I was watching Bill Maher today, his latest installment of Real Time, an HBO show which attempts to address modern times in a comedic way, a little more caustic than the Daily Show is allowed to be. Bill was explaining that a trend is rearing its head in that notorious stretch of America known as the bible belt. People are snubbing their waiters and waitresses with small rectangles of paper that look very much like currency, the green color, the intricate bordering, but it's not money, it's a trick. On the front is all the legitimacy of what a ten dollar bill looks like, but on the back is a line of dialog: "Some things are better than money, like your eternal salvation that was bought and paid by Jesus going to the cross."
Hearing about that sort of thing hurts me, somewhere deep inside where empathy comes from. I'd like to resolve the disappointment with some sort of answer, some form of hope, but I can't really. There will always be people who compartmentalize their capacity for compassion and only dole it out to people they deem worthy. All I can do in this particular circumstance is, when the opportunity should arise, to tip a lot, tip half the bill or more because I can still make ends meet and I need those people to keep me company on lonely nights.
That information isn't really related to this review, other than the fact that it depressed me to the point of needing a drink. So I drove to my nearest distributor and wandered the short aisles for... I really don't know how long. Long enough for the people working there to take a passive interest in my reading every label on every shelf looking for the right kind of help in my moment of weakness. Scanning through the Dogfish section, Bitches Brew caught my eye. This is a beer brewed by someone who just likes to honor people, to respect them and remember them, authentically and compassionately. The micro-brew industry is a group of people who just want other people to be happy, and Dogfish Head is a distilled embodiment of that sentiment. This particular beer was originally designed as a commemoration to the late, the great Miles Davis on the 40th anniversary of the release of his "Bitches Brew" album and so begins the review.
Appearance: Impenetrable darkness, the gentle light of my table lamp is obviously unworthy of making it through this brew. The head is luxuriously fluffy, huge bubbles of carbonation the color of the froth on a freshly brewed cup of espresso. Lacing is heavy as the level descends maintaining that lovely brown hue.
Aroma: Not much of a tell. I get a little smokey malt, I get a little cocoa, maybe even a slight dose of vanilla. But, this is subtle and all it does is invite you. For this beer, it's a perfect introduction. The big, bold appearance gives you a vivid expectation, then the aroma baits you with a little mystery, inviting you to see what other surprises are in store.
Taste: The foretaste is surprisingly light, slightly acidic, slightly sweet, reminiscent of a caramelized cherry. Then the roasted malt takes center stage revealing lots of dark flavor, bitter cocoa, dark coffee, which hangs around for a good long time. The darkness resolves into the final ingredient, the warming sweetness of raw honey, a very welcome twist on the imperial stout varietal.
Mouthfeel: Everything about this beer implies heavy, but it's surprisingly delicate on the palate. At 9% ABV, the alcohol is just right to balance the smoked malt letting the presence of honey resolve into a sweet beckoning for the next sip.
Overall: I don't have much to say here. If you like beer, get this beer. Enjoy it with dinner or dessert or just by itself. Share it with a friend, talk about it, express joy. Let it distract you from all the ills of the world for a second and in the next second shoot a few bucks over to http://wfpusa.org/ to help a few people in the Philippines.
5/5
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