My eye was caught by a press release from Frederic Robinson about their new beer "Trooper" which is not even released yet. Quoting from press releases isn't something I usually do, but the press release is full of interesting claims, such as these mentioned below:
"So it’s one month on from the initial announcement, there is just under a month to go until the beer is available to the public and Trooper is already one of the most “followed” beers in the UK with over 42,000 on Facebook (compared to 51,000 for Bombardier, 35,000 for BrewDog, 30,000 for London Pride, 27,000 for Hobgoblin and 8,000 for Greene King IPA who have all spent a vast amount of time and money building up their brand awareness). “Facebook doesn’t sell beer unfortunately,” commented David “but considering we haven’t let anyone taste it yet this is a promising start. We are brewing three times a day six days a week for the first time ever in our 175 year history and we already have the first 20,000 cases ready to go out by post as well as several export orders.”Of course the beer having been designed by Iron Maiden's real ale enthusiast, lead vocalist, Bruce Dickinson will have helped a tad no doubt, as will the fact that Iron Maiden have 8.6 million Facebook followers. Let's hope then the beer lives up to the hype then, as it features prominently on the Iron Maiden web site.
Still, I must say I rather enjoy the thought of BrewDog being hammered at the viral advertising game, by a beer not yet on release, brewed by one of these staid old Family Brewers. Or, as BrewDog would have it, brewers of "stewed cardboard."
Trooper will be available in bottle and in cask and is golden in colour with malt flavours and a blend of Bobec, Goldings and Cascade hops.
20 comments:
I bet you a billion pounds it doesn't even remotely live up to its hype. Best case scenario: slightly nicer than Unicorn. That's not saying much.
It will taste just like a Robbies beer just as the Lees MPA will taste just like a Lees beer. They just can't help themselves. All the seasonals are very similar. They can't think outside the box and produce something different.
Umm. Possibly. But we can live in hope.
Another point. In the case of Robinsons - why not? It is a one off. (I think). In the case of Lees - not so. They are not selling it to geeks or fanboys. It has to sell in ordinary pubs.
Maybe if Trooper does reasonably well they'll keep it around. You still see Build A Rocket Boys here and there and that was released going on 18 months ago.
I'm not sure about ShadowHider's comment that Robbies "can't think outside the box and produce something different." Dizzy Blonde is a pretty good stab at a golden ale that you wouldn't automatically identify as a Robbies beer.
Weell I'll let you know what it's like after the launch on 9 May (I have my invite)
I hope it is Abba's Super Trooper , I'll bring by daughter to get slaughtered on it before I decide to Run to The Hills or not, but as a Northern beer Im sure Eddie will get a good Head.
"They are not selling it to geeks or fanboys. It has to sell in ordinary pubs."
Absolutely, and therefore it can't be too extreme in flavour.
Build a Rocket Boys has been a big success despite many beer aficionados dismissing it as a bit bland.
There's a report in the Sun today ;-)
Maybe Robbies' should also produce a "craft keg" version for music venues.
The oddest thing I noticed about this grog was an unused pumpclip being used with the Iron Maiden font and sign "coming in may". As if we are all exciting by this or something. Has anyone under 40 even heard of this musical combo?
If it makes single long haired scruffy types that need a wash and live with their mum and wear denim or leather waistcoats with badges on happy, good luck to them, though eh? The sum total of happiness in the world is greater and that is a good thing.
I shall reserve my excitement for when the estate of the late Amy Winehouse start flogging "Amy's Imperial IPA"
"single long haired scruffy types that need a wash and live with their mum and wear denim or leather waistcoats with badges on"
I wonder who you could mean by that ;-)
Not forgetting this collaboration of course!
These real ale drinkers just buy the advertising eh?
I'm sure the stuff will be drinkable, and I'll try it if I come across it. But I suspect by its ABV alone that it's a slightly-tweaked version of Double Hop.
All robbies grog is a slightly tweaked version of the best bitter. Some of it tweaked for the better, some of it for the worse. You either like it or you don't. You are either willing to put up with it or you aren't.
It's called "house character", Cookie. Every brewery has it to some extent.
I think Robbies yeast imparts a very distinctive house character. You either like that or not, but it does give their beers a samey feel.
Some years ago, for a time Robbies contract-brewed Wychwood Goliath and it tasted like one of their beers - no bad thing in my view as most Wychwood beers are pretty dull.
I hate Wychwood beers. If ever there was a brewery that "stewed cardboard" applied to, its that muck. Them and my bete noire Greene King.
Makes their infamous whats the matter t-shirts rather ironic really.
I strongly believe Trooper lived up to the hype and expectations. I love it!
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