March 28th, 2014 - Burnin' Tinder!

Evenin' friends!  The Meista here with another rockin' craft beer and music pairing for you tonight... and this is one of the best I've done as of late in my opinion (on many levels)... Deep Purple's "Burn" and a Tinder Rauchbier Smoked Lager from Uinta Brewing Company!  HELL YEAH!!

One of the most important albums in my collection, "Burn" is the 8th studio album by English hard rock act Deep Purple (DP) and was released on February 15th, 1974.  It was also the first DP album to feature the wonderful David Coverdale on lead vocals and the fantastic Glenn Hughes on bass and lead/backing vocals.  The remainder of the band was of course made up by the founding members: the amazing Ritchie Blackmore on guitar, the late, great, utterly brilliant Jon Lord on piano/Hammond organ/synthesizers, and the incomprehensibly talented Ian Paice on drums.  Recorded in Montreux, Switzerland, in November of 1973 with the Rolling Stones Mobile Studio, "Burn" found the band exploring different sounds and approaches musically.  Along with their hard rock and heavy blues focus, DP incorporated both soul and funk (an influence of Hughes' musical tastes), giving "Burn" a more boogie oriented flavor.  The album starts off with the fist-pumping, high-octane rocker, title track "Burn" and doesn't slow down until the fade-out of ""A" 200"!  I cannot express in words how much I love and adore this album... it blows my mind with every listen and includes one of my all-time favorite songs ever by any musician, the wonderfully bluesy "Mistreated"!  This is what rock and roll is all about my friends!!  Just check out this fucking brilliant track list!!

1. "Burn"
2. "Might Just Take Your Life"
3. "Lay Down, Stay Down"
4. "Sail Away"
5. "You Fool No One"
6. "What's Goin' On Here"
7. "Mistreated"
8. "'A' 200"

And speaking of mind-blowing...  the Tinder is a German-style Rauchbier (literally "smoked beer" in German) that's origins go back to the 1500's in the town of Bamberg.  Brewed with Bamberg beechwood-smoked malt, this medium-bodied lager displays big smoked flavors and aromas... and I mean BIG! Bottle-conditioned, the Tinder comes in at 6.5% ABV, which is very hidden from the smokiness and is very drinkable.  It pours a lovely, clear, light-copper amber with a very frothy, bright, 2-finger head that displays strong retention and big, chunky spider web lacing throughout.  The nose is a profound blend of spiced/smoked meats and campfire wood (not kidding!).  There are strong notes of smoked and peppery ham, beef jerky, and beechwood and cedar.  There are also some more subtle notes of Pilsner malt, biscuit, and herbs.  Light to medium-bodied, the mouthfeel is creamy and oily, yet very refreshing... very smooth!  The flavor, like the nose is very meaty and very smoky... very, very smoky!  You pretty much need to be a fan of bacon to enjoy this delightful brew.  Big, big notes of smoky bacon, liquid smoke, and Polish sausage, and black pepper abound.  You can also find more subtle (vey subtle) notes of apple, caramel, grassy hops, biscuit, and baked bread.  But oh those long, lingering smoky notes!  This is easily the best version of a smoked lager I've had... oh so good!!

Prost!!