October 19th, 2013 - IPA End Hits

Good afternoon!  A couple of years ago I enjoyed this very brew (India Pale Ale IPA from Odell Brewing Company) with my dear friend Scott at a beer festival in Idaho.  Whilst enjoying this great beer he and I discussed many a great band and album... Fugazi's "End Hits" happened to be one of those albums we chatted about... and right in front of the Odell Brewing Company booth!  This pairing is for you Scott... love ya buddy!!  Cheers!!

Released on April 28th, 1998, "End Hits" is the 5th studio album by post-punk D.C. bad-asses Fugazi.  Due to the album's title, many fans and critics alike speculated that the album might be the band's last release. The title is an inside joke and literally refers to the end-of-the-album drum hits by drummer Brendan Canty. These drum hits are actually outtakes from the bridge-section of the track "No Surprise." Always innovative, experimental, and known for pushing the envelope, Fugazi took their music to another level with the release of "End Hits."  Sometime referred to as "math rock," Fugazi incorporated hardcore, funk, and reggae beats, irregular stop-start song structures, bass driving melodies, and intricate time signatures.  This is probably my favorite Fugazi album, though I love them all.  Songs like "Break," "Place Position," "Five Corporations," "Caustic Acrostic," "Closed Captioned," "Arpeggiator," and "F/D" are amazing feats of musical integrity... biting and thought provoking lyrics, honest, artistic, and intense writing.  "End Hits" is what music is supposed to be!

India Pale Ale IPA from Odell Brewing Company pours a deep golden honey amber with a frothy white head.  The nose is hoppy and malty.  There are notes of freshly baked sourdough bread, glazed honey, and big fresh grapefruit notes.  The carbonation is pervasive and bubbly, giving the somewhat sticky mouthfeel a nice sharp bite.  The flavor is mostly citrus.  Big grapefruit notes abound along with lemon, orange peel, and piney resin.  The Odell's IPA ends on a bittersweet note... very fitting for the pairing with Fugazi if I do say so myself! 

Cheers!!