A $50 beer: is it worth it?
Michael Donaldson pops open a brew from another universe to find it delivers earthly pleasures... at a price.
Happy Birthday to me. I won’t reveal how old I am this week but when I was born JFK was still alive and nobody had been to the moon. I figured this year, since I long ago waived birthday presents, I’d treat myself – the age I’ve attained is a personal milestone in some ways. My father died at a relatively young age and now I’ve seen more sunrises than he did. It seems significant somehow.
The gift I gave myself? A beer of course.
Not just any beer, naturally, but one that’s aged a bit as well: Garage Project’s Cockswain’s Courage Double Barrelled Edition Porter. It bears the tagline “Tastes like war!” which my dad – a military man – would have saluted.
I know people love to hate on the price of fancy beer so I’m honour-bound to admit I spent a shade under $50 for 650ml of 12.8 per cent imperial porter aged for 18 months in bourbon barrels.
Was it worth it? Well, it was a gift (admittedly to myself) and surely we’re allowed to treat ourselves from time to time. Besides, no-one was going to buy it for me.
But was it worth it?
Yes, it tasted amazing. Like the very best bourbon mixed with liquified black forest cake. It was sumptuous and decadent – just the kind of thing you need on a birthday.
This was split three ways – no person could, or should, attempt this beer alone as that would be bit sad on a social level, not to mention bad for your liver and head. I reckon you could split it five ways as an after-dinner event.
But I didn’t buy the beer to indulge myself, or have a taste sensation, or even to wind up the trolls by drinking what is probably the most expensive beer available in New Zealand right now. I bought it because I wanted to be, fleetingly, part of something.
The original version of this Cockswain’s Courage won a silver medal at the World Beer Cup in 2014, which makes it one of the best beers in the world.
This is the second (limited) edition and it’s taken the best part of two years to make, so yeah, I wanted something rare, if only to say I’d had it, and not to miss out.
Cockswain’s Courage also comes with a wider story that includes online games, comics and videos that position the beer – alongside it’s more well-known comrade Venusian Pale Ale – in a steampunk-style fantasy universe created by Weta Workshop designer Greg Broadmore.
It all goes over my head – I’m too old, I fear – but that doesn’t matter. The fact this beer-fantasy oeuvre even exists is fascinating in its own right (see more at drgrordborts.com).
So, yes, it was worth it. I just wish I had another bottle to open next year. beernation.co.nz
Correction:
In the February 10 issue, we incorrectly referred to the Boneface Brewing Company as Bonehead. We apologise for any confusion caused.