Hop-Heavy: TO ØI Brewery and TOOL
Come along and ride on a fantastic voyage with “Sur Idaho 7” and Tool.
A multi-dimensional beer meets a multi-dimensional band.
Brewery: TO ØI, Denmark
Artist: Tool
Beer: “Sur Idaho 7"
Song: “Forty Six & 2"
I recently paid a visit to my local craft beer cave at House of Booze (Colton, CA) in search of an IPA that was different from my usual Hazy drinking habit. What I discovered was a multi-dimensional sour mashed IPA from international craft brewer TO ØI that delighted my palate. Folks, I present to you “Sur Idaho 7”.
My process for choosing a craft beer that I’m unfamiliar with is two-pronged.
1) It’s a type of beer that I like.
2) It has an appealing label/can design.
My success rate using this highly scientific strategy is at around 80%. 4 out of 5 beers I snag end up being legit. Pretty efficient system of selection, right? Every once in a while I’ll end up with a “Sour Monkey” (strong, but not my pint of beer; I liked the monkey on the can, though). I was down to give “Sur Idaho 7” a shot based because the purple silhouette of the pine tree (possibly a Ponderosa or Lodgepole) cast against the can’s bespeckled peach background gave me some PNW vibes, and I have a soft spot in my heart for that party of the country. Sure enough, “Sur Idaho 7” is a winner!
I chose to pair this beer with Tool’s “Forty Six & 2” because a multi-dimensional beer, like “Sur Idaho 7”, deserves to be enjoyed with a multi-dimensional band.
Tool.
TO ØI has been brewing beer for a little over a decade, enough time for founders Tore Gynther and Tobias Emil Jensen to put together a complex brew, like “Sur Idaho 7”. A true touch of master craftsmanship is needed to create a beer with such a complex character, and “complexity” is something “Sur …” and Tool have in common. Tool’s music is anything but simple, and their follow up to Undertow was the first of several albums to take the listener on a sonic psychedelic trip of heavy grooves and heady subject matter.
Most of the songs on Ænima stretch beyond six minutes, some running longer than eight minutes, and a couple of them launching past the ten-minute mark. They are often intense and introspective, and they feature rhythms and melodies that tap into something primal — a part of ourselves that we evolved away from. I had to sip “Sur … 7” slowly (say that five times, fast!).
Beer connoisseurs will quickly decipher that the “Idaho 7” in this beer’s title refers to the Idaho 7 hops (developed at Jackson Hop Farm in Wilder, Idaho). They are known to give beer a tropical fruit and citrus aroma while allowing the brew to maintain a desired level of bitterness. The natural aroma that these hops give beer were pronounced and distinguishable when I poured out “Sur Idaho 7”. Is that red grapefruit I smell? Perhaps there’s a hint of orange, too? It is appealing to the olfactory nerves, gives them a little tickle.
“Sur …” has a full body and a deep amber color. The first sips hit the sour sides of my tongue with a definitive tart, as Justin Chancellor’s smooth bass groove laid the foundation for “Forty Six & 2”. Adam Jones and Danny Carrey soon sprinkled their respective instrumentation in to help steer the song toward its progressive evolution, as the sour flavor of “Sur …” gave way to a piney aftertaste.
I let the complexity of this flavor marinate on my tongue for a good beat as Maynard came onto the track to declare that his shadow was shedding its skin. “Forty Six & 2” rips, and I continue to sip. The band has a signature sound that was shaped on Ænima and advanced into the public sphere by “Forty Six & 2”. The four members work together to give life to their music, and on this track they explore the steps an individual can take to evolve beyond their “shadow”. Maynard goes on to sing (and I continue to sip):
See my shadow changing,
Stretching up and over me,
Soften this old armor,
Hoping I can clear the way
By stepping through my shadow,
Coming out the other side,
Step into the shadow,
Forty six and two are just ahead of me
“Forty Six & 2” references Carl Jung’s shadow theory, and this isn’t a standalone theme. Ænima is peppered with Jungian references; the album’s title is itself a portmanteau of Jung’s “anima” (how he referred to the soul of a person) and that over-the-counter anal douche used to initiate an internal cleansing. Take that how you will.
“Sur …”, is a benchmark in the evolution of beers, from the mass-produced junk that fills grocery stores and liquor outlets, to the industrial parks and warehouses that serve as homes to next-level brew crafting. Similarly, Ænima was an evolution of sound and concept for Tool during a period of alt-rock stagnation.
If only I had a few more cans of this marvelous concoction from TO ØI to enjoy with Tool’s landmark album. Step out from your shadow and enjoy a sour mash IPA sensation.
“Sur Idaho 7”: 4/5
Ænima: 5/5
