July 11th, 2015 - The Ephemeral Lives Of Adam & Eve

God kväll!!  The Meista here pairing an Éphémère Belgian-Style White Ale from Canadian brewery Unibroue and "Adam & Eve" by Swedish prog-rock band The Flower Kings!
 
Album Info:

• Artist: The Flower Kings
• Title: "Adam & Eve"
• Recorded: Throughout 2004
• Release date: August 3rd, 2004 (8th studio album by The Flower Kings)
• Record company: InsideOut Music
• Production: Roine Stolt
• Album cover art: Ciruelo Cabral
• Personnel: Tomas Bodin (keyboards), Hasse Bruniusson (percussion), Zoltan Csörsz (drums), Hasse Fröberg (guitars and vocals), Daniel Gildenlöw (vocals), Jonas Reingold (bass), and Roine Stolt (vocals, guitars, and keyboards)
• Musical style: Symphonic progressive rock with elements of jazz fusion and blues
• Sound: Heavily influenced by Yes, along with early Genesis, Gentle Giant, King Crimson, and Marillion, the sound on "Adam & Eve" is reminiscent of "Close To The Edge" or "Fragile" with dramatic changes, polyrhythmic passages, vocal harmonies, soaring melodies, ethereal guitars, thunderous bass, and abstract lyrical content. 
• Major themes: With subject matter delving into religion, folklore, and mythology, the major themes on "Adam & Eve" are heavily focused on the values of love, knowledge, peace, and spirituality.
• Tracks: 

1. "Love Supreme"
2. "Cosmic Circus"
3. "Babylon"
4. "A Vampire's View"
5. "Days Gone By"
6. "Adam & Eve"
7. "Starlight Man"
8. "Timelines"
9. "Drivers Seat"
10. "The Blade Of Cain"

    Brew Info:

• Brewery: Unibroue (Chambly, Quebec, Canada)
• Website: http://www.unibroue.com/
• Brew: Éphémère
• Style: Belgian-Style White Ale / Fruit Ale
• Serving: 12 ounce bottle
• ABV: 5.5%
• IBUs: 10
• Pour: Very cloudy and golden-honey in color, the Éphémère pours a frothy, bright white 1-2 finger head that dissipates quickly, leaving only a slight ring and trace lacing.
• Nose: The nose if very fruity and fragrant... the aroma is that of a bushel of Granny Smith apples along with orange peel nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves, ginger, and a subtle hint of vanilla.
• Taste: The taste of the Éphémère is fruity, tart, and spicy.  There are big notes of sour apple Jolly Ranchers, pear juice, white grape juice, orange zest, citrusy lemon juice, mild spices (nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves, and coriander), and a hint of pink bubblegum.
• Mouthfeel: The mouthfeel is sharp, tangy and very frothy with fine, effervescent bubbles.  The finish is crisp, slightly dry, and tart with a little white pepper on the tip of the tongue.

Overall pairing: Along with the green apple that floats precariously above Eve's hand on the album cover, I thought the Éphémère would pair well with "Adam & Eve" as the light, crisp, and tart flavors work well with the soaring and harmonious sound of Fröberg's and Stolt's guitars and vocals.  Those more subtle spices work well with the darker elements of the album such as "A Vampire's View".

Skål... Helan går!!  À votre santé!!