February 21st, 2015 - Driving To The Lost Meridian

Good afternoon friends!  The Meista here today going for something a little bit different than my usual metal/hard rock pairings.  Today I'm pairing "Drive" by Anneke Van Giersbergen and a Lost Meridian Wit from Base Camp Brewing Company!  Mmmmmmm!

Album Info:

• Artist: Anneke Van Giersbergen
• Title: "Drive"
• Recorded: Throughout 2013
• Release date: October 15th, 2013 (5th studio album by Anneke Van Giersbergen)
• Record company: InsideOut Records
• Personnel: Anneke Van Giersbergen (vocals) with Gijs Coolen (guitars), Ferry Duijsens (guitars and keyboards), Arno Krabman (guitars and keyboards), Rob Snijders (drums), and Joost van Haaren (bass)
• Additional musicians and vocalists: Hayko Cepkin (backing vocals), Susanne Clermonts (backing vocals), Niels Geusebroek (backing vocals), Silvana Jirka (violin), Annelies Kuijsters (backing vocals), and René Merkelbach (piano)
• Musical style: Pop/rock, alternative metal, gothic metal
• Sound: For some weird reason, this album reminds me of mid-90s Rush.  I think it must be the wonderful guitar work and amazing melodies.  And then, of course there is Anneke's incredibly sensual voice... really quite beautiful!
• Major themes: Love, loss, deception, self-reliance, perseverance, inner strength, etc.
• Tracks:

1. "We Live On"
2. "Treat Me Like A Lady"
3. "She"
4. "Drive"
5. "My Mother Said"
6. "Forgive Me"
7. "You Will Never Change"
8. "Mental Jungle"
9. "Shooting For The Stars"
10. "The Best Is Yet To Come"

  Brew Info:

• Brewery: Base Camp Brewing Company
• Website: http://basecampbrewingco.com/
• Brew: Lost Meridian Wit
• Style: Belgian-style Witbier
• Serving: 22 ounce aluminum bottle
• ABV: 5%
• IBUs: 20
• Pour: Very cloudy honey-lemon yellow with a frothy, bright white head that dissipates quickly, leaving a thin, yet sustaining ring and light lacing.
• Nose: The Lost Meridian's nose is an interesting blend of hearty and crackery grains, lemon-citrus, and slight funky sourness. 
• Taste: Wheaty and crackery with just enough sourness/funkiness to give this Wit an almost Saison characteristic.  There are notes of lemon, lemon grass, honey-wheat bread, soft banana, light spices, and a bit of horse blanket funk.
• Mouthfeel: Light-bodied with big carbonation giving it lots of creamy/frothy effervescence. Very crisp, and very, very refreshing with a nice, dry finish. 

Overall pairing: The refreshing and crisp character of the Lost Meridian Wit is great for the lighter peppiness of "Drive" while the more complex flavors work well with the depth and beauty of Anneke's almost orgasmic vocal performance!

Proost... gezondheid!!