Bitches Brew from Dogfish Head managed to cause quite a frenzy a couple of weeks ago here in Philly. I received more than one email from bars that were tapping this much-anticipated ale. I went to Tria a day after they’d tapped it only to learn that it had kicked within hours of being tapped. So I drove to The Grey Lodge (yes, that’s how much I wanted to try it. I was chasing it down!), where I was lucky enough to get what would be the last pour from the tap.  The beer is also available in bottles, but I’m still happy to have tasted the draft.

For those that don’t know (like I didn’t) Bitches Brew was released to commemorate the 40^th anniversary of Miles Davis’ 1970 release of the jazz-fusion breakthrough album by the same name. It’s a dark beer that’s a fusion of three threads imperial stout and one thread honey beer with gesho root. All of which add up to one tasty brew.

But I’m getting ahead of myself. The pour was a deep, dark brown/black, with a mocha colored head. It looked much darker than beers I typically like, so I was curious to see what I’d think. The smell was roasted malts, chocolate, and some honey. Nice! Taste was similar, some roasty malts, some chocolate bitterness, honey, dark fruits. Mmmm! So tasty and delicious. And I was afraid I wasn’t going to like it! ABV is 9%. Not the highest I’ve drank, but I’m not sure I could do more than one of these anyway.

This is a limited release; so if you see a bottle (or better yet, see it on tap), make sure to grab it!

09.29.10

Helene is a craft beer enthusiast who aims to educate women (and men) about the wonderful world of craft beer. In addition to reviewing beers and bars on Drink Philly, she writes beer-related musings on her blog, Philly Beer Girl. You can also follow Helene on Twitter, where she tweets way too often - and at odd times - about what she's drinking.