Trooper Premium British Beer

Created by Iron Maiden
 

Review Date 6/23/2015 By John Staradumsky

 

Style: ESB

  Brewery: Robinsons   Country: England   State: N/A   $ Per OZ: $.35 (B)   ABV: 4.7%

Beer and music are natural partners. How many times have you been to a concert and enjoyed a beer or two along with it? What good would a party be without beer and music? Where would Mozart have been without Stiegl-Bier? That being the case, I’m not sure why I was a bit skeptical going into Trooper Premium British Beer Created by Iron Maiden. But I was.

Trooper Premium British Beer Created by Iron Maiden is brewed in England by the highly-regarded Robinson’s Brewery of Cheshire. It’s not the first beer to be associated with a musician or band (Lagunitas did a line of beers honoring Frank Zappa including Freak Out Ale, Cruising with Ruben and the Jets and We’re Only in it For the Money and Sierra Nevada does a special Foam Pilsner for fans of the band Phish).

Trooper is a little different in that it was created by Iron Maiden (at least, as the brewery says on their website, Iron Maiden Bruce Dickinson played a major role in developing the unique flavour of the beer. That’s not a first either, as Michael Wilton of Queensryche helped make Diamond Knot Whip Ale. It seems those heavy metal bands really love good beer.

The Iron maiden song Trooper (and by extension) were inspired as follows according to the can label:

The Charge of the Light Brigade, which inspired the Iron Maiden song The Trooper, took place at the Battle of Balaclava (1854) during the Crimean War when 600 British cavalry courageously charged the massed Russian artillery. This gallant but foolhardy assault resulted in a massive loss of life and came about due to a misunderstanding of an order given by the Commanding Officer, Lord Raglan.

My sample of Trooper Premium British Beer Created by Iron Maiden was a 16.9 ounce can provided by the ever generous Erik Bierbiker. I have not seen this beer in cans here in Georgia, only overpriced $5.99-each half liter bottles. Trooper has an alcohol content of 4.7% by volume and according to the can it’s made with Bobec, Golding and Cascade hops.

Trooper Premium British Beer Created by Iron Maiden pours to a bright orange amber color with a thick creamy head and a soft malty, flinty buttery English yeast nose. Taking a sip, the beer has a fair amount of malt up front (I think I might like just a little more). It’s a bit creamy and leads quickly into a surprising hop character. Am I getting a tad of citric Cascades in an English ale? I am, though a lot more grassy Goldings and the beer finishes with a sharp bitter bite lingering on the tongue at the last.

This is quite good, certainly a beer I would buy again in a 4-pack or 6-pack of cans (though not at $6 for a bottle). I like the moderate alcohol content too, which makes this a great beer to sip on the patio as I’m doing this evening.