January 28th, 2012 - Oldschool Meets Girlschool or "C'mon Let's Go"... Drink Some Stout!

Let's pair a couple today for our friends from across the Pond, shall we?  I thought we'd go with Samuel Smith's The Celebrated Oatmeal Stout and "The Collection" by Girlschool (a double CD anthology/greatest hits compilation). 

Samuel Smith's The Celebrated Oatmeal Stout is a robust, creamy oatmeal stout in the traditional sense... opaque and velvety smooth with a rich flavor from the malted and roasted barley, oatmeal, and hops.  The Celebrated Oatmeal Stout pours black with a slight reddish hue on the edge of the glass.  The head is thin yet creamy and sustained with moderate lacing.  The nose is earthy and rich like coffee with bittersweet, maple syrup notes.  With low carbonation and full-bodied intensity, the mouthfeel is silky and goes down smooth.  The flavor is big... rich, malty, and full of mocha goodness with a slightly sweet finish. A great sipping beer!

With the obvious influence from the Runaways, Motorhead, and early '70s English glam, Girlschool is an all female rock and roll outfit hailing from the New Wave of British Heavy Metal (NWOBHM) movement that came out of England in the late 1970s and early 1980s with a vengeance.  Now I would have preferred to just pair the stout with an official release from the band rather than a compilation album, but I just could not decide on which album... and with the big flavor of Celebrated Oatmeal Stout, I needed an equally bombastic album... thus "The Collection."  This album collects Girlschool's first recordings in the early '80s up to the mid-90s, including a few live tracks and rarities.  Combining the humor and pop sensibility of English glam (T. Rex, the Sweet, Slade, Gary Glitter, etc.) with the fierce crunch and dark power of the NWOBHM (Motorhead, Angel Witch, Judas Priest, Iron Maiden, etc.), Girlschool is nothing short of brilliant!  With hits like "Take It All The Way," "Race With The Devil," and "Screaming Blue Murder" along with collaborations with Lemmy and Motorhead (RULES!) and Gary Glitter and covers of T. Rex, the Sweet, and Kiss classics, "The Collection" makes a fine compliment to the stout... especially with the driving force of the guitars and the big flavor of  Celebrated Oatmeal Stout.  Both are great for kicking back and enjoying a Saturday afternoon!

Cheers!!