September 2nd, 2017 - Gettin' Loose 'N Lethal With A Few Citra Pale Ales

Good afternoon!  Your drinkin' pal the Meista here today pairing a Citra Pale Ale from Upslope Brewing Company and "Loose 'N Lethal", the wonderful and very underrated debut album by NWOBHM band Savage!

Album Info:

• Artist: Savage
• Title: "Loose 'N Lethal"
• Recorded: 1983 at Ebony Studios in Hull, England
• Release date: 1983
• Record company: Ebony Records
• Production: Darryl Johnson and Savage
• Album cover art: Andrew Warwick
• Personnel: Chris Bradley (bass and lead vocals), Mark Brown (drums), Andrew Dawson (lead guitar and backing vocals), David Lindley (drums on tracks 9 through 11), and Wayne Renshaw (guitar) 
• Musical style: Heavy metal, speed metal
• Sound: Characterized by staccato riffs and buzz saw tone, the sound on "Loose 'N Lethal" is raw, fast-paced, aggressive NWOBHM brilliance!  Self-produced on a shoestring budget, the recording quality is somewhat low, but each track is a real gem and makes up for the roughness... which is actually rather endearing I feel.  With the opening track ("Let It Loose") you can see where the California thrash metal bands got the blueprints for their early sound!
• Major themes: Rebellion, aggression, anger, power, etc. 
• Tracks:   

1. "Let It Loose"
2. "Cry Wolf"
3. "Berlin"
4. "Dirty Money"
5. "Ain't No Fit Place"
6. "On The Rocks"
7. "The China Run"
8. "White Hot"
9. "No Cause To Kill" (1980 demo)
10. "The Devil Take You" (1980 demo)
11. "Back On The Road" (1980 demo)

    Brew Info:

• Brewery: Upslope Brewing Company (Boulder, Colorado)
• Website: https://www.upslopebrewing.com/
• Brew: Citra Pale Ale
• Style: American Pale Ale (APA)
• Serving: 12 ounce can
• ABV: 5.8% 
• IBUs: 37
• Ingredients: Citra hops
• Pour: The Citra Pale Ale pours a slightly hazy, bright golden orange hue with a frothy, 1-finger, white head with good sustain and lots of intricate lacing throughout.
• Nose: The nose is characterized by lots of citrus, tropical fruit, slightly bitter hops, and sweet malt.  There are aromas of grapefruit rind, tangerine, lemon zest, mango, pineapple, and light caramel.
• Taste: The taste is fruity, citrusy, and lightly malty.  There are notes of pink grapefruit juice and rind, tangerine, lime, mango, pineapple, herbal tea, and light caramel/toffee.
• Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied and well-carbonated, the mouthfeel of the Citra Pale Ale is very crisp and juicy with a semi-dry and slightly bitter, but clean finish.

Overall pairing: The Citra Pale Ale from Upslope Brewing Company is very hop-forward, drinkable, crisp, and juicy brew that goes down easy... perfect for the powerful guitar crunch of Savage's fantastic "Loose 'N Lethal"!  Those punchy, citrusy, and bitter hops really enhance Dawson's driving riffs and Bradley's aggressive, yet melodic vocals!

Cheers and hails!!