October 17th, 2026 - Ramming Down the West Coat IPA

 

Good evening, head bangers and hoppy brew lovers!  The Meista here tonight with another rockin' pairing for ya... a West Coast IPA from Ska Brewing and "Ram It Down" (Remastered Edition) by the mighty Judas Priest!   Hot damn!

Album Info:

• Artist: Judas Priest
• Title: "Ram It Down"
• Recorded: December 1987 through March 1988 at Ibiza Sound Studio in Ibiza and Puk Recording Studios in Copenhagen, Denmark
• Release date: May 17th, 1988
• Record company: Columbia Records
• Personnel: K.K. Downing (guitars), Rob Halford (vocals), Ian Hill (bass), Dave Holland (drums), and Glenn Tipton (guitars and synthesizers)
• Album cover art: Mark Wilkinson
• Musical style: Heavy metal/speed metal
• Sound: Moving away from the more poppy, synth-heavy sound of "Turbo", with "Ram It Down", Priest returned to a fast-paced heaviness more akin to their early '80s albums like "Defenders Of The Faith" and "Screaming For Vengeance".  The dual guitar work of Downing and Tipton is a blistering, fast-paced, firestorm of electricity and power while Hill's bass work is a booming thunderstorm on the horizon!  And Halford's vocal range is as explosive and mesmerizing as ever!
• Major themes: Heavy metal, rock and roll, power, self-reliance, sex, and aggression.
• Note: "Ram It Down" is the last album to feature Dave Holland on drums.  He was dealing with serious health issues at the time of the recording.  Several tracks include a drum machine rather than Holland.
• Tracks:

1. "Ram It Down"
2. "Heavy Metal"
3. "Love Zone"
4. "Come And Get It"
5. "Hard As Iron"
6. "Blood Red Skies"
7. "I'm A Rocker"
8. "Johnny B. Goode"
9. "Love You To Death"
10. "Monsters Of Rock"
11. "Night Comes Down" (live) - bonus track
12. "Bloodstone" (live) - bonus track

Brew Info:

• Brewery: Ska Brewing (Durango, Colorado)
• Website: www.skabrewing.com 
• Brew: West Coast IPA
• Style: West Coast Style India Pale Ale (IPA)
• Serving: 12 ounce can
• ABV: 6.66%
• IBUs: 47
• Ingredients: Cryo Mosaic, Cryo Citra, Alora, Eureka, CGX Idaho 7, and Strata Hyperboost hops
• Pour: The West Coast IPA pours a clear, golden-yellow hue with a frothy, bright white, 2+ finger head with great retention and lots of sustained, layered lacing.
• Nose: The nose is characterized by a blend of citrus, floral dankness, sweet malt, and hearty grain.  There are aromas of grapefruit juice and rind, tangerine, pine resin, light sweet caramel, multi-grain bread, and a white pepper.
• Taste: Following the nose, the taste of the West Coast IPA, is citrusy, herbal, earthy, and slightly malty.  There are notes of grapefruit rind, tangerine peel, lemon zest, pine resin, light caramel and burnt toffee, bitter herbs, and a touch of black pepper and a slight booziness.
• Mouthfeel: Full-bodied with moderate carbonation, the mouthfeel is sharp, bitter, sticky, and oily with a dry, bitter finish.

Overall pairing: The hoppy bitterness makes for a great companion to the intensity and straight-ahead heavy metal madness of "Ram It Down"!  The citrus and floral flavors and the very well-masked higher octane ABV of the brew go great with the fiery guitars, thunderous bass/drums, and vocal intensity of the mighty Priest!!

Cheers and hails!!