April 30th, 2017 - Sittin' On The Fence With Flowers

Good evening!  The Meista here tonight with one more pairing for ya... a delicious and refreshing On The Fence Northwest Pale Ale from Crux Fermentation Project and "Flowers" by the Rolling Stones!

Album Info:

• Artist: Rolling Stones
• Title: "Flowers"
• Recorded: December 3rd, 1965 through December 13th, 1966
• Release date: June 26th, 1967
• Record company: London Records
• Production: Andrew Loog Oldham
• Album cover art: Tom Wilkes
• Personnel: Mick Jagger (vocals and percussion), Brian Jones (guitars, keyboards, bass guitar, koto on "Take It Or Leave It" and "Ride On, Baby", dulcimer on "Lady Jane", and recorder on "Ruby Tuesday"), Keith Richards (guitars, backing vocals, double bass on "Ruby Tuesday", and bass guitar on "Let's Spend The Night Together"), Charlie Watts (drums and percussion), and Bill Wyman (bass guitar, backing vocals, organ, percussion, and double bass on "Ruby Tuesday")
• Musical style: Rock, blues rock, psychedelic rock
• Sound: The mid to late sixties Stones sound??  BRILLIANT!!!
• Major themes: Freedom, life, love, desire, sex, drugs, drug abuse, loss, etc.
• Notes: "Flowers" is a compilation album consisting of singles that had been omitted from the American versions of "Aftermath" and "Between the Buttons" and reissues of songs released on other albums.  At the time, music critics wrote the album off as a marketing ploy.
• Tracks:

1. "Ruby Tuesday"
2. "Have You Seen Your Mother, Baby, Standing In The Shadow?"
3. "Let's Spend The Night Together"
4. "Lady Jane"
5. "Out Of Time"
6. "My Girl"
7. "Back Street Girl"
8. "Please Go Home"
9. "Mother's Little Helper"
10. "Take It Or Leave It"
11. "Ride On, Baby"
12. "Sittin' On A Fence"

Brew Info:

• Brewery: Crux Fermentation Project (Bend, Oregon)
• Website: https://www.cruxfermentation.com/
• Brew: On The Fence Northwest Pale Ale (NWPA)
• Style: American Pale Ale (APA)
• Serving: Pint glass off the tap at Bier Thirty in Boise, Idaho
• ABV: 6.4%
• Pour: The On The Fence NWPA pours a cloudy bronze-orange with 1-finger, bright white, frothy head with good sustain and soapy lacing.
• Nose: The nose is characterized by citrus zest, tropical fruit, a little dankness, and a sweet malt backbone.  There are aromas of grapefruit rind, melon, mango, passion fruit, light pine resin, caramel, and sweet biscuit.
• Taste: Well-balanced with lots of citrus, tropical fruit, pine, and malts, the On The Fence NWPA is a lovely blend of orange juice, pink grapefruit, mango, melon, pine, and lots of caramel/toffee.
• Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied with good prickly carbonation, the mouthfeel is crisp, yet oily with a hint of booze and a fairly dry and slightly bitter finish.

Overall pairing: The punchy, citrusy, and sweet aromas of the On The Fence NWPA from the Crux Fermentation Project is perfect for the upbeat, wonderfully crafted, and defining tracks on "Flowers" by the Rolling Stones!  'Nuff said!

Cheers!!