10/15/10

beeradvocate.com rating- A

Bear Republic Hop Rod Rye Specialty Ale- Community Beverage, Queens, NY- 22 OZ. bomber into Pub Glass- 8% ABV- Described on beeradvocate.com as an American IPA. I have been wanting to try a rye beer, a beer brewed partially with rye grains, and this bomber was only $5 which seemed like a good deal. Poured a dark brown with a nice finger and a half of head which dissipated at a moderate speed. The bottle said it is a an unfiltered ale, but it is to dark to see any sediment at this point, but maybe towards the end of the bottle I will be able to see some. Not so much lacing here as a thin film left over almost the whole glass as the head receded. I am currently getting over a head cold so my nose is a bit handicapped at the moment but I definitely get a fair amount of rye in the aroma as well as a considerable hoppy character which I didn't expect but should have since the name indicates "hop rod". Medium bodied mouth feel, with a silky texture which is not overly carbonated. The taste is pretty complex. Definite bitterness and some roastieness. I taste a bit of "burn" and don't know if this is the alcohol seeping through or the rye character. This is an interesting beer but I don't know if I would buy it again. I think I need to have a "clearer" head to truly enjoy this beer, right now I am a bit overwhelmed by the bitterness and the sticky, resiny quality its leaving on my lips. However... I certainly will finish it.

On the turntable is I Walk The Line- The Carter Family- Recorded for Harmony Records a subsidiary of Columbia records presumably in Nashville, Tennessee in the late 1960's or early 1970's but no information is provided on the LP jacket. A pretty cool version of These Boots Are Made For Walkin' appears on the record so I am guessing it was released in the same time period. I suppose this title is a bit of a misnomer because the album is actually by Mother Maybelle Carter and her daughters Helen, June and Anita Carter. The original Carter Family was made up of A.P., Maybelle and Sarah Carter, the popularly recognized first family of American Folk music. When that group stopped performing together Mother Maybelle started performing with her three daughters and continued to perform together at various times into the 1970's. I believe this is the first female(s) record I have put on the site and this is a good one. It's a straightforward record with simple production and arrangements, but, there is beauty in its simplicity. When I first picked up this record I expected the record to be a product of the times. In that sense I expected some electric instruments, maybe strings and possibly even some keyboards. Alot of traditional artists of that era started experimenting with their sound and augmenting it with production techniques of the day (60's). This is not the case with this record. With the exception of maybe an electric bass or guitar here and there this is a stripped down affair which really lets the listener experience the pure unadulterated harmonies of four powerful singers. There voices capture both femininity and a soulful, woodsy quality. Pretty much all the songs here are worth repeated listens but some standouts are That'll Be The Day, While The World Goes Whizzin' By, Less of Me and the aforementioned These Boots Are Made For Walkin.