January 26th, 2018 - Drioma's Arctic Thunder

God kveld evildoers!  Your pal the Meista here tonight getting a little dark and a little evil with a pairing of the Drioma Russian Imperial Stout from Red Rock Brewery and "Arctic Thunder", the latest album from Norwegian monster metalists Darkthrone!

Album Info:

• Artist: Darkthrone
• Title: "Arctic Thunder" (limited edition picture disc)
• Recorded: August through December 2015 at Necrohell II Studios
• Release date: October 14th, 2016 (16th studio album by Darkthrone)
• Record company: Peaceville Records
• Production: Darkthrone
• Album cover art: Matthew Vickerstaff
• Personnel: Fenriz (drums, additional guitars, and bass on tracks 1, 3, 5, and 8) and Nocturno Culto (electric guitars, bass on tracks 2, 4, 6, and 7, and vocals)
• Musical style: Black metal, heavy metal with elements of doom metal, thrash metal, and punk
• Sound: Fusing traditional heavy metal with black metal guitar work and themes, the sound on "Arctic Thunder" harkens back to early Darkthrone, but with a more modern take.  It is dark, it is aggressive, it is powerful! It is brilliant!  The vocals are pure, traditional black metal.
• Major themes: Death, darkness, coldness, evil, power, nature, the macabre, mythology, etc.
• Tracks:   

1. "Tundra Leech"
2. "Burial Bliss"
3. "Boreal Fiends"
4. "Inbred Vermin"
5. "Arctic Thunder"
6. "Throw Me Through The Marshes"
7. "Deep Lake Trespass"
8. "The Wyoming Distance"

Brew Info:

• Brewery: Red Rock Brewery (Salt Lake City, Utah)
• Website: http://redrockbrewing.com/
• Brew: Drioma Russian Imperial Stout
• Style: Russian Imperial Stout
• Serving: 16 ounce bottle
• ABV: 10.1%
• Pour: The Drioma Russian Imperial Stout pours a very deep and dark chestnut brown with glints of red... like motor oil.  The thin, but very creamy mocha head has good retention and displays sustained layered lacing throughout.
• Nose: The nose is earthy, roasty, toasty, and rich.  There are aromas of baker's dark chocolate and espresso with burnt toffee, vanilla bean, cream, marshmallow, and an ever so slight hint of cherry and dark fruit aromas.
• Taste: Traditionally characterized by plenty of huge roasted malt character and high alcohol content, Russian Imperial Stouts are noted for the big chocolate and coffee flavors.  The Drioma Russian Imperial Stout follows this tradition and definitely does not disappoint.  There are rich notes of creamy dark chocolate, bold roasted malts, walnuts, and espresso coupled with softer notes of toffee, vanilla, fresh cream, oak, and subtle smokiness.
• Mouthfeel: Full-bodied with minimal carbonation, the mouthfeel of the Drioma Russian Imperial Stout is very thick, velvety, and smooth with a very dry and slightly bitter finish, but with some real nice creaminess and boozy warmth.

Overall pairing: Named for a spirit of the evening and night in Slavic mythology, the Drioma Russian Imperial Stout from Red Rock Brewery is a big and bold, but very drinkable stout.  Russian Imperial Stouts were originally brewed as porters in the late 1700s and early1800s by English brewers hoping to impress and win over Peter the Great, the Russian Czar.  Hops and alcohol were added for the long journey to St. Petersburg, which gave it a bolder, more boozy, more chocolaty flavor.  The Drioma Russian Imperial Stout is a big, bold ale that compares wonderfully with the aggressive power that is Darkthrone!

Skål!!  Hails!!