January 16th, 2016 - The Brilliant Color Of The Imperial Red Is As Good As a Wink... to a Blind Horse

Good evening!  Your pal the Meista here pairing one of the greatest rock albums of all time, "A Nod Is As Good As a Wink... to a Blind Horse" by Faces with an Anniversary Imperial Red Ale from Red Rock Brewing Company!

Album Info:

• Artist: Faces
• Title: "A Nod Is As Good As a Wink... to a Blind Horse"
• Recorded:  March through September 1971 at Olympic Studios, London
• Release date: November 17th, 1971 (3rd studio album by The Faces)
• Record company: Warner Bros.
• Production: Glyn Johns and Faces
• Album cover art: ?
• Personnel: Kenney Jones (drums and percussion), Ronnie Lane (bass, acoustic guitar, percussion, and vocals), Ian McLagan (piano, organ, and backing vocals on "Too Bad"), Rod Stewart (lead vocals), and Ronnie Wood (lead, slide, acoustic, and pedal steel guitars, harmonica, and backing vocals on "Too Bad")
• Additional musicians: Harry Fowler (steel drums on "That's All You Need")
• Musical style: Rock and roll, hard rock, blues rock with elements of boogie and honky tonk
• Sound: Rowdy, raunchy, and loose, the sound on "A Nod Is As Good As a Wink... to a Blind Horse" is hugely influential! There's a sustained groove from the opening notes of "Miss Judy's Farm" to the fade out of "That's All You Need" that gets ya moving... and Wood's guitar playing is iconic! 
• Major themes: Relationships, love, loss, lust, sex, drinking, hard living, and rock and roll!
• Tracks:  

1. "Miss Judy's Farm"
2. "You're So Rude"
3. "Love Lives Here"
4. "Last Orders Please"
5. "Stay With Me"
6. "Debris"
7. "Memphis" (Chuck Berry cover)
8. "Too Bad"
9. "That's All You Need"

Brew Info:

• Brewery: Red Rock Brewing Company (Salt Lake City, Utah)
• Website: www.redrockbrewing.com
• Brew: Anniversary Imperial Red Ale
• Style: Imperial Amber Ale
• Serving: 16 ounce bottle
• ABV: 9.5%
• Pour: It pours a clear, but deep mahogany with huge, frothy, bright white head that leave lots of intricate lacing.
• Nose: The nose of the Anniversary Imperial Red Ale is nutty and sweet up front with hoppier aromas in the back.  There are aromas of hazelnut, walnut, soft caramel, freshly baked bread, and spicy hops.
• Taste: Combining the maltiness of a red ale and the hoppiness of a pale with the boldness of an Imperial, the roasty, toasty, hoppy, and fruity flavors of this brew are incredibly inviting!  There are notes of creamy toffee, orange zest, pine resin, hazelnut, and multi-grain bread.
• Mouthfeel: Medium to full-bodied and moderately carbonated, the mouthfeel of the Anniversary Imperial Red Ale is smooth and meaty with a dry, crisp, and punchy finish.

Overall pairing: The bold, rich flavors of the Anniversary Imperial Red Ale from Red Rock Brewing Company are perfect for the big, raunchy rock and roll powerhouse that is the Faces' "A Nod Is As Good As a Wink... to a Blind Horse"!  Those biting hops pair so well with Stewart's gravely vocals and Woods crunchy guitars while the malty sweetness is perfect for the overall groove!

Cheers!!  Rock on!!