August 29th, 2015 - Piper Down At The Gates Of Dawn!

Good afternoon my friends!!  The Meista here pairing Pink Floyd's  seminal psychedelic rock album "The Piper At The Gates Of Dawn" and a Piper Down Scottish Ale from Ballast Point Brewing Company! 

Album Info:

• Artist: Pink Floyd
• Title: "The Piper At The Gates Of Dawn"
• Recorded: February 21st, 1967 through May21st, 1967 at EMI Studios, London, England
• Release date: August 5th, 1967 (debut album by Pink Floyd)
• Record company: EMI Columbia / Tower Records
• Production: Norman Smith
• Album cover art: Vic Singh
• Personnel: Syd Barrett (lead guitar and vocals), Nick Mason (drums and percussion), Roger Waters (bass and vocals), and Richard Wright (Farfisa Compact Duo organ, piano, celeste, and vocals)
• Musical style: Psychedelic rock and experimental art rock with elements of jazz, blues, and pop
• Sound: Of the revolutionary sound on the album, Abbey Road engineer Pete Brown was once quoted as saying, "I opened the door and nearly shit myself ... by Christ it was loud. I had certainly never heard anything quite like it before."
• Major themes: Drugs, states of mind, states of being, mythology and folklore, space travel, etc.
• Notes: The album is named after the 7th chapter of Kenneth Grahame's classic The Wind in the Willows, which contains a description of the mythological god Pan playing his pipes at dawn.  The Wind in the Willows was one of Syd Barrett's favorite books.  It is also the only Pink Floyd album produced under the leadership of Syd Barrett.  His drug abuse and mental break would force him to leave the band the following year.
• Tracks: 

1. "Astronomy Domine"
2. "Lucifer Sam"
3. "Matilda Mother"
4. "Flaming"
5. "Pow R. Toc H."
6. "Take Up Thy Stethoscope And Walk"
7. "Interstellar Overdrive"
8. "The Gnome"
9. "Chapter 24"
10. "Scarecrow"
11. "Bike"

  Brew Info:

• Brewery: Ballast Point Brewing Company (San Diego, California)
• Website: http://www.ballastpoint.com/
• Brew: Piper Down Scottish Ale
• Style: Scottish Ale
• Serving: 22 ounce bottle
• ABV: 5.8%
• IBUs: 22
• Ingredients: UK Maris Otter malt, roasted barley, and UK hops
• Pour: Deep mahogany red with a thick and creamy 1-1.5 finger tan head that leaves some nice sticky lacing.
• Nose: The nose of the Piper Down is characterized by big malt, caramel, spice, and dark fruit aromas.  There are notes of burnt toffee, soft caramel, hearty bread, nutmeg, raisin, and plum.
• Taste: With loads of roasted caramel flavor, spices, sweet fruit, and hearty grains, the Piper Down is a bold yet easy drinking brew with lots of complexity.  There are notes of caramel/toffee, light coffee, hearty fresh bread, nutmeg, clove, raisin, fig, and plum.
• Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied with moderate carbonation, the mouthfeel of the Piper Down is very smooth and creamy with a sweet finish.

Overall pairing: The psychedelic rock/pop sound of "The Piper At The Gates Of Dawn" is bold, completely original, and compelling musical journey.  I feel the hearty malty and roasty flavor of the Piper Down Scottish Ale makes for a great companion, as it is also very complex without being overwhelming.

Cheers!!