REVIEW 51: TROOPER

COUNTRY OF ORIGIN:  England

BREWERY:  Robinsons Brewery (also known as Robinsons Family Brewers)

STYLE:  ESB

ABV:  4.7%

PURCHASE:  4-pack of 16.9-oz. cans, $13.99

SERVING:  16.9-oz. can, poured into Guinness-branded imperial pint glass. Produced a fluffy two-inch head upon initial dispensation with a normal pour speed. A slower pour resulted in only a little less. Good retention. 

APPEARANCE:  Translucent caramel color bordering upon copper. Bright white head. Very good lacing.

BOUQUET:  Not particularly assertive in any way; rather, the nose is comprised of several little aromas that mesh very well. It's a bit on the fruity side--seemingly both citrus and apricot. It features a fragrant hop-malt balance. It's a little buttery, a little toffeeish. And it's also very tea-like; in fact, tea seems to be the enveloping factor.

PALATE:  Softly onsetting carbonation in a light-medium body. A little fruity upon entry. Subdued hoppiness takes hold mid-palate. Extremely smooth mouthfeel. Finish leads to a tea-like aftertaste--I wasn't hallucinating--that also features notes of lemon zest and a tinge of spice that seems to be either pepper or coriander, or maybe both. The aftertaste, as with lots of brews, is the best part. 

MUSINGS AND METAPHORS:  Brewed since 2013, with a recipe created by Iron Maiden frontman and British beer enthusiast Bruce Dickinson, the Trooper has been, to date, the most successful export for the Robinsons Brewery of Stockport, England. The beer is named after the Maiden song, which in turn was inspired by Tennyson's "The Charge of the Light Brigade," which in turn commemorated the bravery of British troopers during the Battle of Balaclava during the Crimean War in 1854.

As for the beer, well . . . it's a trooper. (Sorry.) It's an ESB, which is short for "extra special bitter," or "extra strong bitter." It's a bit of a misnomer, since these beers really aren't that bitter at all. This one is a textbook case, being quite mild in actuality. (Think of Yards Brawler.) All bitterness aside--sorry again--this is one of those beers that could stand to be a little more daring and little less subtle. As it is for the moment, it's a good session brew. Great for knocking a few back while . . . listening to Maiden albums. (I'm sorry, really. But I couldn't resist.)*

*My original intention was to write this review in such a way that a Maiden song was mentioned every sentence. I decided against it for reasons of syntactical ineffectiveness. And because it would make me look lame.




GRADE:  B-