January 20th, 2017 - The Evil Ways Of The Big Bad Baptista

Buenos tardes and happy Friday!  Your drinking amigo the Meista here today pairing Santana's self-titled debut album with a Big Bad Baptista from Epic Brewing Company!

Album Info:

• Artist: Santana
• Title: "Santana"
• Recorded: May 1969 at Pacific Recording in San Mateo, California
• Release date: August 1969
• Record company: Columbia Records
• Production: Santana and Brent Dangerfield
• Album cover art: Lee Conklin
• Personnel: José "Chepito" Areas (timbales, congas, and percussion), David Brown (bass), Michael Carabello (congas and percussion), Gregg Rolie (lead vocals, Hammond organ, and piano), Carlos Santana (guitars and backing vocals), and Michael Shrieve (drums)
• Musical style: Hard rock, Latin rock
• Sound: Fast, pounding, and sometimes frantic, Santana's debut album is an ambitious and daring album combining fast Latin beats with driving hard rock!
• Major themes: Love, lust, deception, hope, self-improvement, spirituality, rock and roll, etc.
• Tracks:   

1. "Waiting"
2. "Evil Ways"
3. "Shades Of Time"
4. "Savor"
5. "Jingo"
6. "Persuasion"
7. "Treat"
8. "You Just Don't Care"
9. "Soul Sacrifice"

Brew Info:

• Brewery: Epic Brewing Company (Salt Lake City, Utah)
• Website: http://epicbrewing.com/
• Brew: Big Bad Baptista
• Style: American Double / Imperial Stout 
• Serving: 22 ounce bottle
• ABV: 12.5%
• Ingredients: 100% aged in whiskey barrels, the Big Bad Baptista is made with Ultra Premium Maris Otter, Briess 2-Row Brewers Malt, Muntons Crystal, Weyermann Light Munich Malt I, 2-Row Chocolate Malt, 2-Row Black Malt, and Roasted Barley with Nugget, Chinook, and Cascade hops and Cinnamon, Vanilla, Blue Copper Mexican coffee, and Solstace cacao nibs
• Pour: Ink black with a huge 2+finger, creamy mocha head with good retention and sticky lacing.
• Nose: The nose of the Big Bad Baptista is earthy, sweet, spicy, and roasty.  There are big notes of cinnamon and nutmeg upfront along with vanilla bean, dark chocolate, dark roasted and bitter coffee, roasted malts, oak, and hints of bourbon.
• Taste: The taste follows the nose... lots of roasty, chocolaty, earthy, boozy, and spicy flavors.  There are notes of roasted coffee, bittersweet baker's chocolate, cocoa, vanilla, cream, marshmallow, burnt toffee/caramel, and lots of cinnamon, nutmeg, and clove along with oak, and bourbon. 
• Mouthfeel: Full-bodied with low carbonation, the mouthfeel is thick, sticky, and smooth and velvety with a dry, chocolaty finish.

Overall pairing: The bold, boozy, and spicy flavors and aromas of Epic's delicious Big Bad Baptista is great for the spicy, fast-paced Latin flavor of Santana's debut album!  The richness and complexity of the brew really adds to the intensity and musicianship of the album!

Salud!!