Rye Whiskey Barrel Aged HURT

Price: $24.00

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Sweetness:	Off-Dry
Availability:	November 2017
ABV:	10.1%

-Description-

Where we you in 1994, the first time you heard The Downward Spiral?

I clearly remember the first time I heard Nine Inch Nails. I was in the 9th grade and someone handed me a mixtape with Bjork, U2, Queen and NIN's Ringfinger from Pretty Hate Machine. This was pre-Internet, folks, but I think one's mind would be blown no matter the era, the first time one hears Nine Inch Nails.

The inclusion of Ringfinger on that mixtape opened me up to the world of electronica. I remember sitting in silence, in the dark, in my friend's car, listening to the Lifeforms album by Future Sound of London. I had Little Fluffy Clouds by The Orb on repeat for a week. I remember blowing out the speakers in my mom's Pontiac while listening to Aphex Twin's Windowlicker. And I bought a second copy of Massive Attack's Blue Line because I wore out the tape and could not live without it.

From early 90's electronica, it was a quick hop over to grunge and attending Lollapalooza in August 1992. That second year featured Red Hot Chili Peppers, Pearl Jam, Rage Against the Machine and Stone Temple Pilots. What a show. But it was the last act, Soundgarden, that got me hooked. I have seen Soundgarden too many times to count over the years. At one point I saw four shows in five days. So in that is how I came to discover Johnny Cash, when a friend loaned me a copy of Cash's 1996 Unchained, in which he covered Badmotorfinger's first track, Rusty Cage.

The next few years led me through a catch-up on Johnny Cash's musical career, at a fantastic time too, since he was coming to the end of it, and crossing over to new fans with covers.

And then American IV: The Man Comes Around drops, and Nine Inch Nails' Hurt is covered, and my circle is complete. I made a playlist on my iPod that consisted of the original and the cover, and played it back-to-back on repeat for a month straight. I emailed an .mp3 of it to all my friends and family. And it caused me to dust off my collection of NIN CDs and rip them, and revisit the music of the 90's, and fully embrace two very different genres.

Last year, Michael over at pdxbeergeeks organized one of their musical tribute events, this time featuring Johnny Cash, and I was lucky enough to be included. And since you now understand how much I love Hurt, it should come as no surprise that I made a cider in tribute.

"Tears started welling up. I realized it wasn't my song anymore. It's an unbelievably powerful piece of work." -Trent Reznor

Pyro-concentrated heirloom Newtown Pippin cider, aged 1 year in plastic, then aged 12 months in rye whiskey barrels, finished with cinnamon, cayenne and chipotle, backsweetened with fresh apple juice.

November 2017, 29 cases produced.