Icelandic Toasted Porter - Einstök Ölgerð

CwrwAmByth

United Kingdom (Wales)

4.13/5  rDev +11.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

American Porter - what a load of shite.

This "Porter" was poured from a 330ml bottle into a pint glass.

Pours a dark brown/black colour with a small and quickly fading head.

Smells quite dark and sweet, very malty.

Tastes quite sweet and dry, dark with some roasted flavour on the finish.

Overall a very nice beer, very tasty and fairly drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

06-16-2012 23:24:42 | More by CwrwAmByth

shand

Florida

3.45/5  rDev -6.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A beer from Iceland? Why the hell not. Islandic Toasted Porter pours a very deep brown with a finger of well retaining head. The aroma is a little subdued, offering a bit of sweet and slightly toasted malts and some dark fruits. The taste is nice and roasty at first, but really never provides the toastiness promised, instead turning sweeter as the beer lingers on the palate. Overall, Islandic Toasted Porter is really just a slightly above average porter. It's tasty enough, but not worth the import premium.

Serving type: bottle

03-22-2013 23:34:48 | More by shand

IRONRakkasan

California

3.75/5  rDev +1.6%

03-16-2013 01:15:03 | More by IRONRakkasan

Fatehunter

Oregon

3.99/5  rDev +8.1%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

A thin head on a black body.
The aroma is roasted/toasted malt. Singular but good.
The taste has a mild sweetness from the roasted malt, then some burnt wood joins in for a balanced ale.
The texture is smooth with moderate carbonation and a medium to heavy body.
An enjoyable drink.

Serving type: bottle

02-04-2013 05:25:01 | More by Fatehunter

eulerthegrape

California

3.25/5  rDev -11.9%

02-03-2013 21:04:06 | More by eulerthegrape

Fossilhunter

California

5/5  rDev +35.5%

02-03-2013 03:48:06 | More by Fossilhunter

jazzyjeff13

United Kingdom (England)

3.1/5  rDev -16%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

A 330ml bottle with a BB of Aug 2013. Picked up ages ago from Trembling Madness in York. Porter made from volcano-filtered water sounds good...

Poured into a Delirium chalice. A residue remains in the bottle, suggesting bottle conditioning. A very dark brown hue that appears pitch black in the glass. Yields a large head of creamy light brown foam that lasts for a few minutes before reducing to a patchy surface layer. Aroma of grainy malt with hints of fruity ale yeast, mild caramel and faint chocolate. A slight warming whiff of alcohol in the background, along with a whisper of marzipan.

Tastes of mild dark malt with a dry finish. Notes of fruity yeast esters, subtle roasted grain, a hint of chocolate, earthiness and faint stewed leaves. There is a slight harshness in the background, along with hints of solventy booze and cardboard. A mild bitterness upon swallowing. Mouthfeel is smooth, dry and tingly, with pleasant carbonation and decent body. Somewhat astringent, with an aftertaste of fruity ale yeast, faint ash and wet cardboard.

Meh; a sub-standard porter. Both the aroma and flavour are surprisingly bland and don't reflect what you see in the glass. Where are the roasted malt notes? The impression I get is that this a regular ale in 'porter' clothing - the colour has been achieved using patent malt that adds little to the beer's character. Disappointing, as I've enjoyed the other beers produced by Einstok. This one falls short of the mark; no need to seek it out.

Serving type: bottle

02-02-2013 01:53:28 | More by jazzyjeff13

Cirus

California

3.75/5  rDev +1.6%

01-27-2013 06:24:09 | More by Cirus

bh123

California

3.25/5  rDev -11.9%

01-19-2013 05:22:35 | More by bh123

Pelicanrocks

United Kingdom (England)

3.75/5  rDev +1.6%

01-13-2013 10:54:04 | More by Pelicanrocks

AlexM

California

3.5/5  rDev -5.1%

01-11-2013 01:56:16 | More by AlexM

MarioM

California

3.83/5  rDev +3.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

12 oz poured into tulip

A: Pitch black, not light shining through, brown head with obvious carbonation. Medium sized bubbles with no lacing, head was gone after a minute. Very dark brew.

S: Roasted malt, smokiness, slightly sweet, bitter coffee, light chocolate notes as well and an overall dryness.

T: Sweet roasted malt, bitterness is nice, smokiness and the chocolate are well balanced. Great tasting beer. Dryness and bitterness is enjoyable, fits the style well.

M: Carbonation is just right, it first appears to be too carbonated but its very drinkable. Chocolate and roasted smokiness malts remain for a while with some light bitterness. A little warmness also remains, also slight dry.

O: This is my first Icelandic beer, its an American porter, but still glad to be drinking and enjoying a brew from the same country that gave us Bjork and her funky grooves. Very satisfied with the balance and mouth feel of this toasted porter. Great beer overall.

Serving type: bottle

12-23-2012 04:37:38 | More by MarioM

RaulMondesi

California

3.13/5  rDev -15.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Out of a bottle at Lola Gaspar - the ultimate hipster joint in Downtown SanTana, Ca

Raul did it and Raul just said, "aite." Nothin to trip on. Nothin to get a panty in a knot. Just drink it with a homie and do yer thang thang. And I when I say "thang," yeah, that thang.

Serving type: bottle

11-30-2012 07:05:33 | More by RaulMondesi

DocJitsu

California

2.98/5  rDev -19.2%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Pours an opaque dark brown, with ruby edges. A tan head appears and disappears just as quickly. Coffee, coffee, coffee nose. Mouthfeel is a real let down, but not as disappointing as the flavor of this dog. Coffee up front that fades way too quickly leaving a currant or two just before it goes away forever. It has promise for a moment. But, just a moment. How'd this make it to American shelves??

Serving type: bottle

11-28-2012 05:04:40 | More by DocJitsu

XnFM

California

4/5  rDev +8.4%

11-24-2012 05:44:45 | More by XnFM

JMSiefer

4/5  rDev +8.4%

11-19-2012 08:11:15 | More by JMSiefer

mactrail

California

3.53/5  rDev -4.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Near jet black in the tall Aventinus blass. Plenty of foam with a pleasing carbonation in the mouth.

There's a distinctly different kind of dark malt flavor here, along with an espresso bitterness. I don't know about "toasted," but there is a rich variety of roasted grain. On the sweeter side, but seems very appropriate to the dark flavors. Slightly winey and chocolatey. Not so aromatic.

Thoroughly drinkable dark beer. From the 330 ml bottle bought, I have to admit, at BevMo in San Diego, but it's all for a good cause. I'm all for supporting "sustainable Iceland" products, as long as they don't try one with fermented shark flavor.

Serving type: bottle

10-29-2012 03:30:49 | More by mactrail

2GOOFY

California

3.75/5  rDev +1.6%

10-28-2012 23:04:13 | More by 2GOOFY

JacStance

California

3.98/5  rDev +7.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Pours a very dark brown/black with a khaki head that has little retention but decent lacing. Looks great in a glass.

Its aroma is slightly sweet, with the majority of flavors being vanilla and mild coffee, with a smoky undertone.

The name doesn't lie, this definitely tastes toasted. It’s got a smoky, roasted flavor that appears throughout the beer. Less pronounced flavors include dark chocolate, roasted malts, and an unmistakable anise-like flavor.

The mouthfeel is incredibly smooth, and the entire beer has a very clean taste to it. The beer is brewed with water from prehistoric glaciers near the Arctic Circle, which supposedly produce the purest water on earth, so that’s no surprise. The body almost reminds me of a black lager rather than a porter because of how smooth and easy-drinking it is.

Overall, a very good beer. It manages to take the usual flavors of a porter but not seem bland or boring. It has all the characteristics of a roasted porter, but still manages to create its own identity. I would suggest you give this one a try if you get the chance, Its beer from the arctic circle, for crying out loud!

Serving type: bottle

10-23-2012 04:35:08 | More by JacStance

TicoCali

California

3.25/5  rDev -11.9%

10-20-2012 06:29:20 | More by TicoCali

UCLABrewN84

California

3.68/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Pours an opaque black with a foamy dark khaki head that settles to a film on top of the beer. Thick foamy rings of lace line the glass on the drink down. Smell is of dark roasted malt, char, and some slight smoke aromas. Taste is much the same with a mild roasty and smoke bitterness on the palate with each sip. This beer has a good level of carbonation with a crisp mouthfeel. Overall, this is a pretty good beer that smells better than it tastes in my opinion.

Serving type: bottle

10-12-2012 03:40:42 | More by UCLABrewN84

Texasfan549

Texas

3.5/5  rDev -5.1%

10-05-2012 13:46:49 | More by Texasfan549

swimnadd

California

4/5  rDev +8.4%

09-28-2012 23:57:51 | More by swimnadd

kjkinsey

Texas

3.75/5  rDev +1.6%

09-27-2012 03:17:51 | More by kjkinsey

BlackHaddock

United Kingdom (England)

3.48/5  rDev -5.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

31st August 2012: Icelandic or should I say ‘Einstok’ tasting evening at a mates house. He’d bought two bottles of four different Einstok brews. All poured carefully into a ‘Straffe Hendrik’ badged chalice. The third beer was a 33cl Bottle of this (best before 24 Sep 2013).

Dark brown; almost black body, with a small tanned head on top.

The nose was a smoky mix of maltiness with dark chocolate and some coffee esters.

The taste was a strange blend of alcoholic Cola, semi-sweet caramel, ground coffee, dark chocolate with Brazil nuts and a smoked German Ham.

Almost rich and creamy: but not quiet that smooth, the finish was leaning towards a bitter chocolate feel and although I found it enjoyable it lacked a little body strength for a true Porter style beer.

Serving type: bottle

09-03-2012 13:24:34 | More by BlackHaddock