Dead packaging.

[Ed. note: click the pics for close-up views.]