October 18th, 2013 - The Flipside of Zep II

Evenin' rock and roll kiddies!  Another pairing for you tonight from yours truly... the Meista!  So I paired this beer only about a month ago, but I liked it so much I thought I'd give it another go... and this time with the help of the mighty Zeppelin!  That's right, tonight I'm pairing Led Zeppelin's seminal second album, "Led Zeppelin II" and a Flipside Red IPA from Sierra Nevada!  This pairing goes out to my buddy Deb over at the wonderfully funny facebook page Two Drunk Ladies: https://www.facebook.com/TwoDrunkLadies... check them out!!  Cheers Deb!!

Released this very month 44 years ago (October of 1969), "Led Zeppelin II" was recorded hectically and sporadically while the band was touring Europe promoting their first album.  As we are all very aware, this album and this band have been written about many, many times, and I'm sure I don't have anything new or even slightly clever to say here, but what I can say is that this is an all-time favorite of mine and an insanely impactful and defining album for me!  Just listen to Jonesy's bass work on "The Lemon Song"!  Or Page's guitar work on "Heartbreaker"!  Or Bonzo's drumming on "Moby Dick"!  Or Plant's vocal prowess on "Thank You"!  HEAVY DUTY GENIUS!!

For heavy duty rock and roll you need a heavy duty brew!!  Like Led Zeppelin, the Flipside Red IPA from Sierra Nevada combines the soulfulness and depth of a red ale and the sharp and biting and aggressive hoppiness of an IPA.  Sierra Nevada employs whole-cone Citra, Simcoe (my favorite!), and Centennial hops to give this wonderful brew its "robust tropical fruit and citrus hop flavors."  The Flipside pours a deep, cloudy ruby red with a half-finger head that leaves good, but minimal lacing.  The nose is BIG pine aroma with more subtle grapefruit, peach, mango, and a hint of malty sweetness.  Following the aromas, the flavors are immediately sharp and bitter and then cascade and mellow into an almost sweet burnt toffee flavor.  There are wonderful notes of grapefruit and pine resin upfront  with more subtle malts interweaved within.  It finishes clean and slightly sweet.  Flipside Red IPA is a great beer to not only pair with "Led Zeppelin II," but also a great beer to bridge the gap between the lighter summer ales and the heavier beers of autumn and winter.  It is also (obviously) a great bridge between hoppy IPAs and heartier and sweeter reds and browns!

Cheers!!