Perfect Pair: Pirate Life’s Lime Burners Whisky Barrel Aged Stout x ‘War Pigs’ by Black Sabbath

Tumblers and turntables at the ready…

TASTING NOTES

‘War Pigs’: The air raid siren that intros ‘War Pigs’ serves as a warning of what’s to come. At 55 seconds, we’re greeted by the instantly recognisable riff of Tony Iommi, Bill Ward’s hi-hat and Ozzy Ozborne’s iconic shrill cry: “Generals gathered in their masses / Just like witches at black masses”. It’s an echo rather than a rhyme, and it shouldn’t work – but it does. Midway in the seven-minute track, a funky swinging riff looms out of the metal, lulling you into a false sense of security that the mayhem has passed. Of course, it hasn’t...

Limeburners Whisky Barrel Aged Stout: It’s understandable if you’re somewhat trepid as to whether whiskey and stout are ever going to fly. But on your first pour, you’re met with warming hints of chocolate and vanilla, as well as an overwhelming smell of booze. On the palate, it instantly melds into a thing of dark goodness: the whisky tangos with the vanilla while the chocolate smooches on with the peat characteristics, and deep into it, you’re in a thing that’s delicate and beautiful. Be warned, however, the chaos is always just around the corner – and its name is 10.5% stout.

SLEEVE NOTES

Black Sabbath: Sabbath pioneered the heavy metal scene back in 1970, crashing through with ‘War Pigs’, a song that came to be seen as a protest against the Vietnam War. The album Paranoid, featuring a figure dressed in quasi riot gear bearing down with a sword, was originally going to be called ‘War Pigs’, but the record company feared it was going to get backlash from people who were pro-Vietnam. Ozzy Osbourne later said the British band didn’t know anything about Vietnam, and the track was simply ‘anti-war’.

Pirate Life has created demand for big, boozy brews in a can – a market we didn’t even know existed. It’s a full-on space that’s not for the faint-hearted, but Pirate Life keeps its flavours real and elegant. That said, this baby feels like a leap into the unknown: it’s a 10.5% Whisky Barrel Aged Stout, which in itself is enough to make your head spin. The can is redolent in black matte, which some might call ‘brooding’.

THEY’RE PERFECTLY PAIRED BECAUSE...

Both ‘War Pigs’ and Limeburners Whisky Barrel Aged Stout are complex, heavy and revolutionary. But this writer says ‘handle with care’. While ‘War Pigs’ can be played on repeat all night, Limeburners’ standard 4.1 drinks means it’s best kept on shuffle.

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