I first noticed Megadeth were producing beer on an Instagram advertisement. Brewed by Black Sheep Brewery, I thought this would be interesting try even though I am not necessarily a fan of the band Megadeth. But as a big fan of metal music I thought this would interesting. During the course of this review I will cover the history of the beer and brewers, the pour, the taste and aroma and finally, my verdict. Cheers
When metal meets beer
The brand Megadeth Beer Co was created by Dave Mustaine of the band, Megadeth. This was a built on back of boldness, rebellion and heavy metal music. It is marketed as being to share a part of the band with their fans. The launch coincided with the announcement of their farewell tour.
Rattlehead IPA is brewed in collaboration with Yorkshire Dales based brewery Black Sheep. This is an interesting choice as this brewery was born from a form of rebellion. Black Sheep was founded by Paul Theakston who left the family business in 1992 and hauled equipment from already closed breweries to create a new independent one. This is interesting as in a time where many breweries were swallowed by corporations, this one shone as an independent brewery.
In terms of the beer itself, Rattlehead IPA is part of the Rattlehead range. The Rattlehead range includes the pilsner and Zero IPA. This is a gluten free beer which carries an ABV of 4.5%. The can carries the mascot of Megadeth called Vic Rattlehead which was included in the song ‘Rattlehead’, a symbol of metal music and rebellion.
A rebellious pour
You may be asking, what makes a pour rebellious. Well, when I was pouring this, the head was hard to contain and I had to let it rest a couple times until the pour was complete. In terms of the beer itself, it pours a hazy amber colour which is typical of a modern day IPA. As I have covered this is a very lively beer with a massive foamy head. This led to a consistent lacing down the glass. Overall, a typical IPA appearance.
A hop forward taste and aroma
When it comes to the aroma, a noticeable aroma of tropical and citrus fruits is apparent which includes grapefruit and possibly mango with a dash of pineapple. There is an edge that lends to freshness which is possibly from the hops. Overall, a very hoppy beer.
The first sip of this beer presents a pronounced mango and grapefruit taste, along with a firm bitterness from the hops. The body is very smooth and medium which has a pillowy texture. The finish is clean but leaves a need for more. Overall, a good IPA but nothing spectacular.
Time for my verdict
Overall, this is a decent IPA but will it blow your mind? No not really. I feel it ticks the boxes in terms of fruitiness, hop forwardness and character, however I feel the overall depth of flavour was lacking. It was still a clean and crisp IPA which is always good and it was still indeed very drinkable. Overall, I will give this still a good 3.5 out of 5. Like I would recommend this to any metal or Megadeth fans but for the price better IPAs are available.
Where did I purchase this beer? lol
I purchased this beer from Tesco, it was also in the 4 for 3 craft beer offer. I believe it was £3.95 a can I could be wrong mind.
Cheers for reading this review and if you like my review on Rattlehead IPA, you will love another metal band themed beer called Motorhead Road Crew IPA To hell & back. Feel free to check out the rest of my reviews, Thank you.
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