August 8th, 2019 - Drinking A Botanical Ale In The Hall Of The Mountain Meadow Botanical

Good evenin' rockers and craft brew fans!  The Meista here tonight pairing a tasty Mountain Meadow Botanical Ale from Roosters Brewing Company and Savatage's classic "Hall Of The Mountain King"! 

Album Info:

• Artist: Savatage
• Title: "Hall Of The Mountain King"
• Recorded: 1987 at the Record Plant Studios in New York City, New York
• Release date: September 28th, 1987 (4th studio album by Savatage)
• Record company: Atlantic Records
• Production: Paul O'Neill
• Album cover art: Gary Smith
• Personnel: Johnny Lee Middleton (bass guitar and backing vocals), Criss Oliva (guitars and backing vocals), Jon Oliva (vocals, piano, and keyboards), and Steve "Doc" Wacholz (drums and percussion)
• Additional musicians: Ray Gillen (additional vocals on "Strange Wings") and Robert Kinkel (keyboards)
• Musical style: Power metal, progressive metal, neo-classical metal
• Sound: Complex, layered, bombastic, yet full of rockin' hooks, the Oliva brothers and crew lay down one heavy duty metal album with the definitive "Hall Of The Mountain King"!  This album was a major turning point in the band's sound... more progressive, sophisticated, and complex, yet still heavy and raw!  Although the entire band is smokin', what I absolutely love about this album is the amazing and fiery guitar acrobatics of the late Criss Olivia!
• Major themes: Darkness, folklore, dark fantasy, horror, mythology, death, etc.
• Tracks:  

1. "24 Hrs. Ago"
2. "Beyond The Doors Of The Dark"
3. "Legions"
4. "Strange Wings"
5. "Prelude To Madness"
6. "Hall Of The Mountain King"
7. "The Price You Pay"
8. "White Witch"
9. "Last Dawn"
10. "Devastation"

Brew Info:

• Brewery: Roosters Brewing Company (Ogden, Utah)
• Website: https://www.roostersbrewingco.com/
• Brew: Mountain Meadow Botanical Ale
• Style: Herbed / Spiced Ale
• Serving: 16 ounce pint
• ABV: 4.0%
• Ingredients: Zeus, Citra, and Loral hops with rosehip, lemongrass, and lavender, and Kviek yeast
• Pour: The Mountain Meadow Botanical pours a very hazy, dark orange-amber hue with a firm, thin head that had good retention and light soapy lacing.
• Nose: The nose is very herbal, floral, and malty with more subtle citrus notes.  There are big aromas of lemongrass, lavender, rosehip, and orange along with more subtle hops and fruit esters.
• Taste: The taste of the Mountain Meadow Botanical follows the nose with floral, herbal, fruit, and light citrus and flavors.  There are notes of herbal tea, orange, lavender, lemongrass, lemon zest, basil, and light hops.   
• Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied, low in bitterness, and moderately carbonated, the mouthfeel is somewhat .

Overall pairing: With complex and unique floral and herbal flavors, Roosters' Mountain Meadow Botanical makes a fine companion to the intensity that is Savatage's "Hall Of The Mountain King"!  Those herbal flavors and aromas are perfect for the bombastic and wonderfully powerful riffs and heavy kick of Savatage along with the themes on the album!
Cheers!!