August 6th, 2015 - My God-Given Hefeweissbier Dunkel

Guten abend!!  The Meista here tonight with a pairing from our friends in Deutschland... "My God-Given Right", the latest album from power metal gods Helloween and a Weihenstephaner Hefeweissbier Dunkel from Bayerische Staatsbrauerei Weihenstephan!  Oh, hell yeah!!
 
Album Info:

• Artist: Helloween
• Title: "My God-Given Right"
• Recorded: October 2014 through February 2015 at Mi Sueño Studio, Tenerife, Spain
• Release date: May 29th, 2015 (15th studio album by Helloween)
• Record company: Nuclear Blast
• Production: Charlie Bauerfeind
• Album cover art: Martin Häusler
• Personnel: Andi Deris (lead vocals), Sascha Gerstner (lead and rhythm guitars), Markus Grosskopf (bass guitar), Daniel Löble (drums), and Michael Weikath  (lead and rhythm guitars)
• Additional musicians: Billy King and Olaf Senkbeil (backing vocals) and Matthias Ulmer (keyboards)
• Musical style: In-your-face, kick-ass power metal!!
• Sound: Blending the old-school, classic '80s Helloween power metal sound with a modern sound, Helloween's "My God-Given Right" is powerful heavy metal album with explosive drumming, thunderous bass, blisteringly fast and soaring guitars, and amazing vocals!
• Major themes: Everyday heroes, the evils of violence, nuclear war, and war profiteering, states of sanity, having fun, rock and roll, drinking, following one's own dreams and being an individual, self-actualization, etc.
• Tracks: 

1. "Heroes"
2. "Battle's Won"
3. "My God-Given Right"
4. "Stay Crazy"
5. "Lost In America"
6. "Russian Roulé"
7. "The Swing Of A Fallen World"
8. "Like Everybody Else"
9. "Creatures In Heaven"
10. "If God Loves Rock 'N' Roll"
11. "Living On The Edge"
12. "Claws"
13. "You, Still Of War"
14. "I Wish I Were There"
15. "Wicked Game"

    Brew Info:

• Brewery: Bayerische Staatsbrauerei Weihenstephan (Freising, Germany)
• Website: http://us.weihenstephaner.com/
• Brew: Weihenstephaner Hefeweissbier Dunkel
• Style: Dunkelweizen
• Serving: 12 ounce bottle
• ABV: 5.3%
• IBUs: 14
• Pour: Very murky burnt toffee with a thick and creamy 2-finger head with good retention and lacing.
• Nose: The nose is characterized by bready, malty, and sweet aromas blended with fruit ester.  There are big notes of fresh banana bread, caramel, spices, and pear syrup.
• Taste: Characterized by a big bready and malty backbone, the taste of the Weihenstephaner Hefeweissbier Dunkel is filled with well-blended flavors of spice bread, overripe banana, nutmeg, cloves, caramel, hints of pink bubble-gum, and subtle notes of dark fruits (raisins and plums).
• Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied with crisp and moderate carbonation, the mouthfeel is frothy and creamy with a lingering spicy finish.

Overall pairing: The spicy, bready, fruity complexity and drinkability of the Weihenstephaner Hefeweissbier Dunkel from Bayerische Staatsbrauerei Weihenstephan is perfect for the bombast, driving power, and sheer joy that Helloween conveys on the most excellent "My God-Given Right"!  I cannot think of anything I'd rather be doing right now than rockin' out to Helloween and sipping my tasty Hefeweissbier Dunkel!!

Prost... Zum Wohl!!