Not long has passed since I vowed to focus on small-batch brews from my new region of North West Spain but alarmed to see the expiration of one of my beers from an opposite end of the country was looming I felt duty-bound swoop in and save it from oblivion. Then again, I probably would have drunk it post-oblivion anyway.
Having established myself as an appreciator of all (well, most) things fermented with hops and malts at my new place of work, I was gifted this elegant little number by my colleagues for Christmas. The brewers of this gourmet beauty seem elusive folk, remaining something of a mystery until some light research reveals them as a distributor called Hidden Ice (hidden indeed) who sell several kinds of beverages, the only beery one among them this (although I'm told they have new brews in the pipeline which I'll be poised to seize the moment they're released). Supposedly inspired by elements of Japanese culture, the unique, corked, ceramic-like bottle is a wonder to behold and, despite not being the most gifted uncorker, I was eager to pop my way in.
My caution during the uncorking process was futile: within moments the cork vanished from sight in a puff of smoke and my lap was coated in a thick, gloopy white foam which, rest assured, had come from the bottle.
Eventually a hazy orange liquid pushed past the froth and filled my glass, now with only a trace of head to be seen. With allspice, dried flower orange blossom and Buddha's hand (a little-known fruit that resembles a lemon-octopus hybrid) among the list of ingredients, it's no wonder you get a delightful noseful of fruity, floral and zesty aromas on your way in.
The flavour shares the same complexity, the added botanicals imparting spicy, peppery and zesty citrus notes with all the floral character of a Japanese garden, all coming at you harmoniously in a gorgeous, full-bodied liquid, full of flavour and yet remaining elegant.
But the fun doesn't end here. "The serving ritual takes Red Courtesy down different sensory paths" claims the website: in my case it was the sensation of a soggy pair of jeans, but this isn't exactly what the brewers have in mind. Despite my impression of this beer being highly positive as it is, to experience the beer's qualities at their best we're encouraged to engage in a distinctive serving ritual, taking it "where no beer has ever gone before" (and not just my lap).
If you thought a bespectacled, bearded, checked-shirted man holding his beer glass up to the light prior to swirling it around and introducing his nose past the rim for some sniffing action before taking a swig was an elaborate procedure, you ain't seen nothing yet. Depending on which of this brew's charming characteristics you fancy enhancing, you can opt for the spicy, citric or floral "orientations", pouring a small serving of beer through a strainer containing more of the botanical ingredients provided in the kit, into a chalice. Yes, that's right; a chalice. No casual drinking experience is this, then, but a ceremonial affair intended to transport you to Takama-ga-hara or wherever, although it's hard to imagine a situation in which you could earnestly present this kit to your dinner guests and not have them falling about with laughter.
Do I detect a smattering of gimmickry at play? Absolutely, but it's a gimmick I'm happy to take seriously; after all, Red Courtesy grabs your attention as soon as you set eyes on its graceful, slender, black, corked receptacle on the shop shelf, and that's why you'd pick it up in the first place. Fortunately the appeal extends far beyond this as the brew lurking inside is of quality and delicious. So roll with it, remove the muddiness from your mind, stop seeing the forest and start to see the trees... or something.
But the fun doesn't end here. "The serving ritual takes Red Courtesy down different sensory paths" claims the website: in my case it was the sensation of a soggy pair of jeans, but this isn't exactly what the brewers have in mind. Despite my impression of this beer being highly positive as it is, to experience the beer's qualities at their best we're encouraged to engage in a distinctive serving ritual, taking it "where no beer has ever gone before" (and not just my lap).
If you thought a bespectacled, bearded, checked-shirted man holding his beer glass up to the light prior to swirling it around and introducing his nose past the rim for some sniffing action before taking a swig was an elaborate procedure, you ain't seen nothing yet. Depending on which of this brew's charming characteristics you fancy enhancing, you can opt for the spicy, citric or floral "orientations", pouring a small serving of beer through a strainer containing more of the botanical ingredients provided in the kit, into a chalice. Yes, that's right; a chalice. No casual drinking experience is this, then, but a ceremonial affair intended to transport you to Takama-ga-hara or wherever, although it's hard to imagine a situation in which you could earnestly present this kit to your dinner guests and not have them falling about with laughter.
Do I detect a smattering of gimmickry at play? Absolutely, but it's a gimmick I'm happy to take seriously; after all, Red Courtesy grabs your attention as soon as you set eyes on its graceful, slender, black, corked receptacle on the shop shelf, and that's why you'd pick it up in the first place. Fortunately the appeal extends far beyond this as the brew lurking inside is of quality and delicious. So roll with it, remove the muddiness from your mind, stop seeing the forest and start to see the trees... or something.
Appearance 5/5
Aroma 4/5
Mouthfeel 4/5
Flavour 5/5
Overall Rating: 9/10
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