May 3-4, 2013 - Exile On 34th Avenue

Good evening rockers, rollers, and hop-heads!  The Meista here pairing the Rolling Stones' 1972 classic album, "Exile On Main Street" and a Santa Cruz Brown Ale from Epic Brewing Company for you!  This pairing is dedicated to Jesse and Lindsey!  Cheers!!

Brewed with Muntons Maris Otter, Briess 2-Row Chocolate Malt, Briess Munich Malt, Briess 2-Row Carapils, Weyermann CaraMunich II, and Flaked Oats along with Nugget, Cascade, and Centennial hops in the boil and Apollo and Centennial hops in the hopback, the Santa Cruz Brown Ale is a complex, engaging, and rich brown.  A hybrid invented by Epic's head brewer Kyle Crompton (who grew up in his dad's garage on 34th Avenue in Santa Cruz), the brew is actually a black IPA that combines the herbal and nutty flavors of a brown ale and the hoppy bite of a traditional American IPA.  It pours a deep brown cherry wood/mahogany with a creamy, mocha head.  The nose is mix of hoppy bitterness and rich nuttiness.  There are notes of grapefruit, summer grass, acorn, and hazelnut.  Medium-bodied, the Santa Cruz is slightly syrupy with a good balance of sharp and sweet.  The flavor is rich and nutty with notes of hazelnut, toasted malts, subtle burnt toffee, and bitter hops.  And the finish is incredibly smooth and clean. 

A richly complex brew deserves an album of the same caliber... thus, "Exile On Main Street."  The album was recorded in the South of France using the Rolling Stones Mobile Studio as well as Sunset Studios in Los Angeles with some material dating back to 1969.  Steeped in the Delta blues, Chicago blues, folk, gospel, country, R&B, jazz, and straight-up rock and roll, "Exile On Main Street" is a staple album for any true rocker - the last truly great Rolling Stones album in my opinion and quite possibly my favorite from the boys from London.  The depth, the texture, the richness of this album is practically unparalleled.  A double album, "Exile On Main Street" offers the listener over an hour of foot-stomping perfection and bluesy goodness.  Like the Santa Cruz Brown Ale, "Exile On Main Street" just grooves and grooves and grooves! 

So what are you waiting for??  Pop the top off a Santa Cruz Brown Ale, spin some "Exile On Main Street," kick back, and enjoy!!

Cheers!!