Icelandic White Ale - Einstök Ölgerð

travolta

California

3.18/5  rDev -17.2%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Appearance: Hazy and beautiful yellow champagne white head, no retention, no lacing.

Nose: Yeasty, lemon, coriander, crispy, slightly medicinal, orange sweetness.

Taste: Orange fruit, slight orange peel, soft and calm. Perfect carbonation. Alkali or medicinal aftertaste.

Notes: Crisp and very well balanced. Soft water.

Serving type: bottle

09-12-2012 00:28:11 | More by travolta

Arsenal0328

Indiana

3.5/5  rDev -8.9%

04-10-2013 21:06:50 | More by Arsenal0328

UCLABrewN84

California

3.99/5  rDev +3.9%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Best before 11/19/13.

Pours a murky light yellow with a foamy white head that settles to a partial film on top of the beer. Foamy rings of lace line the glass on the drink down. Smell is of malt, grain, citrus zest, spices, and yeast. Taste is much the same with citrus and brown sugar flavors on the finish. There is a very mild amount of spice bitterness on the palate with each sip. This beer has a good level of carbonation with a crisp mouthfeel. Overall, this is a good beer that is tasty and easy to drink.

Serving type: bottle

04-02-2013 03:04:47 | More by UCLABrewN84

moistnugget

Florida

4/5  rDev +4.2%

03-15-2013 03:45:29 | More by moistnugget

Pelicanrocks

United Kingdom (England)

3.5/5  rDev -8.9%

03-09-2013 20:57:59 | More by Pelicanrocks

dbone_has_biers

California

4.5/5  rDev +17.2%

03-05-2013 05:17:55 | More by dbone_has_biers

Therisse

California

3.5/5  rDev -8.9%

02-26-2013 17:18:07 | More by Therisse

rolanduzer

4.75/5  rDev +23.7%

02-22-2013 06:41:35 | More by rolanduzer

DoubleJ

California

4.2/5  rDev +9.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

I'm meeting again with Einstok, and I'm hoping the second time around proves to be better than the first. A single bottle coming out of a 330 ml bottle, on to the beer:

Looks pale yellow in color wih visible bubbles running through the body. It's quite heady on top, not to mention it lasts long and leaves whisps of lace which cling to the glass. The aroma is a good combination; there's a sweet lemon juice note, orange peel, and a dash of coriandor which jazzes up the nose.

Fun to taste. What I've come to expect from a good white ale is here. The spice is pleasant and balanced, the sweet fruity citrus is ripe and balanced. Modestly spiced in the aftertaste along with the light-medium and somewhat creamy and crisp body.

Valentine's Day is not usually a day for white ales, but I think I have found some love in this Icelandic White Ale. I'll take it over a Hoegaarden and many other whites, that's for sure.

Serving type: bottle

02-15-2013 06:24:31 | More by DoubleJ

Fatehunter

Oregon

3.78/5  rDev -1.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

One finger of head on a clear, light straw colored body.
The aroma is light and airy. Smells like sweet corn and candy. I actually like it though.
The taste is mildly sweet with a nice dryness and a touch of fruit.
The texture is light and bubbly with moderate carbonation.
It packs some great flavor into a lighter beer. I like it.

Serving type: bottle

02-04-2013 03:14:08 | More by Fatehunter

eulerthegrape

California

4.75/5  rDev +23.7%

02-03-2013 21:11:49 | More by eulerthegrape

Irrationalist

California

4/5  rDev +4.2%

02-01-2013 06:27:26 | More by Irrationalist

dwagner003

California

4.25/5  rDev +10.7%

01-27-2013 04:33:55 | More by dwagner003

magictacosinus

California

3.7/5  rDev -3.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Ooo, Viking themed beer from Iceland! About time I try some of their beer while I wait to finally getting around to traveling there. Poured into a weizen glass from a 12oz bottle. No freshness date, but the bottle explains how it uses local water from "ancient glaciers" for the brewing process.

The color and appearance is a pretty spot-on testimony to the great witbiers, complete with a champagne-like cascade of bubbles going upward the glass, a straw pale golden color, as well as foamy head with bits of brown yeast seeping into the liquid. Once the cloudiness takes over, it definitely looks as authentic as the best I've had in the style. There's a slight amount of lacing that remains in the glass, although not too much in the end. The head sadly dies down completely half way through. Still great, especially coming out of a country that is not known for producing these kinds of beer.

The aroma consists of a sweet, wheat crispness alongside slight spiciness, as well as zesty yeast flavor with bits of coriander, orange peel, and lemon rind. Pretty straightforward overall... Neither of the spices advertised on the bottle seem to be too predominant. The sugar cane aromas are stronger than anything else, and the coriander and lemon fuse together in a far stronger way the more that this warms up. Everything's pretty lightly spiced, but it's definitely not bad at all.

A sip instantly reveals classic notes found in well known witbiers... A little bit of sweetness and spiciness combined with a yeasty, fruit-like flavor downed in coriander and citrus notes. Due to being a little too watered down for my liking, it often times reminds me of Hoegaarden, only definitely a little fresher (especially when it comes to the yeast), and far more crisp. The water does indeed taste very clean and hearty in a way that I've never experienced in other beers before from other countries. On the other end, the initial orange peel flavors were tasty and inviting, but as the beer warmed up, they were replaced with sour, strong lemon flavors that ranged towards the soapy side. I can't imagine what adding a lemon to this would due to this beer... It's already lemoned up enough, and by the end my throat was burned with lemon rind flavors. Super easy to drink, though... Could easily have a few of these in one session.

This is definitely one of the better witbiers I've had recently, and while the yeast is really good, as well having an undeniable crispness, it's lacking the extra spicy kicks I enjoy in these types of beers, which is no doubt overpowered by all the lemon. Still intrigued... Am hoping to check out more nicely made beers from Iceland in the future, especially from this brewery.

Serving type: bottle

01-07-2013 07:48:58 | More by magictacosinus

XnFM

California

3/5  rDev -21.9%

11-24-2012 05:46:15 | More by XnFM

2GOOFY

California

3.75/5  rDev -2.3%

11-04-2012 22:44:28 | More by 2GOOFY

AutumnWind

3/5  rDev -21.9%

10-07-2012 03:20:09 | More by AutumnWind

6string

Germany

4.5/5  rDev +17.2%

09-26-2012 21:03:10 | More by 6string

ObeMaltKinobee

California

3.5/5  rDev -8.9%

09-11-2012 04:40:45 | More by ObeMaltKinobee

Liquoric3

Germany

3.59/5  rDev -6.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

Most golden pale colour of the three wits I had today ( Hoegaarden, Blanche de Namur) with almost no head.

Smell is almost a little like a lager without hops, some sweet malt notes, grassy/grainy maybe a little lemon. No spiciness, doesn't smell like a wit at all.

That is strange I can´t get any wheat in this wit. Start is somehow sweet a little bit of citrus and some spiciness. A very clean and crisp taste. Finish is semi sweet and dry. Light Body and it goes down very easy. Sorry this doesn`t taste like a wit but it is still a beer I enjoy. Can`t classify this one.

I think it is a good beer but don't expect a typical wit.

Serving type: bottle

09-10-2012 11:05:51 | More by Liquoric3

gleemonger

California

4.75/5  rDev +23.7%

09-07-2012 20:16:15 | More by gleemonger

BlackHaddock

United Kingdom (England)

3.33/5  rDev -13.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | 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.

First up was a 33cl White Ale: cloudy pale yellow with no hint of a head, the bottle being just out of date might have played a part in that, but I doubt it.

Mixed spice aroma with a citrus feel: the taste was similar, tangy, with a sweet and sour fizz; add a spoon full of yeast and some extra lemon into the citrusy nose and you’ve got the flavours I’m trying to describe.

Good start to the tastings, refreshing and thirst quenching: which is exactly what we required first off.

Serving type: bottle

09-03-2012 13:25:51 | More by BlackHaddock

tsailor

4.25/5  rDev +10.7%

07-25-2012 22:24:07 | More by tsailor

CopeTech

California

4.28/5  rDev +11.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A nice white ale, full featured and fairly committed. I would call it almost an imperial white given the flavor depth and presentation. I liked the richness and enjoyed the nice branding as well. I am very comfortable recommending it to anyone who prefers their beers sturdy.

Serving type: bottle

07-17-2012 00:01:25 | More by CopeTech

elNopalero

Texas

4.03/5  rDev +4.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Had this for dessert the other night.

It pours a pale gold color with thin, tight lacing. I get an aroma that’s crisp and tart, like a cider (should be). The flavor is similarily crisp, with a light effervescence and a touch of green apple tartness and taste. It has a hint of coriander, really nuanced. The flavor is exceptionally smooth and I found it to be very tasty and enjoyable.

Serving type: bottle

07-16-2012 18:51:25 | More by elNopalero