OK, before we get started on this specialty beer from
Dogfish Head Brewery in Delaware, some soundtrack music…
Sony asked Dogfish to create this blended beer a couple
years back for the 40th anniversary of Miles Davis’ classic
jazz-rock fusion album of the same name. From what I can piece together by
reading the label and a little Googling, Bitches Brew is a stout cut with honey beer and flavored with gesho (an aromatic African root used to flavor beer
much like Europeans use hops). Dogfish used Miles’ chili recipe as a guide.
They wanted this beer to pair with it.
The brew comes in an almost-wine-sized bottle and pours
darker than Guinness. I mean NO light is getting through this stuff. The head is
the color of a strong latte and the aroma is roast grain, coffee, and just a
little soy sauce.
The first sip is thick and sharp, but not sour. Those roasty
and chocolate flavors are right up front with a little anise in the
honeyed finish. I also get vanilla and, no lie, redeye gravy. Bitches Brew
doesn’t present like a blend, but a well-rounded stout with a sweet, milky
finish.
I’ve never tasted gesho before, but I see it described as
“earthy” and “herby.” Maybe that’s the vague chicory flavor I get or it could
just be the abundance of roasted grains.
So, am I going to try and wrap up by finding a ham-handed
analogy that just maybe fits both the beer and the music? You bet! Bitches Brew
isn’t for everyone. Some are going to find it unpleasant or even repellant, but
start off with just a little and see if it grows on you over an hour or so. You
might be rewarded … or just miss your Guinness and Diana Krall. (I enjoy both
of those too.)
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