Alcohol review: Motörhead Bastards lager

We all know that metal bands have in later years tried their luck on the booze business to make some money, but British legends Motörhead was probably first with the trend with their release of Motörhead Shiraz. The band has also release a rose type of the wine and also a vödka. But I am today going to try out their own brand of beer that is Bastards, named after the 1993 album with the same name. The beer comes in a 330 ml bottle and has a alcohol volume of 4.7%. The cost of the beer at Swedish distributor Systembolaget is around 19.90 SEK (or around 3 US dollars) per bottle, which is a pretty decent price. Not overly expensive, but not the cheapest one in the store either.

I gotta be honest, I did not have much hope for this beer at all before trying it. I thought that it was going to be like the Shiraz, or the last couple of albums that the bands have released. Good, but not overwhelming. But it was a pleasant surprise tasting the beer. According to Systembolaget, it is a malty beer with hints of oranges, honey and crispbread. I have no idea where they tasted crispbread in this beer, but I can back up the orange and honey parts since it is a sweet beer with a little fruity hint. Definitely not your average beer. And even if I feel the strength in it, it does not take over so much that you must take a long break between your sips. It is fairly easy to drink. However, I feel that if a beer is named Bastards, then it should be either a strong, angry beer, or a beer that makes the drinker an asshole. I only drank one bottle, but I do not feel madder. Whatever, a beer is a beer.

I can definitely say that Bastards beats both the Shiraz and the bands latest album "Aftershock", but we will just have to see if it beats the vödka (I am not a girl, therefore I will not try the rose). But does it live up to its name? No, it should have been stronger then it actually is. Is it a must buy for fans? Definitely.

Rating: 8/10 Snaggletooths