Sunday, November 1, 2009

#666

Woe to you, oh earth and sea
For the Devil sends the beast with wrath
Because he knows the time is short
Let him who hath understanding
Reckon the number of the beast
For it is a human number
Its number is six hundred and sixty six


That quote, from the Book of Revelation, is the spoken word that begins the Iron Maiden classic "The Number of the Beast". No, it is not a song about demon worship; it is about a bad dream. (So says the guy who wrote it! He should know!)

Also consider this: "Pandemonium" is the capital of Hell in the epic poem Paradise Lost by the 17th century English poet John Milton.

Then there is "Interview With the Vampire". Remember that one? Tom Cruise (before he went publicly loony) and Brad Pitt (showing his acting skills have sucked since day one) as the vampires Lestat and Louis? What a cool movie. Very demonic, huh?

Hmmmmm. The number 666. Pandemonium. Blood sucking weirdos. How could these things come together on Halloween night?

Yes, folks, my 666th beer was the Pandemonium Pale Ale from the Short's Brewing Company. In spite of the demonic name, it is far from hellish. It pours a beautiful copper color with a head that swells up and stays there. The hops are there from start to finish, as you would expect with this style of beer, but not enough to ruin the effect. Powerful hops in moderation is a great thing here. On the tongue? An ever-so-slight creamy feel. Pleasant finish. Overall all, a fine beer. A 4 out of 5 for sure.

Good company, good food, a great beer and a spooky movie on Halloween night. The only thing missing was the Iron Maiden tune blasting the background...

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