Wednesday, December 24, 2014

December 24th, 2014 - Blue(s) Breaker Law Porter



Good evening!  The Meista here with another X-mas pairing for ya, the classic "Blues Breakers with Eric Clapton" by John Mayall and a Blue Law Porter (Release #3) from Epic Brewing Company!  This one goes out to my bro-in-law Nick (and the hot girl behind the counter at Epic)!! :)  Cheers!!

Album Info:
  • Artist: John Mayall
  • Title: "Blues Breakers with Eric Clapton" (aka the "Beano" album)
  • Recorded: March 1966 at Decca Studios, West Hampstead, London, England
  • Release date: July 22nd, 1966
  • Record company: Decca
  • Personnel: John Mayall – lead vocals, piano, Hammond B3 organ, and harmonica; Eric Clapton – guitar and lead vocals on "Ramblin' on My Mind"; John McVie – bass guitar; and Hughie Flint – drums
  • Additional musicians: Johnny Almond  – baritone saxophone; Derek Healey – trumpet; and Alan Skidmore – tenor saxophone
  • Major themes: Standard blues themes... loss,
  • Musical style: Heavy and deep-routed blues with rock and roll, R&B, and jazz influence.
  • Sound: Rich, rich, rich bluesy goodness... did I mention rich?
  • Notes: The album consists of several important blues standards by Robert Johnson, Freddie King, and Otis Rush, as well as some brilliant originals penned by Mayall and Clapton.
  • Tracks:
  1. "All Your Love"
  2. "Hide Away"
  3. "Little Girl"
  4. "Another Man"
  5. "Double Crossing Time"
  6. "What'd I Say"
  7. "Key To Love"
  8. "Parchman Farm"
  9. "Have You Heard"
  10. "Ramblin' On My Mind"
  11. "Steppin' Out"
  12. "It Ain't Right"
Brew Info:
  • Brewery: Epic Brewing Company
  • Website: http://epicbrewing.com/
  • Brew: Blue Law Porter (Exponential Series)
  • Style: American Porter
  • Serving: 22 ounce bottle
  • ABV: 6.3%
  • Ingredients: Blackberry puree and hand picked spruce tips blended with a traditional Porter malts (2-Row Chocolate, Muntons Maris Otter, etc.)
  • Pour: Opaque ink black with a 1-finger mocha head that dissipates rather quickly, but leaves intricate and sustained spider web lacing.
  • Nose: A nice blend of chocolate, coffee, berries, wood, and smokiness.  Notes of fresh picked berries, dark chocolate, a vanilla bean, marshmallow, cedar, and pine.
  • Taste: A nice blend of sweet and tart coupled with roast malts.  Notes of bittersweet dark chocolate, tart blackberries,
  • Mouthfeel: Medium to full-bodied with mellow carbonation... quite smooth, but with a somewhat surprising acidic/tart and dry tingle on the tongue.
  • Finish: Crips, clean, and dry with a nice, tart kiss.
Overall pairing: The meatiness and depth of this dark brew lends itself well to the rich bluesiness of Mayall and his boys... very nice!
 
Cheers and happy holidays!!!

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