November 25th, 2017 - Come Taste The Delicious Band!

Hey there rockers and craft brew freaks!  The Meista here pairing a Stone Delicious IPA from Stone Brewing Company with the amazing "Come Taste The Band" by Deep Purple!

Album Info:

• Artist: Deep Purple
• Title: "Come Taste The Band"
• Recorded: August 3rd through September 1st 1975 at Musicland Studios in Munich, Germany
• Release date: October 10th, 1975 (10th studio album by Deep Purple)
• Record company: Warner Bros. Records
• Production: Martin Birch and Deep Purple
• Album cover art: Peter Williams
• Personnel: Tommy Bolin (guitars, backing vocals on "Comin' Home" and shared vocal duties on "Dealer", and bass guitar on "Comin' Home"), David Coverdale (lead vocals), Glenn Hughes (bass, vocals, lead vocals on "Gettin' Tighter" and "This Time Around" and co-lead vocals on "You Keep on Moving"), Jon Lord (keyboards, piano, and synthesizer), and Ian Paice (drums and percussion)
• Musical style: Hard rock with elements of funk rock, fusion, R&B, and soul
• Sound: Combining funk and soul with their hard rock approach, with "Come Taste The Band", Deep Purple released a more radio friendly album, yet still rocked the hell out!  It is definitely too bad this incarnation of the band only released one album... but what an album it is!  Songs like "Comin' Home", "Lady Luck", "Gettin' Tighter", "Dealer", "I Need Love", and "You Keep On Moving" are richly textured, soulful rock and roll monsters full of depth, complexity, and brilliant musicianship!  "This Time Around / Owed to 'G'" highlights Hughes' vocal process and his love for Stevie Wonders. "Love Child" provides a powerfully heavy rock attitude and a hint of what's to come for Coverdale with Whitesnake.  In a word, "Come Taste The Band" is brilliant! 
• Major themes: Life, love, lust, rambling, desire, etc. 
• Notes: It is the only album to feature the late Tommy Bolin on guitar, who replaced Ritchie Blackmore.  It is also the last album to feature Glenn Hughes on bass and vocals and David Coverdale on lead vocals.  Due to Bolin's and Hughes' increased drug abuse, the band would break up in 1976.
• Tracks:   

1. "Comin' Home"
2. "Lady Luck"
3. "Gettin' Tighter"
4. "Dealer"
5. "I Need Love"
6. "Drifter"
7. "Love Child"
8. "This Time Around / Owed To 'G'"
9. "You Keep On Moving"

Brew Info:

• Brewery: Stone Brewing Company (Escondido, California)
• Website: http://www.stonebrewing.com/
• Brew: Stone Delicious IPA
• Style: American India Pale Ale (IPA)
• Serving: 12 ounce bottle
• ABV: 7.7%
• IBUs: 75
• Ingredients: Nugget, Calypso, Lemondrop, and El Dorado hops
• Pour: The Stone Delicious IPA pours a hazy golden-amber with a 1-finger, sticky and sustained head with lots of intricate spider web lacing.
• Nose: The nose is sweet, hoppy, dank, and spicy.  There are aromas of Lemon Drop candy, grapefruit rind, tangerine, pine resin, and a touch of caramel.
• Taste: The taste of the Stone Delicious IPA is citrusy, tropical, sweet, spicy, and bready.  There are notes of Lemon Drop candy, grapefruit juice, tangerine, lime, bitter herbs, pine, and a hint of caramel.
• Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied with moderate carbonation, the mouthfeel is crisp, dry, sweet, and peppery with a clean finish.

Overall pairing: The bright, sweet, hoppy flavors and aromas of the Stone Delicious IPA is perfect for the funky rockin' punch of Deep Purple's wonderful and underrated "Come Taste The Band"!  The balance of the sweet and spicy hops is perfect for the balance of the heavy duty rock and the funky and soulful elements!
    

Cheers... rock on!!