May 26th, 2012 - Blind in Moab Brewery or The Triple Command

I cannot say that all my pairings always make total sense... at least not logically, but there is some method to my madness, something viseral about what I do... and the same can be said about tonight's pairing of W.A.S.P.'s remastered 1985 album, "The Last Command" and Moab Brewery's Tripel (a "Desert Select Ale").  Part of what got this pairing started was the the imagery of the desert (being where Moab Brewery is located - the southeastern desert of Utah).  For some odd reason, the label of the Tripel reminded me of that ridiculous video for the song "Wild Child."  Also, this is a very beastly, bold, and somewhat outlandish ale... and W.A.S.P. is without a doubt all about beastliness, boldness, and outlandishness to the nth degree!!

As I just stated, Moab Brewery's Tripel is a beastly brew.  This hand-crafted Belgian Tripel comes in at 8.95% alcohol in a quart-sized bottle... that's right a quart!  (So you might want to find someone to share this bad boy with while rocking out.)  Inspired by the Artisan Belgian monks, this Belgian Triple definitely captures the essence of a good Belgian ale.  It pours a beautiful, cloudy goldenrod hue with a big, frothy head with very strong, sustained lacing.  The nose is sweet, fruity, and floral with notes of sour apple, corriander, ripe banana, subtle spices, and orange peel.  Moab Brewery brews their Tripel with Pilsen malt and pure Belgian candy sugar, which sweetness the flavor and kicks up the alcohol content... and you can taste it! German Noble and Saaz hops also amp up the flavor here as well and add a touch of bitterness.  This is a strong, flavourful Belgian-styled ale that I think would please the pallett of any Eastern European monk... or spandex and saw blade clad, blood drinking glam rocker!

"The Last Command" is one of W.A.S.P.'s best in my humble opinion. This is pure '80s L.A. metal with no apology and an unquenched hunger for fame.  Blackie and the boys' sophomore album is a no-holds-barred juggernaut of an album... especially this remastered version with multiple bonus tracks including a killer cover of Mountain's "Mississippi Queen" and live versions of "On Your Knees," "Animal," and "I Wanna Be Somebody."  After drinking a bottle of Tripel, the songs "Wild Child," "Blind in Texas," and "Running Wild in the Streets" become your battle anthems!  This album is pure adreniline and testastorone.  Songs like "Ballcrusher," "Jack Action," "The Last Command," and "Sex Drive" blast you with power, aggression, and bold flavour. 

So get on over to your favorite LOCAL heavy metal record store, pick up a copy of "The Last Command," and grab a bottle of Moab Brewery's Tripel... and prepare yourself for an evening of intensity, big flavour, big guitars, big hair, and unadulterated fun!  And if you down this bottle all by yourself in the time it takes "The Last Command" to play through, you can relive Chris Holms' appearance in the movie "The Decline of Western Civilization!"  :)  Check out Moab Brewery's Tripel and their other great brews at http://www.themoabbrewery.com/.