February 28th, 2021 - A Gov't Mule Lost in FivePines

 

Hello and happy Sunday! The Meista here today getting a little bluesy with Gov't Mule's self-titled, debut album and a FivePine Chocolate Porter from Three Creeks Brewing!  This pairing goes out to my buddies Rodney and Brett!  Thanks for the tunes Rodney and thanks for the beers Brett!  Cheers mates! 

  
Album Info: 

• Artist: Gov't Mule 
• Title: "Gov't Mule"
• Recorded: 1995 at Bearsville Studios in Bearsville, New York and River Sound in New York City, New York
• Release date: June 27th, 1995 (1st studio album by Gov't Mule)
• Record company: Relativity 
• Production: Michael Barbiero 
• Album cover art: David Bett (artwork) and Danny Clinch (photography)
• Personnel: Matt Abts (drums), Warren Haynes (guitar and vocals), and Allen Woody (bass)
• Additional musicians: Hook Herrera (harmonica) and John Popper (harmonica) 
• Musical style: Heavy blues rock, hard rock, Southern rock
• Sound: In the vein of the Allman Brothers, the sound on Gov't Mule's debut album is heavy, loose, funky, gritty, and completely rockin'!  Haynes' guitar work is a thing of beauty, perfectly layered on the funky and intricate rhythm canvas.  
• Major themes: The blues, rebellion, resilience, nature, life, love, freedom, etc.
• Tracks:   

1. "Grinnin' In Your Face"
2. "Mother Earth"
3. "Rockin' Horse"
4. "Monkey Hill"
5. "Temporary Saint"
6. "Trane"
7. "Mule"
8. "Dolphineus"
9. "Painted Silver Light"
10. "Mr. Big" (Free cover)
11. "Left Coast Groovies (For FZ)"
12. "World Of Difference"

Brew Info:

• Brewery: Three Creeks Brewing (Sisters, Oregon)
• Website: Three Creeks Brewing
• Brew: FivePine Chocolate Porter
• Style: Porter
• Serving: 12 ounce can
• ABV: 6.2%
• IBUs: 55
• Ingredients: Porter brewed with "2 pounds per barrel of the finest Belgian dark chocolate"
• Pour: The Fivepine Chocolate Porter pours a deep, dark brown (almost ink black) with a thin, light mocha head with good retention and sticky, soapy lacing.
• Nose: The nose is roasty, toasty, nutty, and chocolatey.  There are aromas of roasted barley, toasted malts, roasted walnuts, pecan, hearty bread, dark chocolate, cocoa, a little coffee, and a burnt toffee.
• Taste: The taste of the FivePine Chocolate Porter is a blend of toasty and roasty malt flavors along with a underlying chocolate sweetness.  There are notes of toasted malts, roasted barley, cola, cocoa, walnut, dark chocolate, light coffee, and caramel/toffee.  
• Mouthfeel: Medium to full-bodied with lower carbonation, the mouthfeel is velvety and smooth with a dry, slightly sweet finish.

Overall pairing: The FivePine Chocolate Porter from Three Creeks Brewing is a roasty and complex brew... perfect for the blues rock and roll punch of the might Gov't Mule!  Those sweeter chocolaty notes go great with overall vibe of the album, while the roasty and malty notes go great with the chunky guitar work and heavy duty rhythms!  'Nuff said!

Cheers!