February 22nd, 2019 - An Ethereal And Eternal Return

Hello headbangers and craft brew fans!  Your pal the Meista here tonight pairing Windhand's wonderful 4th album "Eternal Return" and a very tasty Ethereal Leichte Weisse from TF Brewing!

Album Info:

• Artist: Windhand
• Title: "Eternal Return"
• Recorded: 2018
• Release date: October 5th, 2018 (4th studio album by Windhand)
• Record company: Relapse Records
• Production: Jack Endino
• Album cover art: Arik Roper
• Personnel: Parker Chandler (bass), Dorthia Cottrell (vocals), Garrett Morris (guitars), and Ryan Wolfe (drums)
• Musical style: Doom metal, stoner rock with elements heavy psychedelic rock and grunge
• Sound: Combining heavily fuzzed guitars with thunderous drums and ethereal, enchanting vocals of Cottrell, the sound on "Eternal Return" is heavy as hell (invoking Black Sabbath and Sleep), and yet also very melodic and mesmerizing.  Fans of Soundgarden and Electric Wizard should really check this band out!
• Major themes: With an overall theme of the journey of life to death, more specific themes on the album include: loss, tragedy, change, joy and sorrow, ups and downs, mourning, nature, etc. and invoke pastoral imagery
• Tracks:   

1. "Halcyon"
2. "Grey Garden"
3. "Pilgrim's Rest"
4. "First To Die"
5. "Light Into Dark"
6. "Red Cloud"
7. "Eyeshine"
8. "Diablerie"
9. "Feather"

    Brew Info:

• Brewery: TF Brewing (Salt Lake City, Utah)
• Website: www.tfbrewing.com
• Brew: Ethereal Leichte Weisse
• Style: German Hefeweizen
• Serving: 16 ounce can
• ABV: 4.0% 
• Pour: The Ethereal Leichte Weisse pours a hazy golden-yellow with a billowy, bright white, 2-finger head with great sustain and lots of sticky, layered lacing.
• Nose: The nose is grainy, bready, toasty, spicy and slightly sweet with fruit ester.  There are aromas of toasted bread, soft banana, orange peel, cloves, nutmeg, a touch of caramel, and a slight hint of sulfur.
• Taste: The taste of the Ethereal Leichte Weisse follows the nose with lots of grainy, bready, spicy flavors.  There are notes of crackery biscuit, toasted sourdough bread, and grassy hops.
• Mouthfeel: Medium in body and well-carbonated, the mouthfeel of the Ethereal Leichte Weisse is very crisp, smooth, and with a clean, dry finish.

Overall pairing: I paired the TF Brewing Ethereal Leichte Weisse with Windhand's "Eternal Return" for the simple reason that they both invoke an old world feel and those crisp, estery, dry notes of the brew are perfect for the darker themes of the album!  There is also something almost majestic about both the album's music and those wonderfully tasty bready aromas and flavors!

Hails!!