Today I am pairing progressive outfit, King Crimson and their 1974 masterpiece, "Red" with Nectar Ales from Paso Robles, California and their Red Nectar, a gold medal winner of the Great American Beer Festival Amber/Red Ale category in 2010.
Red Nectar pours a rich, deep red, copper/amber color with a frothy, 2-finger head, which displays very strong retention and lacing. The nose is very hoppy for a red ale, almost has an IPA quality, but there is also an earthy and sweet resiny aroma underneath. The mouthfeel is subtle and silky with a light to medium body. There is a very slight smokey flavor initially that fades into a smooth, nutty flavor with a slight "hoppy" kick at the end. All and all a very good, very smooth, drinkable beer... great for the progressive rock sounds of mid-70s King Crimson.
Apart from the obvious (name of the band, name of the album, and the songs "Red" and "One More Red Nightmare"), Red Nectar is a very nice companion piece to "Red". Both offer subtle notes and deep, organic richness. The King Crimson trio of Robert Fripp (guitar and mellotron), John Wetton (bass and vocals), and Bill Bruford (drums and percussives) combine progressive and hard rock with avante-garde jazz and psychedia as well as some really lovely and moving strings and sax parts ("Starless") played by guests (and former members) David Cross and Mel Collins. The smooth flavor of Red Nectar and "sip-ability" make for a pleasant Saturday afternoon of kicking back and immersing yourself with the genius that is King Crimson.
Learn more about Red Nectar and the other fine brews from Nectar Ales at http://www.nectarales.com/.
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