Dogfish Head Wood Aged Bitches Brew

There is still snow on the ground, so I have been a bit reluctant to dial back on my consumption of stouts. While I have mixed in my fair share of hoppy beers lately, I keep finding myself going back to the roasty, complex greatness of stouts. Over the past week, like many others, I have enjoyed a fair amount of Guinness. That beer is an absolute masterpiece and the experience of drinking it for me is like having a reunion with an old friend, where you both pick up right where you left off every single time. From my blog's perspective, a blog on Guinness Draught is completely pointless since I am sure everyone who reads my blog has already had it multiple times(I hope). For this blog, I wanted to talk about a different stout I was very excited to try.

Dogfish Head Wood Aged Bitches Brew was a must-try for me as soon as I read about its release. The first time I had Bitches Brew was 2015 while I was watching Wrestlemania 31. I can specifically remember what I was doing at the time, so you know Bitches Brew left an impact on me. It was a delightful stout and a much better music-themed beer than the one Pearl Jam got when Dogfish Head brewed one for their 20th Anniversary. However, repeat purchases were not typically ideal with a price point of around 13 dollars per bottle. Fast forward to now, not only has the price point for Bitches Brew changed for the better, it is wood aged as well. For me, that made it a must to try. While, like last time, it is Wrestlemania season, when it came to drinking it this time, I felt I had to do it the right way.

Up until this week, I had yet to listen to Miles Davis' Bitches Brew. This landmark album is one that for years I had intended to listen to, but when I did I wanted to have a glass of Bitches Brew in my hand to compliment it. That is exactly what I did and my mind was blown immediately by the opening cut, Pharaoh’s Dance. My enjoyment of this classic album did not let up throughout my listening session. The fusion of jazz, rock, funk, among other genres is incredible and I admit I found myself enjoying the beer more and more while I listened. Oh wait, I am supposed to be talking about the beer, not the album.

Wood Aged Bitches Brew matches the album's complexity by combining an imperial stout and Tej(African Honey Beer). It has a solid amount of body for its 9% ABV and this gave me high hopes for WA Bitches Brew. The aroma of roasted malt, dark chocolate, dates, licorice, vanilla, smoke, with a touch of floral notes and a hint of wood and coffee. The flavor matches the nose for the most part. It comes out of the gate very roasty, chocolately, smokey, fruity before an intense hit of vanilla, caramelized sugar & honey sweetness rush in, giving way to a dry, woody finish. I really enjoyed the flavor here but I could easily see this being too sweet for a lot of beer drinkers. The finish does provide some balance to the sweetness but it does not hide the fact that this is a very sweet stout. Then again, when you consider that it is blended with honey beer, I think that can be expected.

While I really enjoyed WA Bitches Brew, I could see how some would not. As it warms the sweetness only intensifies. If that does not sound appealing to you, spend your money elsewhere(like on the album for example). If it does sound appealing, open a bottle up and turn the album on. It makes for a beautiful pairing.

Overall rating: 4/5



Rating Scale:
1. Repugnant and undrinkable
2. Acceptable but forgettable
3. Good, worth a purchase
4. Excellent, a step above the norm
5. Truly Exceptional. Drop everything, BUY IT NOW!

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Thanks for reading. Sláinte!