January 4th, 2015 - The Thunder God's Ethica Odini

Hello!  The Meista here with another great pairing for you!  Today I'm pairing my latest purchase, "Axioma Ethica Odini" by Norwegian Viking/black metal band Enslaved and a God Of Thunder Baltic Porter from Tenaya Creek Brewery (Las Vegas, NV)!

Album Info:

• Artist: Enslaved
• Title: "Axioma Ethica Odini"
• Recorded: Duper Studios, Earshot Studios, Peersonal Sound
• Release date: September 28th, 2010
• Record company: Nuclear Blast
• Personnel: Cato Bekkevold - drums and percussion; Ivar Bjørnson (aka I.S. Peersen) - lead and rhythm guitars, and synthesizer; Arve Isdal - lead and rhythm guitars; Grutle Kjellson (penname: K. Grutle) - bass, vocals, and additional synthesizer; Herbrand Larsen - keyboards, synthesizers, organ, and vocals
• Major themes: Nordic mythology and Viking lore along with more personal emotions.  Lyrics are in both Norwegian and English.
• Musical style: Blackened Viking metal, progressive metal, progressive rock
• Sound: Complex, intricate, melodic, and mesmerizing... at times brutally aggressive, and then at others beautifully soft and ethereal.  Sammy O'Hagar from MetalSucks.net once described Enslaved's sound as "heavy and surprisingly soft, focused and curious, true to their roots and longing to forget them". 
• Tracks:

1. "Ethica Odini"
2. "Raidho"
3. "Waruun"
4. "The Beacon"
5. "Axioma"
6. "Giants"
7. "Singular"
8. "Night Sight"
9. "Lightening"

  Brew Info:

• Brewery: Tenaya Creek Brewery
• Website: http://www.tenayacreekbrewery.com/
• Brew: God Of Thunder Baltic Porter
• Style: Baltic Porter
• Serving: 22 ounce bottle
• ABV: 9%
• Pour: Opaque deep brown, almost black with a thick mocha head that displays good retention and lacing.
• Nose: Bold, boozy, earthy, and sweet.  There are aromas of bourbon, spiced rum, deep roasted malt, cocoa, coffee, vanilla bean, and rich soil.  There's also some subtle campfire smokiness.
• Taste: Following the nose, the taste is a bold and complex blend of coffee, chocolate, and earthy flavors.  There are notes of espresso, bitter dark chocolate, vanilla,
• Mouthfeel: Medium to full bodied with moderate carbonation, the mouthfeel of the God Of Thunder Baltic Porter is velvety smooth and creamy, but with a boozy bite.
• Finish: The finish is clean, but dry with a bittersweet kiss.

 Overall pairing: The boldness and complexity of both "Axioma Ethica Odini" and the God Of Thunder Baltic Porter make for excellent companions... and the Nordic imagery doesn't hurt either.  Both the album and the porter demand your full attention and transfix you with their intricate, well-balanced, and melodic natures.

Skål!!