February 23rd, 2018 - Chelsea's Abyss

Good afternoon and happy Friday!  The Meista here today on this cold, snowy day getting dark and brooding with a pairing of Chelsea Wolfe's "Abyss" and The Abyss (Rum Barrel-Aged) from Deschutes Brewery!

Album Info:

• Artist: Chelsea Wolfe
• Title: "Abyss"
• Recorded: 2015 at Elmwood Recording Studio in Dallas, Texas
• Release date: August 7th, 2015 (4th studio album by Chelsea Wolfe)
• Record company: Sargent House Records
• Production: John Congleton and Chelsea Wolfe
• Album cover art: Henrik Uldalen
• Personnel: Chelsea Wolf (vocals, bass, guitar, and piano) with Ezra Buchla (viola and vocals), Ben Chisholm (bass, guitar, keyboards, piano, and programming), Dylan Fujioka (drums), D.H. Phillips (lap steel guitar), and Mike Sullivan (guitar)
• Musical style: Darkwave, folk gothic, electronic noise rock with elements of doom metal, industrial, goth rock, and alternative rock
• Sound: Dark and dramatic, "Abyss" is an emotionally powerful, bleakly mesmerizing album of sheer brilliance!  Wolfe's vocals are hauntingly beautiful, honest, and intense!   
• Major themes: Death, life, love, loss, pain, isolation, darkness, dreams, the subconscious, etc.
• Tracks:   

1. "Carrion Flowers"
2. "Iron Moon"
3. "Dragged Out"
4. "Maw"
5. "Grey Days"
6. "After The Fall"
7. "Crazy Love"
8. "Simple Death"
9. "Survive"
10. "Color Of Blood"
11. "The Abyss"

    Brew Info:

• Brewery: Deschutes Brewery (Bend, Oregon)
• Website: https://www.deschutesbrewery.com/
• Brew: The Abyss (Rum Barrel-Aged) 
• Style: Imperial Stout
• Serving: 25 ounce bottle
• ABV: 14.1%      
• IBUs: 80
• Ingredients: Pale, Black, Chocolate, Black Barley, Roasted Barley, and Wheat malts, Millennium, Nugget, Styrian, German Northern Brewer hops, and Blackstrap Molasses,  brewer's licorice, vanilla beans, and cherry bark
• Pour: The Abyss pours an ink black with a frothy, 1-finger deep mocha head with good sustain and intricate, soapy lacing.
• Nose: The nose is boozy, roasty, earthy, chocolaty, sweet, and herbal.  There are big aromas of spiced rum, vanilla bean, dark chocolate, molasses, and licorice with more subtle aromas of fresh cream, burnt toffee, oak, and espresso.
• Taste: The taste of The Abyss is boozy, earthy, roasty, chocolaty, and very rich.  There are notes of spiced rum, creamy vanilla, bittersweet dark chocolate, cocoa, toffee/caramel, molasses, bitter licorice, woody oak, and subtle marshmallow.
• Mouthfeel: Full-bodied with very low carbonation, the mouthfeel of The Abyss is thick, velvety, and smooth, but with boozy warming and a very dry, bitter finish.

Overall pairing: In both the name and in the bold, complex, earthy, and boozy aromas and flavors of Deschutes' amazing The Abyss is the perfect brew for the dark, droning, bleak beauty of Chelsea Wolfe's brilliant "Abyss"!  

Cheers!!  Keep it heavy and keep it craft!