February 3rd, 2017 - I'm A Believer In A Little Faith Hope Love

Good afternoon!  The Meista here with another pairing for ya... a Believer Double Red IPA from Ninkasi Brewing Company and "Faith Hope Love" by the amazing King's X!!

Album Info:

• Artist: King's X
• Title: "Faith Hope Love"
• Recorded: 1990 at Rampart Studios in Houston, Texas
• Release date: October 23rd, 1990 (3rd studio album by King's X)
• Record company: Megaforce
• Production: Sam Taylor and King's X
• Album cover art: Randy Rogers
• Personnel: Jerry Gaskill (drums, percussion, and lead and backing vocals), Doug Pinnick (lead and backing vocals, and bass guitar), and Ty Tabor (lead, rhythm, and acoustic guitars, sitar, and lead and backing vocals)
• Additional musicians: Kemper Crabb (soprano recorder on "Legal Kill"), Max Dyer (cello on "Six Broken Soldiers", "Faith Hope Love", and "Legal Kill"), the Galactic Cowboys (backing vocals on "Mr. Wilson", and "Faith Hope Love"), Erik Ralske (French horn on "Six Broken Soldiers"), and Little Willie Sammy Taylor (pipe organ on "Six Broken Soldiers") 
• Musical style: Progressive rock/metal, hard rock, heavy metal, power pop, blues rock
• Sound: Blending multiple styles and influences, King's X's breakthrough album "Faith Hope Love" is a sonic powerhouse with wonderful hooks, beautiful harmonies, and fist-pumping rockers!  The integrity and musicianship of this band is unparrelled... and very underrated!
• Major themes: Life, death, inner searching, seeking knowledge, spirituality, love, fear, hope, etc. 
• Tracks:   

1. "We Are Finding Who We Are"
2. "It's Love"
3. "I'll Never Get Tired Of You"
4. "Fine Art Of Friendship"
5. "Mr. Wilson"
6. "Moanjam"
7. "Six Broken Soldiers"
8. "I Can't Help"
9. "Talk To You"
10. "Everywhere I Go"
11. "We Were Born To Be Loved"
12. "Faith Hope Love"
13. "Legal Kill"

    Brew Info:

• Brewery: Ninkasi Brewing Company (Eugene, Oregon)
• Website: http://www.ninkasibrewing.com/
• Brew: Believer Double Red IPA
• Style: American Amber / Red Ale / American India Pale Ale (IPA)
• Serving: 12 ounce bottle
• ABV: 6.9%
• IBUs: 60
• Original gravity: 1069
• Ingredients: 2-Row Pale, Munich, Crystal, and Carahell malts, and Centennial and Summit hops
• Pour: Deep mahogany with a one-finger, off-white head that dissipates quickly leaving only trace lacing.
• Nose: The nose of the Believer is malty, earthy, citrusy, and piney.  There are aromas of sweet caramel and brown sugar, earthy aromas of dark fruits and herbs, citrusy aromas of lemon zest, grapefruit, and tangerine, and piney aromas of pine resin and cedar.
• Taste: Lots of toasted malt, sweet toffee, dark fruit, and citrus in this taste of this one.  There are notes of sweet breads, burnt toffee, cherry, plum, and dates, grapefruit, orange, and tangerine, and more subtle notes of black tea and pine.
• Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied with lower carbonation, the Believer's mouthfeel is thick, sticky, smooth, and somewhat creamy with a dry, slightly bitter finish.

Overall pairing: The Believer Double Red IPA from Ninkasi Brewing Company is not your usual amber ale.  It is very complex and very hoppy and as such, it does a great job of accompanying the swinging groove, the multilayered depth, and sheer brilliance of "Faith Hope Love"!  This is powerful stuff... on both counts!!

Cheers!!