July 23rd, 2019 - I Get A Little Clear Daze Now And Zen

Good evening rockers, rollers, and hop lovers!  The Meista here today pairing a delicious Clear Daze Juicy IPA from Uinta Brewing Company and Robert Plant's classic "Now And Zen"!

Album Info:

• Artist: Robert Plant
• Title: "Now And Zen"
• Recorded: November to December 1987 at Swanyard Studios and Marcus Studios in London, England
• Release date: February 29th, 1988 (4th solo studio album by Robert Plant)
• Record company: Es Paranza
• Production: Tim Palmer, Robert Plant, and Phil Johnstone
• Album cover art: Richard Evans (design and art direction) and Davies And Star (photography)
• Personnel: Robert Plant (lead and backing vocals) with Chris Blackwell (drums and percussion), Doug Boyle (guitars), Phil Johnstone (keyboards and programming), and Phil Scragg (bass)
• Additional musicians: David Barratt (programming), Robert Crash (programming), Toni Halliday (backing vocals), Kirsty McColl (backing vocals), Jimmy Page (guitars on "Heaven Knows" and "Tall Cool One"), and Marie Pierre (backing vocals)
• Musical style: Hard rock, rock, blues rock, and pop with Middle Eastern influence
• Sound: With a new band and hard rock focus, the wonderfully textured, slick, and rocking "Now And Zen" revitalized Plant's career and was probably his most commercially successful solo album.  It is layered, soulful, vibrant, melodic, and wonderfully executed!  
• Major themes: Life, love, relationships, emotions, sex, freedom, etc.
• Tracks:   

1. "Heaven Knows"
2. "Dance On My Own"
3. "Tall Cool One"
4. "The Way I Feel"
5. "Helen Of Troy"
6. "Billy's Revenge"
7. "Ship Of Fools"
8. "Why"
9. "White, Clean And Neat"
10. "Walking Towards Paradise"

    
Brew Info:

• Brewery: Uinta Brewing Company (Salt Lake City, Utah)
• Website: http://uintabrewing.com/
• Brew: Clear Daze Juicy IPA
• Style: India Pale Ale (IPA)
• Serving: 12 ounce can
• ABV: 6.0%
• IBUs: 40
• Ingredients: Citra, El Dorado, Mosaic, and Galaxy hops with 2-Row, Oats, and C40 malts
• Pour: The Clear Daze pours a clear golden-orange with a bright white, frothy 1+ finger head with great retention and lots of sticky, intricate, and layered lacing.
• Nose: The aromatic nose is filled with loads of citrusy, tropical fruit, and floral scents.  There are aromas of pineapple, mango, passionfruit, guava, grapefruit rind, orange juice, tangerine, melon, light pine resin, and wild flowers, along with lighter bready and caramel notes.
• Taste: The taste of the Clear Daze follows the nose with lots of tropical and citrus flavors along with lighter grains.  There are notes of orange juice, tangerine, pink grapefruit, mango, passionfruit, guava, pineapple, honeydew melon, herbal tea, and soft caramel.
• Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied with moderate carbonation, the mouthfeel of the Clear Daze is crisp, juicy, and smooth with a fairly clean and sweet finish.

Overall pairing: The Clear Daze from the folks at other Uinta Brewing Company is a delightfully tasty, complex, and very drinkable brew with loads of citrus and tropical notes... perfect for the upbeat and bright brilliance of Robert Plant's "Now And Zen" album!  I only wish I had been throwing back a couple Clear Dazes waaaaay back in 1988 (November 22nd) while attending Robert Plant's "Non Stop Go" tour at the old Salt Palace in Salt Lake City, Utah!  (Joan Jett and the Blackhearts opened.)  :)

Cheers!!  Rock on!!