May 23rd, 2015 - I'm A Believer In The Houses Of The Holy

Good evening!  Your pal the Meista here tonight pairing the brilliant "House Of The Holy" by giants of the hard rock world, Led Zeppelin and a Believer Double Red IPA from Ninkasi Brewing Company!!  This pairing goes out to my friend Jessica... cheers... this for you sister!

Album Info:

• Artist: Led Zeppelin
• Title: "Houses Of The Holy"
• Recorded: January through August 1972, Stargroves and Headley Grange with the Rolling Stones Mobile Studio, and Island Studios, London; Mixed at Olympic Studios, London, and Electric Lady Studios, New York
• Release date: March 28th, 1973 (5th studio album by Led Zeppelin)
• Record company: Atlantic Records
• Production: Jimmy Page
• Album cover art: Hipgnosis/Aubrey Powell
• Personnel: John Henry Bonham "Bonzo" (drums and backing vocals), John Paul Jones (bass, mellotron, keyboards, synthesiser bass, and backing vocals), Jimmy Page (acoustic, electric and pedal steel guitars, theremin on "No Quarter", and production), and Robert Plant (lead vocals)
• Musical style: Hard rock / heavy blues rock with elements of progressive rock, reggae, funk, and folk rock
• Sound: With a more "mature" and upbeat sound, "Houses Of The Holy" found Led Zeppelin with more layered sound, a more progressive and experimental approach to songwriting.  It also incorporated more keyboards and mellotron than previous albums.  But make no mistake, "Houses Of The Holy" still rocks and rocks hard!
• Major themes: Mysticism and fantasy, "being houses of the Holy Spirit, in a sense", nostalgia, love, loss, and even a funk tribute to James Brown!
• Notes: "Houses Of The Holy" was the first Led Zeppelin album to consist of songs composed entirely by the band. 
• Tracks:   

1. "The Song Remains The Same"
2. "The Rain Song"
3. "Over The Hills And Far Away"
4. "The Crunge"
5. "Dancing Days"
6. "D'Yer Maker"
7. "No Quarter"
8. "The Ocean"

    Brew Info:

• Brewery: Ninkasi Brewing Company (Eugene, Oregon)
• Website: http://www.ninkasibrewing.com/
• Brew: Believer Double Red IPA
• Style: American Amber / Red Ale / American India Pale Ale (IPA)
• Serving: 22 ounce bottle
• ABV: 6.9%
• IBUs: 60
• Original gravity: 1069
• Ingredients: 2-Row Pale, Munich, Crystal, and Carahell malts, and Centennial and Summit hops
• Pour: Deep mahogany with a one-finger, off-white head that dissipates quickly leaving only trace lacing.
• Nose: The nose of the Believer is malty, earthy, citrusy, and piney.  There are aromas of sweet caramel and brown sugar, earthy aromas of dark fruits and herbs, citrusy aromas of lemon zest, grapefruit, and tangerine, and piney aromas of pine resin and cedar.
• Taste: Lots of toasted malt, sweet toffee, dark fruit, and citrus in this taste of this one.  There are notes of sweet breads, burnt toffee, cherry, plum, and dates, grapefruit, orange, and tangerine, and more subtle notes of black tea and pine.
• Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied with lower carbonation, the Believer's mouthfeel is thick, sticky, smooth, and somewhat creamy with a dry, slightly bitter finish.

Overall pairing: Although I'm not sure any brew can truly do this album justice, the Believer Double Red IPA from Ninkasi Brewing Company does a pretty fine job of accompanying the swinging groove, the multilayered depth, and sheer brilliance of "Houses Of The Holy"!

Cheers!!