March 25th, 2017 - Death By Sriracha Hot Stout Is This Communion

Hello there!  The Meista here today pairing High On Fire's "Death Is This Communion" and a Sriracha Hot Stout Beer from Rogue Ales!


Album Info:

• Artist: High On Fire
• Title: "Death Is This Communion"
• Recorded: 2007
• Release date: September 18th, 2007 (4th studio album by High On Fire)
• Record company: Relapse Records
• Production: Jack Endino
• Album cover art: Arik Roper
• Personnel: Des Kensel (drums), Jeff Matz (bass), and Matt Pike (guitar and vocals)
• Musical style: Stoner metal, doom metal, sludge metal, thrash metal
• Sound: Combining the heaviness of doom metal and the intensity of thrash, the album's sound is all at ounce aggressive, brutal, melodic, expressive, and harmonic!  It is as if Black Sabbath, Motorhead, and Slayer had a child together!
• Major themes: With influence from David Icke, H.P. Lovecraft, and the Bible, the themes on "Death Is This Communion" include death, war, power, conspiracies, religion, deception, evil, monsters, etc.
• Tracks:   

1. "Fury Whip"
2. "Waste Of Tiamat"
3. "Death Is This Communion"
4. "Khanrad's Wall"
5. "Turk"
6. "Headhunter"
7. "Rumors Of War"
8. "DII"
9. "Cyclopian Scape"
10. "Ethereal"
11. "Return To NOD"

Brew Info:

• Brewery: Rogue Ales
• Website: http://www.rogue.com/
• Brew: Rogue Sriracha Hot Stout Beer
• Style: Stout / Chili Ale
• Serving: 22 ounce bottle
• ABV: 5.7%
• IBUs: 55
• Gravity: 15 degrees Plato
• Ingredients: Huy Fong original hot chili sauce and sun ripened Rogue Farms ingredients
• Pour: The Rogue Sriracha Hot Stout Beer pours a very dark (almost black) and opaque chocolate brown with a thick, 2-finger mocha head.  Lacing is chunky and sustained.
• Nose: Suprisingly, you don't really get any chili pepper aromas in the nose.  Instead, you get nice, traditional stout aromas of coffee, roasted malt, and chocolate.
• Taste: The flavor of the Rogue Sriracha Hot Stout Beer is an interesting blend of earthy and chocolaty characteristics and chili pepper.  There are notes of dark chocolate, coffee, roasted malt, caramel, mellow smokiness, and of course, chili pepper (sans the usual garlic flavor prevalent in Sriracha).  I have to admit, I was rather skeptical, thinking this would just be another gimmick beer.  But it is actually quite tasty!  (It would actually make a great pairing with a plate of eggs and hash browns as well as "Death Is This Communion"!)
• Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied, the Rogue Sriracha Hot Stout Beer is somewhat creamy and surprisingly very drinkable.  The heat slowly builds, leaving tingly spiciness on your lips, tongue, and throat.  The finish is rather dry with that lingering heat.

Overall pairing: I can think of nothing more fitting right now for the Rogue Sriracha Hot Stout Beer to be paired with than "Death Is This Communion".  And not just for the "intensity" factor either, but more specifically for the complexity, uniqueness, and richness of character.  And as for the heat... just listen to Pike's smokin' guitar!!

Cheers!!  Hails!!