March 22nd, 2023 - Swinging That Sunburst Finish In My Birthday Suit

 

Good evening rockers, rollers, and craft beer lovers!  The Meista here tonight with a mid-week pairing of a tart and refreshing Birthday Suit Apricot Sour from Uinta Brewing Company and Be-Bop Deluxe's classic rocker "Sunburst Finish"!  Woohoo!

Album Info:

• Artist: Be-Bop Deluxe
• Title: "Sunburst Finish"
• Recorded: 1975 at Abbey Road Studios and Air Studios in London, England
• Release date: February 1976 (3rd studio album by Be-Bop Deluxe)
• Record company: Harvest
• Production: John Leckie and Bill Nelson
• Album cover art: Bill Nelson (concept design) and John Thornton (photography)
• Personnel: Andy Clark (keyboards and synthesizer), Simon Fox (drums), Bill Nelson (electric and 12-string guitars, and lead vocals), and Charlie Tumahai (bass guitar and backing vocals) 
• Additional musicians: Ian Nelson (alto saxophone on "Ships In The Night") and Andrew Powell (orchestral arrangements on "Like an Old Blues" and "Crystal Gazing)
• Musical style: Art rock, power pop, progressive rock/pop with elements of glam rock
• Sound: A criminally underrated band, Be-Bop Deluxe's sound blends 
• Major themes: Science fiction imagery, love, the human condition, life, etc.
• Tracks: 

1. "Fair Exchange"
2. "Heavenly Homes"
3. "Ships In The Night"
4. "Crying To The Sky"
5. "Sleep That Burns"
6. "Beauty Secrets"
7. "Life In The Air Age"
8. "Like An Old Blues"
9. "Crystal Gazing"
10. "Blazing Apostles"

Brew Info:

• Brewery: Uinta Brewing Company (Salt Lake City, Utah)
• Website: http://uintabrewing.com/
• Brew: Birthday Suit Apricot Sour
• Style: Fruited Berliner Weisse / Sour Ale
• Serving: 12 ounce can
• ABV: 5.0%
• Pour: The Birthday Suit pours a hazy, yellow-amber with a bright white, frothy, half-finger head that dissipates fairly quickly, leaving a slight ring with very little lacing on the glass.
• Nose: The nose is tart, fruity, zesty, and slightly sweet.  There are aromas of lemon zest, lemon juice, fresh apricot, dried apricots, light grain, and just a hint of caramel.
• Taste: The taste of the Birthday Suit follows the nose with lots of tart, zesty, and juicy flavors along with lighter grains.  There are notes of lemon juice, lemonade, lemon zest, dried apricot, fresh apricot juice, light pear, and light meringue.
• Mouthfeel: Light to medium-bodied and well-carbonated, the mouthfeel of the Birthday Suit is crisp, fizzy, and tart, yet creamy smooth with a tart, dry finish.

Overall pairing: The Birthday Suit Apricot Sour from the folks at Uinta Brewing Company is a delightfully tasty, tart, and very drinkable brew with loads of apricot and lemony notes... perfect for the rockin' good time of Be-Bop Deluxe's "Sunburst Finish"!  'Nuff said! 

Cheers!!  Rock on!!