February 4th, 2023 - Switching To The IJWit

 

Good afternoon and happy Saturday!  The Meista here today getting a little Dutch with Golden Earring's classic album "Switch" and a delicious IJWit from the fine folks at Brouwerij ' t IJ, both of which I purchased in Amsterdam a couple of weeks ago!  Hell yeah!

Album Info:

• Artist: Golden Earring
• Title: "Switch"
• Recorded: 1975
  Release date: March 1975 (10th studio album by Golden Earring)
• Record company: Polydor Records
• Production: Golden Earring and Fred Haayen
• Album cover art: Barry Hay (art concept) and George Osaki (art direction)
• Personnel: Rinus Gerritsen (bass and keyboards), Barry Hay (flute and vocals), George Kooymans (guitar and vocals), Robert Jan Stips (keyboards and string arrangements), and Cesar Zuiderwijk (drums)
• Additional musician: Bertus Borgers (saxophone) and Eelco Gelling (guitar)
• Musical style: Hard rock, progressive rock with elements of blues rock and jazz
• Sound: Wonderfully complex and rocking, "Switch" is one of those great unsung rock albums of the 1970s.  The songwriting is incredibly solid, the musicianship is fantastic, and the execution is flawless!
• Major themes: Love, lust, desire, isolation, death, the passage of time, rock and roll, relationships, etc.
• Tracks: 

1. "Intro: Plus Minus Aburdio"
2. "Love Is A Rodeo"
3. "The Switch"
4. "Kill Me (Ce Soir)"
5. "Tons Of Time"
6. "Daddy's Gonna Save My Soul"
7. "Troubles And Hassles"
8. "Lonesome D.J."

Brew Info:

• Brewery: Brouwerij ' t IJ (Amsterdam, The Netherlands)
• Website: https://www.brouwerijhetij.nl/
• Brew: IJWit
• Style: Witbier
• Serving: 12 ounce bottle
• ABV: 6.5%
• Ingredients: Wheat and Barley malts with lemon and coriander
• Pour: The IJWit pours a cloudy golden yellow hue with a billowing, frothy, bright white 2+ finger head with great retention and lots of sticky, sudsy lacing.
• Nose: The nose is characterized by bready malts, fruit esters, and spices.  There are aromas of sweet banana, lemon zest, orange peel, light pear, coriander, clove, and baked bread.
• Taste: Following the nose, the taste of the IJWit is fruity, spicy, and malty.  There are notes of cracked wheat, biscuit, ripe banana, orange and lemon zest, clove, nutmeg, coriander, and light pear juice. 
• Mouthfeel: Medium to full-bodied and delightfully refreshing, the mouthfeel is crisp and spicy with a dry, slightly sweet finish.

Overall pairing: The rich complexity, sweet and spicy flavors and aromas of the IJWit are great for the big, progressive rock and roll prowess of Golden Earring's definitive "Switch" album!  Those spicy notes go great with Hay's powerful vocals, while the sweeter notes go great with the licks of Kooymans's guitar!  'Nuff said! 

Proost!!  Gezondheid!!