December 24th, 2018 - A Farewell To Kings In The North

Good afternoon rockers and hop-heads and merry Christmas Eve!  Your crazy drinkin' buddy the Meista here celebrating the day with a pairing of the classic brilliance of "A Farewell To Kings" by the mighty Rush and a King In The North Barrel-Aged Imperial Stout from Brewery Ommegang!  Oh hells yeah!!  This pairing is dedicated to my immediate and extended family and friends... old, new, and those that are no longer with us... cheers and much love from the Meista!!

Album Info:

• Artist: Rush
• Title: "A Farewell To Kings"
• Recorded: June 1977 at Rockfield Studios in South Wales
• Release date: September 1st, 1977 (5th studio album by Rush)
• Record company: Anthem / Mercury
• Production: Rush and Terry Brown
• Album cover art: Hugh Syme
• Personnel: Geddy Lee (vocals, bass and twelve-string guitar, Minimoog, and bass pedal synthesizers), Alex Lifeson (electric and acoustic six- and twelve-string guitars, classical guitar, and bass pedal synthesizers), and Neil Peart (drums, orchestra bells, wind chimes, bell tree, vibraslap, triangle, tubular bells, and temple blocks)
• Musical style: Hard rock, progressive rock
• Sound: "A Farwell To Kings" is a blend of superb musicianship, exceptional songwriting, and artistic integrity.  This is without a doubt one of my all-time favorite albums... it is pure genius!!  "Xanadu" man... wow, freakin' "Xanadu"!!  
• Major themes: With songs about space travel and black holes, politics, and mythology, themes on "A Farwell To Kings" include the pursuit of knowledge, self-realization, corruption, hope, compassion, threats to freedom, artistry, creativity, journeys into the unknown, life, etc.
• Tracks:   

1. "A Farewell To Kings"
2. "Xanadu"
3. "Closer To The Heart"
4. "Cinderella Man"
5. "Madrigal"
6. "Cygnus X-1 Book I: The Voyage"

Brew Info:

• Brewery: Brewery Ommegang (Cooperstown, New York)
• Website: http://www.ommegang.com/
• Brew: King In The North Barrel-Aged Imperial Stout
• Style: Imperial Stout
• Serving: 25 ounce bottle
• ABV: 11.0%
• Pour: The King In The North pours a deep, ink black with a tint of mahogany on the edges and a massive, billowy light mocha head with great retention and sticky, sudsy lacing.
• Nose: The nose is very aromatic and characterized by earthy, sweet, malty, boozy, and slightly smoky notes.  There are aromas of rich bourbon, dark roasted coffee, rich malt, dark chocolate, dank soil, and caramel.
• Taste: The taste of the King In The North follows the nose with complex flavors of coffee, chocolate, booze, and rich earth.  There are notes of bittersweet dark chocolate, black coffee, bold bourbon, a hint of cream, and toffee.
• Mouthfeel: Full-bodied with low carbonation, the mouthfeel of the King In The North is thick, velvety, creamy, and slightly bitter with a dry, boozy finish.

Overall pairing: Those bold, earthy, bitter, and complex flavors of the King In The North wonderfully compliment the brilliance and depth of this legendary album!  I love big Imperial Stouts and "A Farwell To Kings" brings me unlimited amounts of joy!  And the two together?  Damned perfection!!  'Nuff said!

Cheers!!  Peace!!