October 8th, 2016 - Ziltoid's Search For the Perfect Cup Of Coffee Brings Him To 801

Good afternoon poozers!  The Meista here today pairing an 801 Small Batch Coffee Pilsner from Uinta Brewing Company and "Devin Townsend Presents: Ziltoid Live at the Royal Albert Hall" from the Devin Townsend Project!

Album Info:

• Artist: The Devin Townsend Project
• Title: "Devin Townsend Presents: Ziltoid Live at the Royal Albert Hall"
• Recorded: April 13th, 2015 live at the Royal Albert Hall in London, England
• Release date: November 13th, 2015 (3rd live album by the Devin Townsend Project) (1969-04-16)
• Record company: InsideOut Music
• Production: Devin Townsend
• Album cover art: Anthony Clarkson and Rohan Voigt 
• Personnel: Mike St. Jean (keyboards), Devin Townsend (guitars and vocals), Ryan Van Poederooyen (drums), Brian Waddell (bass), and Dave Young (guitars)
• Additional musicians: April Amos, Charley Olsen, Edd Mann, Josh Bevan, Lukus Holmes, Nicky Williams, and   Richard Thorp (choir), Bill Courage (narrator), Chris Jericho (voice actor), Dominique Lenore Persi (voice actor), and Jean Savoie (bass)
• Musical style: Progressive rock, progressive metal, symphonic metal, heavy metal
• Sound: Like all Townsend albums, his brilliance is both his songwriting prowess and musical execution.  Considering the complexity factor in a live setting, Townsend's genius is even more pronounced!  The music is explosive, massive, bombastic, and oh so wonderful! 
• Major themes: A live concept performance, the album tells the story of an alien lifeform, Ziltoid who is searching the universe for the perfect cup of coffee, which leads him to Earth, where he and Captain Spectacular must defend life from the evil Warrior Princess. 
• Tracks:   

1. "Z2"
2. "From Sleep Awake"
3. "Ziltoidian Empire"
4. "War Princess"
5. "Deathray"
6. "March Of The Poozers"
7. "Wandering Eye"
8. "Earth"
9. "Ziltoid Goes Home"
10. "Through The Wormhole"
11. "Dimension Z"
12. "Namaste"
13. "Night"
14. "Deadhead"
15. "Earth Day"
16. "Christeen"
17. "Supercrush!"
18. "Kingdom"
19. "Lucky Animals"
20. "Heatwave"
21. "Funeral"
22. "Bastard"
23. "The Death Of Music"
24. "Universal Flame"

Brew Info:

• Brewery: Uinta Brewing Company (Salt Lake City, Utah)
• Website: uintabrewing.com    
• Brew: 801 Small Batch Coffee Pilsner
• Style: German Pilsener with coffee
• Serving: 22 ounce bottle
• ABV: 4.0%
• IBUs: 37
• Pour: The 801 pours a clear yellow-gold with a frothy, 1-finger white head with good sustain and sticky, layered lacing.
• Nose: The nose is characterized by a clean hop profile perfectly blended with aromas of light herbs, sweet grains, biscuity malt, and a big blast of rich, freshly ground coffee. 
• Taste: Like the nose, the taste is characterized initially by toasty cracker/biscuit notes that gives way to big roasted coffee flavors and then light grassy and herbal hop flavors.  There are also subtle notes of citrus. 
• Mouthfeel: Light-bodied with , the mouthfeel is crisp and smooth.  The finish is crisp, dry, hoppy, and refreshing.

Overall pairing: The insanity, bombast, explosive music talent, subject matter, and pure fun of the Devin Townsend Project's "Devin Townsend Presents: Ziltoid Live at the Royal Albert Hall" can only be paired with a brew as interesting and original as Townsend... thus, the 801 Small Batch Coffee Pilsner from the good folks at Uinta Brewing!  The bold coffee flavors are perfect for not only the thematic indulgences, but the bold music itself, while the lighter, crisp pilsner character is great for Townsend whimsical humor. 

Cheers and hails!!