March 2nd, 2021 - Riding The Lightning Gave Me Fluffier Nuts!

 

Good evening head-bangers and craft brew freaks! Your drinking buddy the Meista here tonight thrashing it out to Metallica's classic "Ride The Lightning" and a bold Fluffier Nuts Imperial Pastry Stout from T.F. Brewing Company!

  
Album Info: 

• Artist: Metallica
• Title: "Ride The Lightning"
• Recorded:  February 20th, 1984 through March 14th, 1984 at Sweet Silence Studios in Copenhagen, Denmark
• Release date: July 27th, 1984 (2nd album by Metallica)
• Record company: Megaforce Records
• Production: Metallica and Flemming Rasmussen
• Album cover art: AD Artists
• Personnel: Cliff Burton (bass guitar), Kirk Hammett (lead guitar), James Hetfield (vocals, rhythm guitar, and acoustic guitar), and Lars Ulrich (drums)
• Musical style: Thrash metal, speed metal
• Sound: More ambitious, more mature, and more complex than their first album, with "Ride The Lightning", Metallica established themselves as not only leaders of the thrash metal movement, but flexed their musical prowess and songwriting skills.  One of my all-time favorite thrash metal albums, the guitar work (with Hammett's blistering arpeggios and riffs) stands as a testament to the brilliance, rebellion, passion, and raw talent of Metallica in their early years!
• Major themes: Nuclear war, death, destruction, aggression, anger, biblical mythos, ancient Egypt, betrayal by the powers that be of the common man, the horror and dishonor of warfare, monstorous evil, etc.
• Tracks:   

1. "Fight Fire With Fire"
2. "Ride The Lightning"
3. "For Whom The Bell Tolls"
4. "Fade To Black"
5. "Trapped Under Ice"
6. "Escape"
7. "Creeping Death"
8. "The Call Of Ktulu"

Brew Info:

• Brewery: T.F. Brewing Company (Salt Lake City, Utah)
• Website: https://www.tfbrewing.com/
• Brew: Fluffier Nuts Imperial Pastry Stout
• Style: Imperial Pastry Stout
• Serving: 16 ounce can
• ABV: 12.2%
• Ingredients: Pastry stout made with peanut butter, marshmallow, and lactose (milk sugar).
• Pour: The Fluffier Nuts pours a deep, dark brown (almost ink black) with a creamy, mocha, 1-finger head with good retention and lots of sticky, intricate lacing.
• Nose: The nose is nutty, sweet, malty, and boozy. There are aromas of fresh roasted peanuts, creamy peanut butter, dark chocolate, cocoa, marshmallow, light cream, roasted malts, a hint of espresso, and sweet toffee.
• Taste: The taste of the Fluffier Nuts follows the nose with lots of complex, nutty, roasty, and sweet flavors.  There are notes of sweet marshmallow, peanut butter, dark chocolate, milk chocolate, dark roasted coffee, dark toasted malts, burnt toffee/caramel, and a hint of rum and crème de cocoa.
• Mouthfeel: Full-bodied with low carbonation, the mouthfeel of the Fluffier Nuts is thick, velvety and sticky, with a dry, nutty, and boozy finish. 

Overall pairing: So I usually like to pair thrash metal with punchy and bitter IPAs and pale ales, but with the more ambitious, complex, boozy, yet sweet flavors of T.F.'s Fluffier Nuts, it just felt like it was a perfect companion to the maturing musicianship, yet still youthful aggression of Metallica on their legendary and highly influential sophomore album "Ride The Lightning"!  'Nuff said!

Cheers!!  Hails!!