Previously unbeknownst to me Iron Maiden vocalist Bruce Dickinson is a beer aficionado who has partners with numerous craft breweries to produce the "Trooper" family of beers. (Photo below).
Hellcat is styled an India Pale Lager (IPL), which I can only assume, is an attempt to cash in on the popularity of IPAs while brewing a lager. The reading I did on the IPL style indicates that it's pretty new, so there are no real guidelines as to what makes an IPL. They're apparently brewed using lager yeast, which is typically cold/bottom fermenting, so I'm not sure how they tease the esters out of the malt that normally come out with the higher temp top fermenting yeasts. Research for another day I guess. Mainly what they're going for is a marriage of the crisp, cleanness of a lager with the hoppiness of an IPA. I didn't think Hellcat was especially hoppy (Brewdog doesn't list the IBUs of their beers), but it did have some complexity not normally found in lagers. It reminded me of a helles style, with some floral and strawberry notes. Maybe a hint of pineapple. Somewhat unexpected - I would need another to really appreciate it, but the 12 pack only had one
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