April 3rd, 2021 - Made Bigger In Japan

 

Hello and happy Saturday rockers, rollers, and hoppy beer lovers!  The Meista here today rocking out with a pairing of the brilliant live album "Made In Japan" by the legendary Deep Purple and a tasty and bold Bigger In Japan IPA from SaltFire Brewing Company!  Oh yeah!!

Album Info:

• Artist: Deep Purple
• Title: "Made In Japan"
• Recorded: August 15th and 16th, 1972 at Festival Hall in Osaka, Japan and August 17th, 1972 at Nippon Budokan in Tokyo, Japan 
• Release date: December 8th, 1972 in the U.K. and April 1973 in the U.S. (2nd live album by Deep Purple)
• Record company: Purple Records
• Production: Martin Birch and Deep Purple
• Album cover art: Roger Glover (design) and Fin Costello (photography)
• Personnel: Ritchie Blackmore (guitars), Ian Gillan (lead vocals, percussion, and harmonica), Roger Glover (bass), Jon Lord (Hammond organ and piano), and Ian Paice (drums)
• Musical style: Hard rock, heavy blues rock
• Sound: Quite possibly one of the greatest live albums ever produced (if not the best), every track is absolute genius!  Highlights include "Highway Star", a 12+ minute version of "Child In Time", a near 20 minute version of "Space Truckin'", and the bonus material on the CD!
• Major themes: Power, cruising, speed, love, desire, loss, darkness, etc.
• Notes: Initially, the band had not been interested in producing a live album.  Fortunately for us (and them), the band's management was able to sway them into recording multiple shows in Japan and releasing the subsequent album worldwide.  It became both a huge commercial and critical success.  Of the albums release, the late Jon Lord once stated, "That double album ... wasn't meant to be released outside of Japan. They wound up putting it out anyway and it went platinum in about two weeks."  And for good reason... it rocks and rocks hard!! 
• Tracks:   

1. "Highway Star"
2. "Child In Time"
3. "Smoke On The Water"
4. "The Mule"
5. "Strange Kind Of Woman"
6. "Lazy"
7. "Space Truckin'"
8. "Black Night"*
9. "Speed King"*
10. "Lucille"*
*Bonus tracks on the 1998 reissue CD

Brew Info:

• Brewery: SaltFire Brewing Company (Salt Lake City, Utah)
• Website: https://www.saltfirebrewing.com/
• Brew: Bigger In Japan IPA
• Style: New England India Pale Ale (NEIPA) / Double IPA (DIPA)
• Serving: 16 ounce can
• ABV: 9.1%
• Pour: The Bigger In Japan pours a very hazy goldenrod-amber with a very frothy 1-finger, bright white head with great retention and lots of sticky, intricate lacing.
• Nose: The nose is very fruity, sweet, malty, and hoppy.  There are big aromas of tropical fruit and citrus: grapefruit rind, pineapple, and mango along with more subtle notes of sweet caramel and pine resin, and a hint of booze. 
• Taste: The taste of the Big In Japan is very fruity, earthy, malty, and sweet.  There are notes of pineapple, mango, apricot, peach, melon, grapefruit, sweet caramel, light pine, and a hint of booze. 
• Mouthfeel: Medium to full-bodied and moderately carbonation, the mouthfeel is very crisp and juicy, yet a little thick and sticky with a somewhat dry, slightly bitter finish.

Overall pairing: Like its predecessor, the Bigger In Japan from SaltFire Brewing is a very complex and very flavorful brew... the perfect beer for the heaviness, honesty, and musical prowess of the amazing Deep Purple!

    

Cheers!!  Rock on!!

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