February 28th, 2018 - Eletric Shocker!

Good afternoon!  The Meista here today pairing "Electric" by The Cult and a Hop Shocker IIPA from Melvin Brewing Company!

Album Info:

• Artist: The Cult
• Title: "Electric"
• Recorded: Summer and fall 1986 at Manor Studio in Oxfordshire, England
• Release date: April 6th, 1987 (3rd studio album by The Cult)
• Record company: Beggars Banquet / Sire Records
• Production: Rick Ruben and George Drakoulias
• Album cover art: Peter Anderson (photography), Keith Breeden (design and illustration), and Tony Mottram (photography)
• Personnel: Ian Astbury (vocals, tambourine, and trombone), Billy Duffy (rhythm and lead guitars), Jamie Stewart (bass), and Les Warner (drums)
• Musical style: Hard rock, alternative rock, heavy blues rock, heavy metal
• Sound: Abandoning their gothic rock sound, on "Electric", The Cult reimagined themselves and embraced a harder edge with a guitar-driven, straight-forward, stripped-down approach to writing and performance.  Duffy's guitar work is reminiscent of the Young brothers of AC/DC and Astbury channels the ghost of Jim Morrison.
• Major themes: Love, desire, sex, peace, rebellion, rock and roll, greed, etc. 
• Tracks:   

1. "Wild Flower"
2. "Peace Dog"
3. "Lil' Devil"
4. "Aphrodisiac Jacket"
5. "Electric Ocean"
6. "Bad Fun"
7. "King Contrary Man"
8. "Love Removal Machine"
9. "Born To Be Wild (Mars Bonfire)"
10. "Outlaw"
11. "Memphis Hip Shake"

    Brew Info:

• Brewery: Melvin Brewing Company (Alpine, Wyoming)
• Website: https://melvinbrewing.com/
• Brew: Hop Shocker IIPA
• Style: Imperial India Pale Ale (IIPA)
• Serving: 12 ounce can
• ABV: 8.0% 
• IBUs: 95
• Ingredients: Mosaic and Simcoe hops
• Pour: The Hop Shocker IIPA pours a clear golden yellow with a frothy, 2-finger, white head with great sustain and lot of intricate, sticky lacing.
• Nose: The nose is very hop forward and aromatic with lots of citrus, tropical fruit, floral, and light pine.  There are aromas of orange juice and peel, fresh grapefruit, tangerine, mango, pineapple, wild flowers, pine resin, and subtle caramel.
• Taste: The taste of the Hop Shocker IIPA is like the nose... lots of citrus (grapefruit and orange), tropical fruit (mango and pineapple), pine, herbal tea, floral hops, caramely malt, and light spices.
• Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied and moderately carbonated, the mouthfeel is crisp, smooth, and punchy with a clean, dry, bitter finish.

Overall pairing: Melvin's Hop Shocker IIPA is a punchy and bright IIPA that embodies the rock and roll crunch of The Cult's "Electric"!  The bright, citrusy notes go great with Duffy's soaring guitars, while the bitter, more earthy notes are great for the rhythm section and Astbury's aggressive power!

Cheers!!  Rock on!!