April 9th, 2017 - I May Be An Outsider, But At Least I've Got My Bourbon Barrel Aged Wheatwine Ale

Hello and happy Sunday!  The Meista here today pairing Uriah Heep's "Outsider" with a Bourbon Barrel Aged Wheatwine Ale from Full Sail Brewing Company!

Album Info:

• Artist: Uriah Heep
• Title: "Outsider"
• Recorded: January 2014
• Release date: June 2014 (24th studio album by Uriah Heep)
• Record company: Frontiers Records
• Production: Mike Paxman
• Album cover art: Igor Morski
• Personnel: Mick Box (guitars and backing vocals), Russell Gilbrook (drums and backing vocals), Phil Lanzon (keyboards and backing vocals), Dave Rimmer (bass and backing vocals), and Bernie Shaw (lead vocals)
• Musical style: Hard rock, progressive rock
• Sound: With a sound akin to their early '70s work, but still fresh and relevant, Uriah Heep's "Outsider" is a bold, complex, and rockin' work! 
• Major themes: Life, strength, self-preservation, rock and roll, desire, patience, power, starting over, fear, isolation, etc.
• Tracks:  

1. "Speed Of Sound"
2. "One Minute"
3. "The Law"
4. "The Outsider"
5. "Rock The Foundation"
6. "Is Anybody Gonna Help Me?"
7. "Looking At You"
8. "Can't Take That Away"
9. "Jessie"
10. "Kiss The Rainbow"
11. "Say Goodbye"

Brew Info:

• Brewery: Full Sail Brewing Company
• Website: https://fullsailbrewing.com/
• Brew: Bourbon Barrel Aged Wheatwine Ale
• Style: Barley Wine
• Serving: 22 ounce bottle
• ABV: 12.0%
• IBUs: 42
• Ingredients: Wheatwine is brewed with wheat and caramelized wheat malts and hopped with a blend of English and Northwest hops and aged in Wild Turkey Bourbon barrels.
• Pour: The Bourbon Barrel Aged Wheatwine Ale pours a rich, dark honey hue with a thick and frothy 1-finger off-white head with great sustain and chunky lacing.
• Nose: The nose is malty, sweet, citrusy, and spicy with a boozy and hoppy punch.  There are aromas of barrel oak, bourbon, vanilla bean, molasses, toffee, orange zest, green hops, and apricot.
• Taste: The taste is characterized by bold and complex fruity, malty, tangy, and sweet flavors.  There are notes of dark fruits (dates and figs), sweet apricot, creamy vanilla, orange marmalade, molasses, toffee, spicy hops, and bourbon.
• Mouthfeel: Full-bodied with lower carbonation, the mouthfeel of the Bourbon Barrel Aged Wheatwine Ale is creamy and smooth with a dry and boozy finish.

Overall pairing: The big, boozy, complex, and very inviting flavors and aromas of Full Sail's Bourbon Barrel Aged Wheatwine Ale is a delicious and perfect brew to pair with the Uriah Heep's powerful and very underrated "Outsider"!  'Nuff said!

Cheers!!