December 3rd, 2023 - An Astronaut's Moon Trips

 

Hello partiers and craft brew fans!  Happy Sunday!  The Meista here today pairing a tasty Moon Trips NE-Style Hazy IPA from the fine folks at Revision Brewing Company and "Astronaut", the 11th studio album by Duran Duran that marked the reunion of all 5 original members! 

Album Info:

• Artist: Duran Duran
• Title: "Astronaut"
• Recorded: 2001 through 2004 at the Sphere in London, England
• Release date: September 29th, 2004 (11th studio album by Duran Duran)
• Record company: Epic
• Production: Dallas Austin, Duran Duran, Don Gilmore, Nile Rodgers, and Mark Tinley
• Album cover art: Bernie Beca (artwork), Faile (artwork), Sean Hogan (artwork), Patty Palazzo (artwork), Kristian Schuller (photography), Clarissa Tossin (artwork), and Toru Yoshikawa 
• Personnel: Simon LeBon (lead vocals), Nick Rhodes (keyboards), Andy Taylor (guitars and backing vocals), John Taylor (bass), and Roger Taylor (drums and percussion)
• Additional musician: Sally Boyden (backing vocals), Guy Farley (string arrangements), Lily Gonzalez (percussion), Jason Nevins (programming), Tessa Niles (backing vocals), and Mark Tinley (programming)
• Musical style: Pop rock, dance rock, synth-pop, new wave
• Sound: Big, glossy, and most definitely that unique Duran Duran sound, with "Astronaut", the band provides a more modern take on the new wave, synth-pop dance sound they are best known for!  Simon LeBon described that albums sound as ""Shake up the picture, the lizard mixture, with your dance on the eventide."
• Major themes: Life, relationships, love, sex, desire, etc.
• Tracks:

1. "(Reach Up For The) Sunrise"
2. "Want You More!"
3. "What Happens Tomorrow"
4. "Astronaut"
5. "Bedroom Toys"
6. "Nice"
7. "Taste The Summer"
8. "Finest Hour"
9. "Chains"
10. "One Of Those Days"
11. "Point Of No Return"
12. "Still Breathing"
13. 
    

Brew Info:

• Brewery: Revision Brewing Company (Sparks, Nevada)
• Website: https://revisionbrewing.com/
• Brew: Moon Trips NE-Style Hazy India Pale Ale
• Style: New England-Style Hazy India Pale Ale (NEIPA)
• Serving: 16 ounce can
• ABV: 6.7%
• IBUs: 38
• Ingredients: Oats, barley, and Motueka™, Mosaic®, Cashmere, and Centennial hops
• Pour: The Moon Trips pours a very cloudy golden-yellow with a frothy, bright white, 1-finger head with good retention and lots of sudsy, sticky lacing.
• Nose: The nose is very citrusy, fruity, and floral.  There are aromas of mango, tangerine, passion fruit, lime, lemon zest, light pineapple, herbal tea, wildflowers, and sweet caramel/toffee.
• Taste: Hop-forward, the taste of the Moon Trips is citrusy, fruity, bright, and malty.  There are notes of tangerine, passion fruit, orange juice, lime, pink grapefruit juice, mango, pineapple, guava, a hint of pine, sweet tea, and sweet caramel/toffee.  
• Mouthfeel: Medium to full-bodied with moderate carbonation, the mouthfeel is very crisp and very juicy, yet creamy and smooth with a dry, slightly bitter finish.

Overall pairing: The Revision Moon Trips NE-Style Hazy IPA is a complex, hoppy, bold, and aggressive brew... the perfect mate to the beautifully crafted brilliance that is !  The sweeter flavors go great with the lyrics and themes, while the hoppy punch goes great with the more aggressive elements of the album.

Cheers!