Considering the lifestyle and brand of rock Lemmy and Motörhead pursued – and the fact their crossover with the mainstream was fairly limited, if spectacular – it's impressive just how much his legend has infused culture across the planet. In the local beer world, we've had Lemmy-inspired whisky sours, while on a recent trip to the UK I was able to tuck into a Lemmy burger topped with sautéed jalapeño slices and a Jack Daniels mustard.
His legacy lives on here in Ace Of Spades, a limited release from Valhalla that debuted at the first Hop-A-Long Geelong festival. The labels are reminiscent of the wallpaper at Valhalla's taproom, while the beer inside is as black as, well, the ace of spades. This is in part due to the use of Tibetan purple barley from Voyager Craft Malt, which lends the beer the sort of depth of darkness that makes it look like a place light goes to die, but without creating any astringent or roasty flavours.
It could pass for a porter, it's that black with a tan head, but softer in terms of experience. Chocolate and soft roast coffee lead the way, with a touch of the herbal found in the underlying bitterness and maybe even a spiciness to the smooth, dry, bitter finish. All in all, it makes for a very approachable entry into 2023's cold weather sipping. Or, perhaps, something to pair with neat Jack.
James Smith
Published April 17, 2023 2023-04-17 00:00:00
