November 22nd, 2015 - Bonded By Blood Orange Gose

Good evening head-bangers and brew lovers!  The Meista here pairing a Blood Orange Gose (part of the Highway 128 Session Series) from Anderson Valley Brewing Company and "Bonded By Blood", the debut album by thrash metal legends Exodus!

Album Info:

• Artist: Exodus
• Title: "Bonded By Blood"
• Recorded: July 1984 at Prairie Sun Recording Studios, Cotati, California
  Release date: April 25th, 1985 (debut album by Exodus)
• Record company: Torrid/Combat Records
• Production: Mark Whitaker
• Album cover art: ?
• Personnel: Paul Baloff (vocals), Gary Holt (lead and rhythm guitars), Rick Hunolt (lead and rhythm guitars), Tom Hunting (drums), and Rob McKillop (bass)
• Musical style: Thrash metal
• Sound: Fast, furious, aggressive, and raw, the debut album by Exodus is probably one of the most underrated thrash albums from the 1980s.  Some of the most influential and compelling thrash metal riffs can be found on "Bonded By Blood" and Hunting's drumming is explosive!
• Major themes: Violence, aggression, rebellion, the occult, metal, and death.
• Tracks:  

1. "Bonded By Blood"
2. "Exodus"
3. "And Then There Were None"
4. "A Lesson in Violence"
5. "Metal Command"
6. "Piranha"
7. "No Love"
8. "Deliver Us To Evil"
9. "Strike Of The Beast"
10. "And Then There Were None" (Live)
11. "A Lesson in Violence" (Live)

Brew Info:

• Brewery: Anderson Valley Brewing Company (Boonville, California)
• Website: http://www.avbc.com/
• Brew: Blood Orange Gose
• Style: Gose
• Serving: 12 ounce can
• ABV: 4.2%
• Ingredients: Pale Two-Row and Malted White Wheat, Bravo hops, lactobacillus, sea salt, coriander, and blood oranges
• Pour: Golden peach in color with lots of effervescence and a thin, white head that dissipates quickly leaving only a trace ring and very little lacing.
• Nose: The nose of the Blood Orange Gose is characterized by lots of tangy, tart, funky, citrusy, and salty aromas.  There are scents of lemon juice, orange juice, orange zest, light and doughy malt, and sea salt.
• Taste: The taste is sour, fruity, and salty.  There are big notes of lemon juice, blood orange, light crackery biscuit, and sea salt.
• Mouthfeel: Light-bodied and well-carbonated, the mouthfeel is very crisp, sharp, and very tart with a salty finish.

Overall pairing:  With its punchy, sharp, yet easy-drinking flavor, the Anderson Valley Blood Orange Gose is great for the fast-paced, in-your-face thrash stylings of Exodus' "Bonded By Blood"!  Those tart and salty notes go great with the overall feel of the album, the lyrics, and the fist-pumping music!

Hails!!