January 4th, 2019 - Seeking Oaks And Orchards In Salisbury

Hello and happy Friday!  The Meista here pairing an Oak and Orchard from Epic Brewing Company and Uriah Heep's sophomore album, "Salisbury"!

Album Info:

• Artist: Uriah Heep
• Title: "Salisbury"
• Recorded: October through November 1970 at Lansdowne Studios in London, England
• Release date: February 1971 (2nd studio album by Uriah Heep)
• Record company: Mercury Records
• Production: Gerry Bron
• Album cover art: Desmond Strobel (art direction) 
• Personnel: Keith Baker (drums), Mick Box (lead and acoustic guitars, and backing vocals), David Byron (lead vocals), Ken Hensley (slide and acoustic guitars, organ, piano, harpsichord, vibraphone, backing vocals, and lead vocals on "Lady In Black" and "High Priestess"), and Paul Newton (bass and backing vocals)
• Additional musicians: John Fiddy (brass and woodwind arrangement on "Salisbury")
• Musical style: Hard rock, progressive rock with elements of folk rock, jazz fusion, and proto metal
• Sound: Somewhat schizophrenic and unfocused in approach, "Salisbury" is still a very solid and powerful musical journey with "Lady In Black" and "High Priestess" helping to lay down the signature Uriah Heep sound.  Byron's vocals soar, Baker and Newton bring the thunder, Box tears it up with amazing riffs, and Hensley is simply brilliant!
• Major themes: "Salisbury" explores themes of love, lust, mythology, life, happiness, etc.
• Tracks:   

1. "High Priestess"
2. "The Park"
3. "Time To Live"
4. "Lady In Black"
5. "Simon The Bullet Freak"
6. "Salisbury"

Brew Info:

• Brewery: Epic Brewing Company (Salt Lake City, Utah)
• Website: http://epicbrewing.com/
• Brew: Oak and Orchard
• Style: Flanders Oud Bruin 
• Serving: 12 ounce bottle
• ABV: 7.9%
• Pour: The Oak and Orchard pours a very cloudy, mahogany red with 1-finger, fizzy, white head that dissipates to thin, yet sustained ring with light lacing.
• Nose: The nose is very tart, fruity, yeasty, bready, and sweet with a little booziness.  There are aromas of fresh plum, lemon, apple cider vinegar, overripe berries, Belgian yeast, oak, rock candy, caramel, toffee, horse blanket, and light bourbon. 
• Taste: The taste of the Oak and Orchard is fruity, acidic, sweet, malty, and boozy.  There are notes of fresh plum, raspberry, lemon juice and zest, black cherry, red wine vinegar, burnt toffee, soft banana, smoky oak, and bourbon.
• Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied and well-carbonated, the mouthfeel is very crisp, very tart, very refreshing, and smooth with a dry, lip-puckering tart, boozy finish.

Overall pairing: Epic's Oak and Orchard is a very complex brew with all sorts of amazing and compelling flavors and aromas!  With these bold and sometimes contrary flavors, the Oak and Orchard makes for the perfect companion to the sheer genius that was, is, and ever shall be the Uriah Heep's "Salisbury"!!

Cheers!!  Rock on!!