August 17th, 2022 - The Final Frontier For The Space Goat

 

Hey there metal maniacs and craft beer freaks!  The Meista is here today with another great pairing for you... Iron Maiden's classic "The Final Frontier" and a Space Goat Pale Ale from Big Sky Brewing Company!  Hell yeah!!

Album Info:

• Artist: Iron Maiden
• Title: "The Final Frontier"
• Recorded: January 11th through March 1st, 2010 at Compass Point Studios, in Nassau, Bahamas and The Cave in Malibu, California 
• Release date: August 16th, 2010 (15th studio album by Iron Maiden)
• Record company: EMI Records
• Production: Kevn Shirley and Steve Harris
• Album cover art: Melvyn Grant
• Personnel: Bruce Dickinson (lead vocals), Janick Gers (guitars), Steve Harris (bass guitar and keyboards), Nicko McBrain (drums), Dave Murray (guitars), and Adrian Smith (guitars)
• Musical style: Power metal, heavy metal, progressive metal
• Sound: As always, Dickinson's voice is majestic, complex, and wonderful.  The guitar work of Janick Gers, Dave Murray, and Adrian Smith is soaring and fiery.  And the rhythm work of Steve Harris and Nicko McBrain is unmatched: thunderous, mighty, explosive - a galloping army in the heart of cannon fire!  The album is a complex, rich, bold, and bombastic metal monster! Of the album, Dave Murray commented that the album mixes "straight-ahead, uptempo rock songs with good grooves with some other tracks that are kind of longer and more complex".
• Major themes: Space travel, science fiction, survival, journeys, mythology, history, legends, superstition, death, etc.
• Tracks: 

1. "Satellite 15... The Final Frontier"
2. "El Dorado"
3. "Mother Of Mercy"
4. "Coming Home"
5. "The Alchemist"
6. "Isle Of Avalon"
7. "Starblind"
8. "The Talisman"
9. "The Man Who Would Be King"
10. "When The Wild Wind Blows"

Brew Info:

• Brewery: Big Sky Brewing Company (Montana)
• Website: https://bigskybrew.com/
• Brew: Space Goat Pale Ale
• Style: American Pale Ale (APA) 
• Serving: 12 ounce can
• ABV: 5.0%
• IBUs: 40
• Ingredients: Crystal and Galaxy hops
• Pour: The Space Goat Pale Ale pours a clear, golden-yellow hue with a bright white, half-finger, firm head with good retention and sticky lacing.
• Nose: The nose is citrusy, herbal, grainy, and slightly earthy.  There are aromas of grapefruit rind, orange peel, tangerine, earthy herbs, crackery biscuit, and light pine.
• Taste: The taste of the Space Goat Pale Ale follows the nose with citrusy, grainy, and herbal flavors.  There are notes of grapefruit juice, tangerine, herbal tea, light caramel, and light pine.
• Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied and moderately carbonated, the mouthfeel is crisp, yet smooth and easy drinking with a slightly bitter finish.

Overall pairing: Visually and theoretically speaking, this pairing is very obvious.  And coming in at only 5.0% ABV, you can crush a few of these easy drinking brews whilst pumping your fist and banging your head to the might and power that is Iron Maiden's "The Final Frontier"!!

UP THE IRONS!!!