Greater than the sum of their parts

Beer Snob | June 8th, 2016

By Ben Rodgers

There is nothing quite like great teamwork. People who work together always accomplish more than a person who works alone.

This time of the year the folks at Sierra Nevada are big into teamwork, the end result of which involves six beers from 31 breweries as part of the 2016 Beer Camp Across America.

Available in 12 packs of bottles, each case of Beer Camp contains six distinct beers, one from each region of the country, made in collaboration with a number of breweries from each region.

West Latitude Session Rye, an ale brewed with hibiscus, is from the Left Coast. In on this particular brew are Bear Republic Brewing Company, Faction Brewing Company, Mad River Brewing Company, Magnolia Brewing Company and Maui Brewing Company.

Traffic was a band with many different personalities and a lineup that constantly revolved. In 1971 it released the live album “Welcome to the Canteen,” although the name Traffic doesn’t appear anywhere on the cover. Instead this album lists each member who played with this incarnation of the band; Steve Winwood, Jim Capaldi, Dave Mason, Chris Wood, Rick Grech, Reebop Kwaku Baah and Jim Gordon.

Whatever lineup Traffic played with, it was never the same from album to album, someone else always sat in when someone left. The band is defined as being collaborative by its very nature.

Let’s see how well two separate things, created by people who work together, can meld.

West Latitude isn’t a regular rye as there is an overload of flavors in my first sip. “Welcome to the Canteen” starts with an upbeat “Medicated Goo” and a full sound is on display, as any band with seven members playing could demonstrate.

West Latitude is bitter for a rye (55 IBUs) and strong for a session beer (5.5%). But with each drink one can taste a multitude of ingredients that somehow come together and form a formidable beer.

“Welcome to the Canteen” has slowed down with “40,000 Headmen” but the blend of Wood’s flute and Winwood’s vocals make for a jazz-influenced track that is easy on the ears.

West Latitude at the same time is a blend of six different types of hops and five different malts. The hibiscus from Hawaii at the end adds a distinct note to each sip.

The final track on the A-side “Shouldn’t Have Took More Than You Gave,” starts to offer the classic Traffic sound the band was known for, with progressive rock stylings and a tease of jazz influence.

But the B-side of this album is where the heavy hitters are. “Canteen” opens up on the back with a live version of “Dear Mr. Fantasy,” that pushes the ten-minute mark. Everyone is getting a chance to shine on this track, starting with a slick guitar solo from Mason. Even though he left the group three times, it sounds like he never left, as his guitar slides into the groove of this track perfectly.

One of the traits of progressive rock is virtuosity, which is demonstrated by Mason between the layered parts on “Dear Mr. Fantasy,” before everyone comes together to flat out jam.

The rye comes to the forefront of the taste of West Latitude as the album winds down with the upbeat track “Gimme Some Lovin.’” Originally written by Winwood, this song has been covered by Sam & Dave and the Blues Brothers. But the multitude of instruments make this version unlike anything else.

The name Traffic makes more sense now, every track has a lot going on musically but finds a way to come together and work as a whole. West Latitude could have easily resulted in a flavor jam of malts and hops, but much like the band, everything finds a way to come together. The end result is pleasing on both the ears and the taste buds.

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