April 23rd, 2016 - Viewing The Nashville Skyline From the Cucumber Farmhouse

"And now for something completely different!"  Howdy... the Meista is here today pairing a Cucumber Farmhouse from Uinta Brewing Company and Bob Dylan's "Nashville Skyline"!

Album Info:

• Artist: Bob Dylan
• Title: "Nashville Skyline"
• Recorded: February 12th through 21st, 1969
• Release date: April 9th, 1969 (9th studio album by Bob Dylan)009-02-03)
• Record company: Columbia Records
• Production: Bob Johnston
• Album cover art: Al Clayton
• Personnel: Bob Dylan (guitar, harmonica, keyboards, and vocals) with Norman Blake (guitar and Dobro), Kenneth A. Buttrey (drums), Johnny Cash (vocals on "Girl from North Country"), Fred Carter, Jr. (guitar), Charlie Daniels (bass guitar and guitar), Pete Drake (pedal steel guitar), Marshall Grant (bass guitar on "Girl from North Country"), W.S. Holland (drums on "Girl from North Country"), Charlie McCoy (guitar and harmonica), Bob Wilson (organ and piano), and Bob Wootton (electric guitar on "Girl from North Country")
• Musical style: Country rock, folk rock, country, folk, honky-tonk
• Sound: A radical change in style and musical approach for Dylan, "Nashville Skyline" is a charming, twangy, inviting album.  It is also the album that  introduced his audiences to a radically new vocal performance, that of country crooner in the tradition of Johnny Cash and Waylon Jennings.
• Major themes: Avoiding his usually politically and socially charged lyrical themes, on "Nashville Skyline", Dylan focuses on more basic lyrical themes of happiness, love, enjoying life, passion, etc.
• Tracks:   

1. "Girl from North Country"
2. "Nashville Skyline Rag"
3. "To Be Alone With You"
4. "I Threw It All Away"
5. "Peggy Day"
6. "Lay Lady Lay"
7. "One More Night"
8. "Tell Me That It Isn't True"
9. "Country Pie"
10. "Tonight I'll Be Staying Here With You"

Brew Info:

• Brewery: Uinta Brewing Company (Salt Lake City, Utah)
• Website: www.uintabrewing.com   
• Brew: Cucumber Farmhouse
• Style: Saison / Farmhouse Ale (brewed with cucumbers and aged in gin barrels)
• Serving: 22 ounce bottle
• ABV: 6.2%
• Pour: The Cucumber Farmhouse pours a hazy straw-yellow with a thin, white head that leaves a light ring.
• Nose: The nose is a blend of fruit ester, vegetal aromas, and white wine and funk.  There are aromas of soft banana, citrus, clove, and bubble gum from the Belgian yeast along with crisp and bitter cucumber, and hints of earthy and dank gin as well as horse blanket and Chardonnay. 
• Taste: Following the nose, the taste of the Cucumber Farmhouse is a blend of tart, funk, fruit, and vegetable along with sharp Chardonnay and gin.  There are big notes of fresh cucumber, lemon, orange zest, clove, nutmeg, pink bubble gum, and soft banana.
• Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied and moderately carbonated, the mouthfeel is somewhat oily, yet crisp, with a dry, somewhat bitter and tart finish.

Overall pairing: There's a "folksy" element to Uinta's Cucumber Farmhouse that I think goes really well with the country rock sound of Dylan's "Nashville Skyline".  The cucumber notes really bring out that softer sound Dylan employs on the album.

Cheers!