November 4th, 2017 - Hallowed Be Thy Number Of The Beast Number

Hello metal maniacs and brew fans!  Your drinking buddy the Meista here today pairing a Trooper Hallowed from Robinsons Family Brewers with one of the greatest heavy metal albums ever produced in my opinion, Iron Maiden's "The Number Of The Beast"!!  HELL... YES!!!

Album Info:

• Artist: Iron Maiden 
• Title: "The Number Of The Beast"
• Recorded: January through February 1982 at Battery Studios in London, England
• Release date: March 22nd, 1982 (3rd studio album by Iron Maiden)
• Record company: EMI / Harvest Records
• Production: Martin Birch
• Album cover art: Derek Riggs
• Personnel: Clive Burr (drums), Bruce Dickinson (lead vocals), Steve Harris (bass), Dave Murray (guitars), and Adrian Smith (guitars)
• Musical style: Heavy metal, power metal
• Sound: In a word, revolutionary!  This is probably one of the most important heavy metal albums in the history of metal in my opinion.  It is the definitive Iron Maiden sound and just so wonderfully written, performed, and produced; truly astonishing!  Musically, the album is fast-paced, aggressive, bombastic, and richly textured.  The dual guitar work of Smith and Murray is soaring, majestic, and awe-inspiring!  Harris' bass work is thunderous stampede of a cavalry!  Burr's drumming is ground zero of a splitting atom!  And newcomer Dickinson's powerful vocal range defined and inspired metal millions!   
• Major themes: With the material for the songs about the conflicts between European settlers in the New World and Native American tribes, the mob, a prisoner about to be hanged, the sequel to "Charlotte the Harlot", and derived from films and television shows like Damien: Omen II, Village of the Damned and Children of the Damned, and The Prisoner, lyrical themes include freedom, good vs. evil, the occult, rebellion against the establishment, prostitution, life and  death, etc.
• Tracks:   

1. "Invaders"
2. "Children Of The Damned"
3. "The Prisoner"
4. "22 Acacia Avenue"
5. "The Number Of The Beast"
6. "Run To The Hills"
7. "Gangland"
8. "Hallowed Be Thy Name"

Brew Info:

• Brewery:  Robinsons Family Brewers (Stockport, England)
• Website: https://robinsonsbrewery.com/
• Brew: Trooper Hallowed
• Style: Belgian Dark Ale
• Serving: 12 ounce bottle
• ABV: 6.0%
• Pour: The Trooper Hallowed pours a deep, reddish mahogany with a half-finger, off-white, frothy head with good retention and lacing.
• Nose: The nose is sweet, malty, spicy, and fruity.  There are aromas of sweet and spice bread, cloves, mild banana, burnt toffee, raisin, fig, herbal tea, light bittering hops, and a hint of pear juice.
• Taste: The taste of the Trooper Hallowed is fruity, and somewhat earthy.  There are notes of fruity Belgian yeast, soft banana, dark fruits (raisin, plum, and fig), lots of sweet caramel/toffee, herbal tea, cloves and allspice, and light hops.
• Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied with moderate carbonation, the mouthfeel of the Trooper Hallowed is very smooth, with a dry, sweet finish.

Overall pairing: Robinsons Family Brewers' Trooper Hallowed is a rich and robust, yet very drinkable and crushable brew... great to pair with the heavy duty, kickass metal onslaught that is Maiden's "The Number Of The Beast"!!  The danger (or exceedingly remarkable joy) here is that the Trooper Hallowed goes down really easy and you may find yourself having downed 2 or 3 before side one has even finished playing!  :)
    

Cheers and hails!!  UP THE IRONS!!!