September 18th, 2021 - Axis: Bodhizafa As Love

 

Good afternoon my friends!  The Meista here pairing a couple favorites of mine... a Bodhizafa India Pale Ale from Georgetown Brewing Company and the almost indescribable brilliance of "Axis: Bold As Love" by the Jimi Hendrix Experience!!  Today is the 51st anniversary of Jimi's death.  It is also my son's 22nd birthday so this pairing goes out to him.  Cheers and happy birthday my boy!!  Have a great one!!  And a big thank you to my friend Brett for the tasty brew!  Cheers brother!  

Album Info:

• Artist: Jimi Hendrix Experience 
• Title: "Axis: Bold As Love"
• Recorded: May through June 1967 at Olympic Sound Studios in London, England
• Release date: December 1st, 1967 (2nd full-length studio album by the Jimi Hendrix Experience)
• Record company: Track Records
• Production: Chas Chandler
• Album cover art: David King and Roger Law 
• Personnel: Jimi Hendrix (lead vocals, acoustic and electric guitars), Mitch Mitchell (backing vocals and drums), and Noel Redding (backing vocals, lead on "She's So Fine", and bass guitar)
• Additional musicians: Trevor Burton (backing vocals on "You Got Me Floatin'"), Gary Leeds (foot stomping on "If 6 Was 9"), Graham Nash (foot stomping on "If 6 Was 9"and backing vocals on "You Got Me Floatin'"), and Roy Wood (backing vocals on "You Got Me Floatin'") 
• Musical style: Psychedelic rock, hard rock, pop rock, art rock with elements of jazz and rhythm and blues (R&B)
• Sound: A bit looser, lighter, and more melodic than the debut album, "Axis: Bold As Love" is a mind blowing sonic journey!  It is a PERFECT fusion of psychedelic, blues, hard rock, jazz, and R&B!  Jimi's guitar work is un-fuckin'-paralleled.. seriously!!  And his vocal work is meaty, honest, rich and oh so powerful!!  Mitchell swing like nobody's business and Redding's bass work is brilliant, deep, and soulful... an unsung hero! 
• Major themes: Life, love, spiritualism, desire, the passage of time, aliens, magic, etc.
• Tracks:

1. "EXP"
2. "Up From The Skies"
3. "Spanish Castle Magic"
4. "Wait Until Tomorrow"
5. "Ain't No Telling"
6. "Little Wing"
7. "If 6 Was 9"
8. "You Got Me Floatin'"
9. "Castles Made of Sand"
10. "She's So Fine"
11. "One Rainy Wish"
12. "Little Miss Lover"
13. "Bold As Love"

Brew Info:

• Brewery: Georgetown Brewing Company (Seattle, Washington)
• Website: https://www.georgetownbeer.com/
• Brew: Bodhizafa India Pale Ale 
• Style: American India Pale Ale (IPA)
• Serving: 12 ounce can
• ABV: 6.9%
• Ingredients: 2 Row Pale and Munich malts, Chinook, Citra, Mosaic, and Columbus hops, and English Ale yeast 
• Pour: The Bodhizafa pours a hazy golden-orange hue with a creamy, 1+ finger, eggshell white head with great sustain and lots of sticky, intricate lacing.
• Nose: The nose is citrusy, floral, and earthy.  There are aromas of grapefruit rind, mandarin oranges, tangerine, light pine resin, herbal tea, wild flowers, doughy bread, and soft caramel.
• Taste: Well-balanced, the taste of the Bodhizafa follows the nose with lots of citrusy and piney flavors.  There are notes of pink grapefruit juice, mandarin orange, orange pith, tangerine, pine, black tea, grassy hops, and a touch of caramel/toffee.
• Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied and moderately carbonated, the mouthfeel is crisp and somewhat bitter, yet silky and smooth with a dry, fairly clean finish.

Overall pairing: Along with the beer name, label color motif, and the album cover similarities, the Bodhizafa is a punchy, very drinkable, yet complex brew with lots of citrus and earthy flavor, which makes it a great beer to throw back to the complex intensity of the riffs, vocals, and thunderous rhythm section of  the mighty Jimi Hendrix Experience!  'Nuff said! 

Cheers!!