Episode 22 of Matt Likes Beer focuses on one of Matt’s all-time favorite beer styles: the Strong Bitter. The featured beer is Trooper, the iconic Iron Maiden collaboration brewed by Robinsons Brewery in Cheshire, England, a beer Matt has been drinking—and defending—for years.
Matt opens by clarifying a common misconception: while many drinkers refer to beers like this as “ESBs,” that name is technically reserved for Fuller’s ESB. Under BJCP guidelines, Trooper is properly evaluated as 11C Strong Bitter, the strongest subcategory within the British Bitter family—though still very much a low-ABV, balance-driven beer.
The episode explores Matt’s long history with Trooper, including how its rarity and style alone made it an instant purchase when he first encountered it years ago. That history leads into a fascinating discovery: the vast global Iron Maiden beer lineup, brewed with multiple partners worldwide and spanning everything from lagers and IPAs to stouts, sake pilsners, and imperial beers—far beyond the single Trooper label most fans recognize.
Using BJCP 11C Strong Bitter guidelines, Matt conducts a full judging breakdown, highlighting the beer’s brilliant clarity, deep copper color, caramel-forward malt profile, restrained earthy hop character, and deceptively dry finish. While the beer hits many stylistic markers, excess sweetness and slightly muted bitterness hold it back in competition terms, resulting in a final score of 34 out of 50 (Very Good).
As with many episodes, Matt emphasizes the distinction between judging to style and drinking for enjoyment. Despite the lower-than-expected score, he makes it clear that Trooper remains a beer he will gladly continue to drink whenever it’s available. The episode then delivers a collection of savage one-star reviews, ranging from stale malt complaints to over-the-top Iron Maiden insults, providing some much-needed levity.
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