February 9th, 2014 - Hell Bent For ESB... or... Belk's Killing Machine!

Evenin' folks!  The Meista here with another classic metal and artisan brew pairing... tonight I'm rocking out to Judas Priest's "Hell Bent For Leather" and tossing back a cold, frosty Belk's Extra Special Bitter (ESB) from Anderson Valley Brewing Company!  Hell yeah!!

Inspired by classic English "Bitters", Belk's ESB from Anderson Valley Brewing Company is brewed with Pale Two-Row malted barley, Crystal (40L), Munich (20L), Columbus hops, Golding hops, Nugget hops, and Northern Brewer hops.  Belk's ESB is characterized by "spicy, herbal hop aromas and [a] crisp, bitter bite."  It pours a very cloudy honey-gold amber with a bright white, 1-finger persistent head that displays sustained and intricate lacing.  The nose is interesting blend of spicy, floral, and fruity aromas.  There are notes of honey, pear, rose hips, lilacs, and pepper.  Light to medium bodies, the mouthfeel is crisp, dry, and refreshing and slightly sticky.  The flavor is perfect blend of crisp and hoppy bitterness with biscuity malt.  There are notes of herbal tea, soft and bready malts, a hint of toffee, and grassy hops.  The finish is very dry and clean.  Coming in at 6.8% ABV and with a bitterness factor of 55 IBU, the Belk's ESB has a nice, sharp bite... perfect for the "Hell Bent For Leather"!! Learn more about Anderson Valley Brewing Company at https://avbc.com/. 

Released on October 9th of 1978, "Hell Bent For Leather" is Judas Priest's 5th studio album and was quickly recorded between August and September 1978 at Utopia and CBS Studios, London.  (The album was released under the title "Killing Machine" worldwide, but the title was changed in the U.S. because the U.S. branch of Columbia/CBS did not like the so-called "murderous implications" of the title... Don't ya just love music industry corporate bozos?)  Anyway... a blue print for the metal albums of the late 1970s and early 1980s, "Hell Bent For Leather" found Priest pushing for a more commercial, radio-friendly style of metal, but still with the darker themes they were known for from previous works.  The songs are replete with sexual S&M themes ("Delivering The Goods", "Burnin' Up", "Evil Fantasies") and hard-rockin' metal motifs ("Evening Star", "Rock Forever", "Hell Bent For Leather", "Take On The World", "Killing Machine", "Running Wild").  The album also includes a wonderful rendition of "The Green Manalishi (With the Two-Pronged Crown)" originally written and recorded by Peter Green in early Fleetwood Mac.  As with all Priest albums, Rob Halford's definitive vocal performance is outstanding with a range that is rarely matched.  The dueling guitar work of K.K. Downing and Glenn Tipton is awe-inspiring... just listen to the soloing on title track "Hell Bent For Leather"!  And the rhythm section of Ian Hill (bass) and Les Binks (drums) is solid, driving, and tribal.  Man, what a great album this is... especially with the crisp bitterness of a Belk's Extra Special Bitter to accompany the metal gods!!

Cheers!!

1978 Promo Piece