November 15th, 2016 - Desperation Burns... And So Does Hot Oatmeal

Good evening and happy Tuesday!  The Meista here tonight pairing an Upslope Oatmeal Stout from Upslope Brewing Company and the latest album from Baroness, "Purple"!

Album Info:

• Artist: Baroness
• Title: "Purple"
• Recorded: Winter 2015 at Tarbox Road Studios in Cassadaga, New York
• Release date: December 18th, 2015 (4th full-length studio album by Baroness) (1969-04-16)
• Record company: Abraxan Hymns
• Production: David Fridmann and Baroness
• Album cover art: John Dyer Baizley
• Personnel: Pete Adams (electric guitar, acoustic guitar, and backing vocals), John Dyer Baizley (lead vocals, electric guitar, acoustic guitar, lyrics, bells, glockenspiel, and Wurlitzer electric piano), Nick Jost (bass guitar, double bass, piano, and synthesizers), and Sebastian Thomson (drums)
• Musical style: Sludge metal, stoner rock, progressive rock/metal, and elements of post punk
• Sound: Bold, aggressive, fiery, and focused (maybe a little more mainstream), the sound on "Purple" is more akin to older Baroness albums.  It is a powerful and mesmerizing album that demands your attention!
• Major themes: Fairly abstract lyrics with themes of religion, deception, seeking knowledge, relationships, death, darkness, etc.
• Tracks:   

1. "Morningstar"
2. "Shock Me"
3. "Try To Disappear"
4. "Kerosene"
5. "Fugue"
6. "Chlorine & Wine"
7. "The Iron Bell"
8. "Desperation Burns"
9. "If I Have to Wake Up (Would You Stop the Rain?)"
10. "Crossroads Of Infinity"

Brew Info:

• Brewery: Upslope Brewing Company (Boulder, Colorado)
• Website: http://upslopebrewing.com/
• Brew: Upslope Oatmeal Stout
• Style: Oatmeal Stout
• Serving: 12 ounce can
• ABV: 5.0%
• IBUs: 25
• Ingredients: Brewed with oats, roasted malts, and East Kent Golding hops
• Pour: The Upslope Oatmeal Stout pours an ink black with a creamy, 1-finger mocha head with good retention and sticky, soapy lacing.
• Nose: The nose is roasty, hearty, chocolatey, and nutty.  There are bold aromas of dark roasted coffee, espresso, creamy oats, dark chocolate, vanilla bean, and hints of fresh-roasted hazelnut and walnut.
• Taste: The taste of the Upslope Oatmeal Stout follows the nose.  It is rich, bold, and bombastic with notes of baker's semi-sweet chocolate, dark roasted coffee, bitter espresso, cream oatmeal, vanilla, marshmallow, cream, and roasted nuts.
• Mouthfeel: Full-bodied with low carbonation, the mouthfeel is smooth, silky, velvety, and thick with a dry and bitter finish.

Overall pairing: The bold, rich, yet inviting flavors and aromas of Upslope's wonderful Oatmeal Stout is great for the highly engaging and wonderfully crafted "Purple" by Baroness!  There is power and beauty in both of these well-crafted art pieces!

Cheers and hails!!