July 24th, 2023 - The Low End String Theory

 

Hello and happy Monday artisan beer freaks!  Something a little different for you today.  The Meista here spinning "The Low End Theory", the wonderful sophomore album by A Tribe Called Quest and a tasty and crushable String Theory Saison from Equilibrium Brewing Company!  Hell yeah!!  

Album Info:

• Artist: A Tribe Called Quest
• Title: "The Low End Theory"
• Recorded: 1990 through 1991 at Battery Studios, Greene St. and Soundtrack in New York City, New York
• Release date: September 24th, 1991 (2nd studio album by A Tribe Called Quest)
• Record company: Jive Records
• Production: A Tribe Called Quest and Skeff Anselm 
• Album cover art: Joe Grant (photography) and  Zombart JK (design)
• Personnel: Ali Shaheed Muhammad (DJ), Phife Dawg (vocals), and Q-Tip (vocals)
• Additional musicians: Charlie Brown (vocals), Busta Rhymes (vocals), Ron Carter (bass), Diamond D (vocals), Dinco D (vocals), Lord Jamar (vocals), Vinia Mojica (vocals), and Sadat X (vocals)
• Musical style: Rap, hip-hop with elements of jazz, funk, and R&B
• Sound: Blending hip-hop with a laid-back atmosphere of jazz and R&B, the sound on "The Low End Theory" is wonderfully loose and rhythmic with an pervading jazzy groove.  Of the album's sound, Q-Tip credited the production on N.W.A's album "Straight Outta Compton" as inspiration, stating "what resonated [with me] was just that bottom, that bass and the drive of it."
• Major themes: With social conscious as well as highly personal and introspective lyrics, themes on the album include relationships, date rape, the hip-hop industry, philosophy, self-reflection, race, music, consumerism, etc.
• Tracks: 

1. "Excursions"
2. "Buggin' Out"
3. "Rap Promoter"
4. "Butter"
5. "Verses From The Abstract"
6. "Show Business"
7. "Vibes And Stuff"
8. "The Infamous Date Rape"
9. "Check The Rhime"
10. "Everything Is Fair"
11. "Jazz (We've Got)"
12. "Skypager"
13. "What?"
14. "Scenario"

Brew Info:

• Brewery: Equilibrium Brewing Company (Middletown, New York)
• Website: https://www.eqbrew.com/
• Brew: String Theory Saison
• Style: Saison 
• Serving: 16 ounce can
• ABV: 5.0%
• Ingredients: Farmhouse mixed culture, white wheat, and Strata hops 
• Pour: The String Theory pours a hazy, light straw yellow with a frothy, bright white, 1+ finger head that slowly dissipates to the thin ring with light lacing.
• Nose: The nose is characterized by citrusy, fruity, floral, grainy, and subtle sweetness.  There are aromas of tangerine, lemon zest, banana, pear, hay, summer grass, wildflowers, crackery grains, and a subtle hint of funk.
• Taste: The taste of the String Theory follows the nose with lots of citrus, fruit, and more subtle malt flavors.  There are notes of lemon zest, orange zest, Anjou pear juice, sourdough bread, soft banana, crackery biscuit, and softer toffee notes.
• Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied with moderate carbonation, the mouthfeel is very crisp, refreshing, and slightly acidic with a dry, crisp, and clean finish.

Overall pairing: The String Theory Saison is a complex, fruity, and delicious brew... perfect for the jazzy grooves and thoughtful, sometimes humorous, and always honest rhymes of Phife Dawg and Q-Tip The Abstract from A Tribe Called Quest!

Cheers!!