Iron Maiden have revealed that the latest edition of their Trooper beer will be their first lager-styled beverage, which was developed by frontman Bruce Dickinson over three years of work with partners Robinsons Brewery.

Named after a track from 1983 album Piece of Mind, the double-fermented 4.8%ABV drink is made with Japanese sake yeast. It’s described as “one of the most complex beers” the 170-year-old British company has created, and it’s said to feature a “delicate, subtle fruit flavour infused into a Pilsner style lager.” Sun and Steel will be released on May 6 in the U.K. to mark the original Trooper’s sixth birthday, with U.S. availability to follow later in 2019.

In a statement, Iron Maiden explained the idea was first conceived in 2016 after a meeting with friend and fan George Yusa, owner of the Okunomatsu Sake Brewery in Fukushima, Japan. “Bruce became intrigued with the idea of putting the two flavour profiles together and thus Sun and Steel was born,” the band said. “George was able to deliver a sample of the sake yeast to Iron Maiden’s 2017 concert at London’s O2 Arena, which Bruce took up to Robinsons Brewery. Having obtained permission from the Japanese government to brew with it, Martyn [Weeks, head brewer] and the team have been carefully cultivating the strain ever since.”

Dickinson said: “This has been such an exciting project. I had a crazy idea to try and make a sake infused lager and over two and a half years later, here we are! I know Martyn and the team at Robinsons have had to become mad scientists to make this work but the end result is a really unique hybrid beer that tastes fantastic. Trooper fans have been asking for a lager, and here it is. I bet you would never have guessed we would do it like this though!”

Previously, Iron Maiden and Robinsons launched the stronger 666, Red ’N’ Black porter, the Belgian-styled Hallowed, session drink Light Brigade and kegged Nitro, all following the original Trooper from 2013.

 

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