Last year I decided to track my beer habits. I've found myself continuing this study to see where my tastes wonder. I'm not saying that I can't remember every beer that I've tried. With so much on my plate at the moment, I could see it happen if one slipped my mind now and then. I can pull up my calendar and see what, when, and where I consumed. I also kept track of the new beers I tried. If I could not remember if I had tried something before, I tagged it as a new beer.
Today as I was doing some chores around the house, I decided to pop open something new. Today it was Miles Davis' Bitches Brew from Dogfish Head Craft Brewed Ales up in Delaware.
Kind of a disclaimer here: I LOVE Dogfish Head. Sam Calagione is somewhat of a beer brewing hero of mine. Not only do they have their normal production batches, but they also have some reproductions that are formulated by working with a chemical anthropologist. Resurrecting ancient brews gives us a good perspective on how beer has evolved over the millennium. Regardless of regular or special batches, the dedication to detail and quality never wavers. I will say that not every style they come up with is my favorite but they do make some damn good beer.
Where was I... Oh yes. The Bitches Brew. So, if the label says that it is an "ale brewed with honey and gesho", what would you think? Well, I know what I thought. What the hell is gesho? Gesho is the Ethiopian name for rhamunus prinoides. Apparently it is used like hops. Regardless, when I thought of an ale brewed with honey and something I didn't really know, I thought it was going to be like a honey wheat - light in color. Boy was a wrong. The first thoughts as I was pouring was, "What the hell" and soon turned to "Oh my goodness this is good!"
I wasn't vigorous enough on the first pour in my tasting glass and ended up not producing any head. The second pour produced a mocha color head that faded away to a persistent ring suspended on rich, dark ale.
(More to come)
