June 5th, 2015 - Legendary Tales And Ales Of Hibiscus Wheat

Buon pomeriggio!!  Your drinking buddy the Meista here today with a pairing most epic... "Legendary Tales" by Italian symphonic power metal band Rhapsody and an Hibiscus Wheat Ale from Aztec Brewing Company!

Album Info:

• Artist: Rhapsody
• Title: "Legendary Tales"
• Recorded: April through May 1997 at Gate Studio, Wolfsburg, Germany
• Release date: October 27th, 1997 (debut album by Rhapsody)
• Record company: Limb Music
• Production: Sascha Paeth and Miro
• Album cover art: Eric Philippe
• Personnel: Daniele Carbonera (drums), Fabio Lione (vocals), Alex Staropoli (keyboards), and Luca Turilli (guitars)
• Additional musicians: Paul F. Boehnke (cello), Helia Davis (violin), Robert Hunecke (bass), Oliver Kopf (viola), Andre Neygenfind (contra bass), Sascha Paeth (bass, acoustic guitars, and mandolin), Anne Schnyder (violin), and Manuel Staropoli (baroque recorder)
• Additional backing vocals (Choir Of The Immortals): Thomas Rettke, Robert Hunecke, Miro, Wofgang Herbst, Rick Rizzo, Fabio Lione, Luca Turilli, Alex Staropoli, Cinzia Rizzo, Tatiana Bloch
• Musical style: Power metal/symphonic metal ("film score metal) with elements of folk metal and Baroque influence
• Sound: Bombastic, soaring,
• Major themes: High fantasy sword and sorcery and mystical medieval folklore themes with specific focus on the battle between good and evil and heroic valor.
• Tracks:   

1. "Ira Tenax"
2. "Warrior Of Ice"
3. "Rage Of The Winter"
4. "Forest Of Unicorns"
5. "Flames Of Revenge"
6. "Virgin Skies"
7. "Land Of Immortal"
8. "Echoes Of Tragedy"
9. "Lord Of The Thunder"
10. "Legendary Tales"

    Brew Info:

• Brewery: Aztec Brewing Company (Vista, California)
• Website: http://aztecbrewery.com/
• Brew: Hibiscus Wheat Ale
• Style: American Pale Wheat Ale / American Hefe Weizen
• Serving: 22 ounce bottle
• ABV: 4.7%
• IBUs: 20
• Ingredients: Hibiscus petals, ginger, and allspice along with wheat malt and hops
• Pour: Golden amber with a off-white head that fades into a thin cap with good retention. 
• Nose: The nose is a wonderful blend of bready, floral, and citrus and fruit aromas.  There are big notes of hibiscus flowers, lemon, tangerine, grapefruit, banana, wheat bread, and lots of spices.   
• Taste: Characterized by "slightly spicy floral citrus flavor with fruity tones", Aztec's Hibiscus Wheat Ale is a delightfully refreshing and complex American Hefe Weizen.  The hibiscus along with the ginger, and allspice really adds to the overall flavor of the beer and blends well with the traditional unfiltered wheaty/citrus, banana notes.
• Mouthfeel: Light to medium-bodied with good carbonation, the mouthfeel is smooth and somewhat frothy with a spicy, yet crisp finish.  

Overall pairing:  The spicy, citrusy, floral flavors of the Hibiscus Wheat Ale from Aztec Brewing Company work well with the classical symphonic elements of Rhapsody's "Legendary Tales".  The soaring vocals of Lione and the soaring guitars of Turilli seem to feed off the blend of hibiscus and ginger while the hearty wheat flavor lends itself well to the metal backbone of the band.

Salute!!