Lava - Ölvisholt Brugghús

BeerForMuscle

New Jersey

3.98/5  rDev -3.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Black bodied beer with a rich crayon brown head.

S - Salty smoked meats come to mind. Smoked fish and cured meats. Toasted, roasted grains and burnt wood.

T - Very smokey on the palate like the nose eluded. Akin to liquid smoke. Notes of charcoal, beef jerky, and firewood. Roasted blackened grains mixed with espresso. Plenty of bitter black flavors with a little hint of hops. The black roasty character is the star here.

M - This beer is dry and roasted to the max. This is close to drinking charcoal.

O - They certainly hit the mark with the amount of smoke this beer has. Put liquid smoke in a cup of espresso.

Serving type: on-tap

12-25-2012 04:28:17 | More by BeerForMuscle

TheBeeraholic

Ontario (Canada)

4/5  rDev -2.9%

06-16-2013 15:20:56 | More by TheBeeraholic

Axnjxn

North Carolina

3.76/5  rDev -8.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

500ml bottle into a tulip. no bottling date apparent.

Pours a pitch black color with an inch thick beige head. Pretty attractive pour. Smell is smokey chocolate malts. Taste is an intense smokey taste. A bit too smokey in my opinion. The chocolate malts are still there but are overshadowed by the smoke. Not so easy to drink. Heavier side of medium bodied with medium carbonation. An almost creamy texture. Definitely not syrupy like other imp stouts.

Overall it's different, but not my favorite. I wouldn't have another but i'm glad to have tried it.

Serving type: bottle

06-16-2013 01:41:45 | More by Axnjxn

vicsju1991

Pennsylvania

4.25/5  rDev +3.2%

06-16-2013 00:20:01 | More by vicsju1991

zeff80

Missouri

4.25/5  rDev +3.2%

06-11-2013 01:13:28 | More by zeff80

superspak

Michigan

4.1/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

500 ml bottle into snifter, no bottle dating. Pours pitch black color with a small dense tan head with decent retention, that reduces to a thin lace cap that lingers. Light spotty lacing clings on the glass. Aromas of big dark chocolate, roasted malt, cocoa, coffee, char, wood, smoke, toast, smoked meat, licorice, slight dark fruit, and roasted earthiness. Damn nice aromas with good balance and complexity of roasted and smoked notes; with good strength. Taste of big dark chocolate, roasted malt, cocoa, toast, coffee, char, smoke, wood, smoked meat, light licorice, light dark fruit, and roasted earthiness. Lingering notes of dark chocolate, roasted malt, char, smoke, wood, coffee, toast, licorice, and roasted earthiness on the finish for a good bit. Very nice balance and complexity of dark roasted flavors; with moderate smoke flavor balance and zero cloying flavors after the finish. Light-medium carbonation and medium-full bodied; with a very creamy and fairly slick mouthfeel that is nice. Alcohol is very well hidden with hardly any warming noticed after the finish. Overall this is an excellent smoked imperial stout. All around nice balance and complexity of roasted flavors and moderate smoke; and very smooth to sip on. A very enjoyable offering.

Serving type: bottle

06-10-2013 04:34:08 | More by superspak

CameronMcDaniel

Mississippi

4.5/5  rDev +9.2%

06-09-2013 23:26:22 | More by CameronMcDaniel

Oakenator

Pennsylvania

4.34/5  rDev +5.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

A: Pours a dark black color with some head. Veiled lacing leads to simple spotted.

S: Chocolate with a subtle sweetness.

T: Chocolate sweetness up front leads to a strong smoky flavor on the back. Some spices.

M: Has lots of body - malts provide a richness.

O: Really nice.

Serving type: bottle

06-09-2013 02:53:13 | More by Oakenator

egrace84

Illinois

4.25/5  rDev +3.2%

05-25-2013 19:01:18 | More by egrace84

magictacosinus

California

4.31/5  rDev +4.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

I had been looking for this beer for as long as I can remember, and I really want to thank my friend for pointing out that Toronado Pub was tapping it, of all places. Poured into a tulip glass.

Pours a thick, charred viscous opaque black color. Literally no light shines through, not even at the liquid's edges when held against the light. There's a nicely toned mocha colored head that graces the top of the glass that's about 1.5 fingers large, but it actually dies down rather quickly and leaves no lacing, no bubbles, and not a ring of head to speak of halfway through consumption. It still maintained an appearance similar to cola, and the thickened feel did indeed fade with the carbonation's disappearance. Not bad, but not necessarily worth raving over.

The aroma makes me forget my disappointment with the beer's looks - this smells very fabulous, and definitely sets itself apart from the average RIS here. Dark chocolate, cherries, raisins, slightly smoked currants, vanilla, coffee, all coated underneath a cake-like batter sugary consistency. Not sure at all how this is "smoked" by any means (although according to the brewers, it is), but I supposed there's a little bit of charred phenols mixing with the sweetened, dark malts - but it's really, really subtle. The juicy, candied dark fruit flavor is not, however, and melded with the vanilla and chocolate, it's truly awesome.

The flavor actually has a lot less of the fruity, sugared consistency in the aroma, but it does take all of those flavors and melds them well rather than in a cloying, overtly sweet manner. There's a lot more of the roasted, slightly smoky character at the front, melding with fresh, jubilant coffee beans, chocolate, vanilla, a slight oaky sensation, and faded but present fruitiness, ranging from the light raisins to cherries. The finish is very calm, with no alcohol bite or burn to speak of. The flavors meld lightly with the dark malts and coffee flavor, and finish in an aftertaste that is only slightly astringent, yet thickened and full-bodied to the point of being a very easy drinking experience. Carbonation is good, despite what happened to the head. Everything is so well balanced here, which is crazy considering this is a big beer. Nothing is too sweet or too bitter, nor too roasted. Simply fantastic stuff.

I'm so glad I was able to find this! It was a great way to have my lunch in the bar with burgers that were cooked next door. The alcohol is well hidden and buzzed me out a bit by the end, but it was super relaxing and easy drinking as any great, strong stout is. Despite its thickness, there's nothing heavy about this, and it stands as a very versatile and flexible beer of its caliber, mainly due to its balanced yet flavorful presentation of ingredients. Awesome find - Iceland should hopefully keep producing more world class stouts like this.

Serving type: on-tap

05-22-2013 00:11:11 | More by magictacosinus

Beerontwowheels

Maryland

4/5  rDev -2.9%

05-20-2013 23:43:02 | More by Beerontwowheels

cbeer88

Massachusetts

4.75/5  rDev +15.3%

05-19-2013 00:19:25 | More by cbeer88

OregonGrown7

Nebraska

4.25/5  rDev +3.2%

05-13-2013 21:22:53 | More by OregonGrown7

ngeunit1

California

4/5  rDev -2.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Dark black with a hint of brown and a finger of frothy khaki-chocolate head. Fades fairly slowly.

S - Roasted chocolate and caramel malts, smoke, vanilla, molasses, black licorice, dark cocoa, coffee, dark fruits, and a bit of booze.

T - Chocolate and caramel malts, smoke, vanilla, black licorice, molasses, dark cocoa, roasted coffee, dark fruits, earthy hops, and a bit of booze.

M - Medium-full bodied with moderate carbonation. Smooth with a sweet, smoky, warming finish.

D - Nice smoked stout. Good overall balance and mouthfeel.

Serving type: bottle

05-09-2013 04:14:07 | More by ngeunit1

cadaugherty

Illinois

4/5  rDev -2.9%

05-08-2013 01:53:09 | More by cadaugherty

rolltide8425

Pennsylvania

4.5/5  rDev +9.2%

05-07-2013 23:59:41 | More by rolltide8425

Neorebel

New Jersey

4.08/5  rDev -1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

"Lava" has the an appealing appearance similar to an espresso... it's the deepest shade of brown topped with a thin ring of tan colored froth. There does not seem to be much carbonation, if at all. Observed after the beer was finished, were some small patches of lacing clinging to the sides of the empty glass.

The aroma was very surprising to me, in that there was very much a burst of dark and sweet fresh fruit esters coming through the campfire smells typical to any smoked beer. The flavor itself however, did in fact lend itself mostly to earthiness and woody, charcoal smoke. There was also a savory aspect, like simple food cooked on open flames.

The mouthfeel is relatively light, as is the perceived alcohol heat, so, as log as you are predisposed to like smoked beers, this will go down very easily. Overall, I am excited to have a beer made in Iceland, and would recommend this to anyone into Rauchbiers. The smoke intensity rivals that of Schlenkerla... My only detractor is that the hoppiness in the beer, while tasty, may not be the most appropriate thing for the style. I may not have categorized this as a RIS in a blind tasting given the opportunity. I would love to have this again and try something else from this brewery as well.

Serving type: bottle

05-06-2013 20:04:31 | More by Neorebel

DoubleSimcoe

New York

4.5/5  rDev +9.2%

04-29-2013 14:46:20 | More by DoubleSimcoe

DRBiser

Maryland

4.25/5  rDev +3.2%

04-25-2013 13:34:12 | More by DRBiser

John_Schlaffer

New Jersey

4.5/5  rDev +9.2%

04-23-2013 21:56:14 | More by John_Schlaffer

trodam

North Carolina

3.75/5  rDev -9%

04-20-2013 19:40:13 | More by trodam

PHBoiler

Illinois

3.5/5  rDev -15%

04-18-2013 15:23:38 | More by PHBoiler

AmandaSchaefer

Wisconsin

4/5  rDev -2.9%

04-15-2013 23:15:42 | More by AmandaSchaefer

spry

Michigan

4.25/5  rDev +3.2%

04-15-2013 03:19:50 | More by spry

AltBock

Ohio

4.24/5  rDev +2.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

16.9oz bottle with a drawing of a volcano erupting at the top and 3 shacks at the bottom of the oval. These little shacks are screwed. Over the drawing is a purple ribbon with the name of the beer. To the right of the drawing is the US Government warning and to the left is a paragraph that has a brief history of the brewery and a short description of the beer. Poured into a Cigar City Snifter.

Imagine starring down into the opening of an inactive volcano. That's how black the color of this beer was. Just pitch darkness. Holding the glass up to the light was a waste if time. There's no way light could penetrate this beer's solid black color. On top of this black brew was a short lived light mocha head of foam. At its height, it was about 1/2 an inch. I guessing the head of foam had somewhere to be so it only stuck around for a few seconds. It only managed to leave behind a faint string of rings and one single spot of lace.

It was smoky, but not Rauchbier smoky. Under the cloud of smoke, I was able to pick up smoked malts, smoked wood, dark chocolate, a hint of roasted coffee beans, smoked meats like bacon, a whiff of green olives, a drop of caramel and toffee, and then the smell finishes up with some dark fruits like plums and raisins. I really enjoyed the aroma. It seemed like there was a new aroma around every corner. The aroma's smoked aspect added a really nice touch.

Not only was the taste smoky, but I also detected some roasted elements in here as well. It was smoky up front. The smoke let through the roasted elements shine through first. In the beginning, there was roasted coffee beans, dark roasted malt, and dark chocolate. After the taste got that our of the way, in comes all the smoke. This part of that taste featured campfire smoke, smoked meats, a little green olive, smoked wood, smoked hops, and then the taste ended with a subtle dark fruitiness. The roasted flavors couldn't control the beer's smoked flavors. Smoky, but not overly smoky.

The mouthfeel was medium to full bodied, chewy, and with a full flavored smoky aftertaste. You'll find more smoky flavors like smoked wood, campfire smoke, smoked meats, roasted coffee beans, and dark chocolate. The smoke was so thick that it will take a few glasses of water to wipe clean your mouth of this smoke.

A smoked Imperial Stout from Iceland? That sounds like an experiment or a novelty beer. It is not any of those! It's truly a really good Imperial Stout. It has a little uniqueness to it that separates it from everybody else's Imperial Stout. The only problem I found with this beer was the steep price. It was in the $10-$13 range for this 16oz bottle. If you want to try an Imperial Stout that's a little unique, pry open your wallet for this winner.

Serving type: bottle

04-09-2013 02:53:03 | More by AltBock