-
Stop lurking! Log in to search, post in our forums, review beers, see fewer ads, and more. — Todd, Founder of BeerAdvocate
Icelandic Arctic Pale Ale
Einstök Ölgerð (Einstök Beer Company)
- From:
- Einstök Ölgerð (Einstök Beer Company)
- Iceland
- Style:
- American Pale Ale
Ranked #1,077 - ABV:
- 5.6%
- Score:
- 80
Ranked #26,155 - Avg:
- 3.52 | pDev: 13.35%
- Reviews:
- 110
- Ratings:
- Status:
- Active
- Rated:
- Feb 21, 2024
- Added:
- Jan 03, 2012
- Wants:
- 21
- Gots:
- 131
Formerly Icelandic Pale Ale
American and Bavarian craft come together with the finest Icelandic water to create the Viking version of the Pale Ale, where robust hoppiness meets smooth malty undertones. Cascade hops give it the American character, while Northern Brewer hops add just enough bitterness to make this Ale refreshingly Icelandic.
American and Bavarian craft come together with the finest Icelandic water to create the Viking version of the Pale Ale, where robust hoppiness meets smooth malty undertones. Cascade hops give it the American character, while Northern Brewer hops add just enough bitterness to make this Ale refreshingly Icelandic.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by SDRedDevil:
Rated by SDRedDevil from California
2.59/5 rDev -26.4%
look: 3 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5
2.59/5 rDev -26.4%
look: 3 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5
Watery pale ale that lacks a crisp hop profile...
Jun 25, 2015More User Ratings:
Reviewed by Tolianych_Pivomnabuhanych from Vermont
5/5 rDev +42%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5
5/5 rDev +42%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5
Loved everything about this ale except the price. $16/6-pack of 12 oz cans. But, ya gotta pay to play.
An excellent European Pale Ale, quite rich in color, body and flavor. No unnecessary overtones of random fruitiness so many brewers load their products with.
5 stars all around!
Feb 11, 2024An excellent European Pale Ale, quite rich in color, body and flavor. No unnecessary overtones of random fruitiness so many brewers load their products with.
5 stars all around!
Reviewed by GreesyFizeek from New York
3.59/5 rDev +2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5
3.59/5 rDev +2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5
This one pours a dark orange-ish amber color, with a small head, and lots of lacing.
This smells like bready malt, some herbal hops, grapefruit, and pine.
This is extremely old school, regrettably so, as it’s just so malty. The hop character almost feels Sierra Nevada-ish, herbal, piney, and just lightly citrusy, but I really just wish the maltiness was toned down a little bit.
Despite all that, it’s pretty drinkable, with a nice smooth and bitter finish.
This is not awful by any means, but it’s just mostly unimpressive and too malty.
Nov 09, 2023This smells like bready malt, some herbal hops, grapefruit, and pine.
This is extremely old school, regrettably so, as it’s just so malty. The hop character almost feels Sierra Nevada-ish, herbal, piney, and just lightly citrusy, but I really just wish the maltiness was toned down a little bit.
Despite all that, it’s pretty drinkable, with a nice smooth and bitter finish.
This is not awful by any means, but it’s just mostly unimpressive and too malty.
Reviewed by JayQue from Virginia
3.75/5 rDev +6.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
3.75/5 rDev +6.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Had a bottle in a restaurant in the Reykjavik/Keflavik Airport on the way home. Poured into a tulip glass, this beer had a nice amber color, a medium sized foamy white head with better than average retention and some filmy lacing on the glass. Aroma and taste were balanced between dry biscuity malt and mildly bitter piney hops with a bit of grapefruit. Mouthfeel was crisp and light with some bitterness. A nice pairing with an individual pan pizza.
Nov 09, 2023Reviewed by lordofthewiens from New Mexico
3.77/5 rDev +7.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
3.77/5 rDev +7.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Amber color, thick white head, a good deal of lace.
Aroma of sweet malt, citrus. Not too strong.
Taste of grapefruit, pine, and caramel. Again, a little timid.
Light-bodied, easy drinking.
Sep 28, 2023Aroma of sweet malt, citrus. Not too strong.
Taste of grapefruit, pine, and caramel. Again, a little timid.
Light-bodied, easy drinking.
Reviewed by BillyNoonan from Ireland
3.84/5 rDev +9.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
3.84/5 rDev +9.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
Really quite enjoyed this one from pour to sip. Medium dark amber in colour, frothy white head which sinks quickly. There's hoppy and zesty notes. Taste follows with pine, citrus and honey flavour. Feel is mellow and soft.
Sep 26, 2023Reviewed by AdmiralOzone from Minnesota
3.46/5 rDev -1.7%
look: 5 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5
3.46/5 rDev -1.7%
look: 5 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5
Pours a crystal-clear amber honey color with a thick cream-colored head that leaves fabulous lacing. Aroma is faint, caramel malt, and citrusy hops. Flavor is bolder than the nose, malty up front with bitter citrus and piney hops in the finish. Feel is medium bodied, lightly carbonated. Overall, a decent enough beer. Not sure of the canning date, and unsure of the travel time from Iceland.
Aug 17, 2023Reviewed by kflorence from Texas
3.98/5 rDev +13.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
3.98/5 rDev +13.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
Pours a crystal clear copper color with hints of gold and a lovely finger thick frothy head. Plenty of lacing as you drink. Carbonation looks average. Looks delicious!
Aroma is a great balance between fresh hops and roasted malts. The fruity/citrus notes of the Cascade hops definitely comes through, as does the herbal/floralness of the Hallertau hops.
Tastes matches the aroma well. This is a lovely, balanced beer, with ample bitterness. Piney, citrus up front with the roasted malts coming in towards the middle, the noble hops lend some floral/herbal notes towards the swallow which linger, along with the roasted malts, on the tongue after the swallow. This is almost a blend in flavors between the Deschutes Mirror Pond Pale Ale and a German Pilsner.
This is medium bodied with ample chewiness and zestiness on the swallow. Perhaps a tiny bit too zesty for me, but a really great mouthfeel. This is very drinkable and quite sessionable at 5.6% ABV.
I'm quite surprised by the low rating here, this is a decidedly above average beer for me. It's balanced but hop forward and offers a good amount of flavor and complexity while remaining drinkable. Really glad I picked this up and I'd be happy to try out some more beers from this brewery. Skál!
Feb 09, 2023Aroma is a great balance between fresh hops and roasted malts. The fruity/citrus notes of the Cascade hops definitely comes through, as does the herbal/floralness of the Hallertau hops.
Tastes matches the aroma well. This is a lovely, balanced beer, with ample bitterness. Piney, citrus up front with the roasted malts coming in towards the middle, the noble hops lend some floral/herbal notes towards the swallow which linger, along with the roasted malts, on the tongue after the swallow. This is almost a blend in flavors between the Deschutes Mirror Pond Pale Ale and a German Pilsner.
This is medium bodied with ample chewiness and zestiness on the swallow. Perhaps a tiny bit too zesty for me, but a really great mouthfeel. This is very drinkable and quite sessionable at 5.6% ABV.
I'm quite surprised by the low rating here, this is a decidedly above average beer for me. It's balanced but hop forward and offers a good amount of flavor and complexity while remaining drinkable. Really glad I picked this up and I'd be happy to try out some more beers from this brewery. Skál!
Reviewed by damndirtyape from Ohio
3.96/5 rDev +12.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
3.96/5 rDev +12.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
11.2oz can, served in a D'Achouffe tulip glass. Date stamp on bottom of can: 09.06.22 - 15:11 BF 09/Aug/2023. Sounds like they are telling me it will be good until August of 2023. Let's find out.
Appearance: Mostly clear gold-amber color. Thick off-white head with lots of lacing.
Smell: I can pick out citrus notes from the Cascade they mention on the side of the can, and I can detect the noble Hallertau hops, but I'm not detecting any English-style Northern Brewer hops. So a bit of citrus, pine, and skunk/noble hops all mixed together. Not too bad.
Taste: It's tasting a lot like it smells - definite American hops style (pine, grapefruit), with some orange notes, followed by some nice sweet malt for balance that makes the orange a little bit tangerine like at times, and then the finish which is that definite herbal/noble hop bitterness. Again, if there are English-style hops in this, I'm losing them under the other two hops.
Mouthfeel: Good thickness, a bit sticky on the teeth, good carbonation as well.
Overall / Drinkability: For an APA from Iceland, I'd say it survived the voyage as most of the hops still have all their flavor (again, I'm not detecting the Northern Brewer at all), and it's a good example of a hoppy APA. Easily drinkable as well - I would not mind another.
Oct 15, 2022Appearance: Mostly clear gold-amber color. Thick off-white head with lots of lacing.
Smell: I can pick out citrus notes from the Cascade they mention on the side of the can, and I can detect the noble Hallertau hops, but I'm not detecting any English-style Northern Brewer hops. So a bit of citrus, pine, and skunk/noble hops all mixed together. Not too bad.
Taste: It's tasting a lot like it smells - definite American hops style (pine, grapefruit), with some orange notes, followed by some nice sweet malt for balance that makes the orange a little bit tangerine like at times, and then the finish which is that definite herbal/noble hop bitterness. Again, if there are English-style hops in this, I'm losing them under the other two hops.
Mouthfeel: Good thickness, a bit sticky on the teeth, good carbonation as well.
Overall / Drinkability: For an APA from Iceland, I'd say it survived the voyage as most of the hops still have all their flavor (again, I'm not detecting the Northern Brewer at all), and it's a good example of a hoppy APA. Easily drinkable as well - I would not mind another.
Icelandic Arctic Pale Ale from Einstök Ölgerð (Einstök Beer Company)
Beer rating:
80 out of
100 with
450 ratings
We love reviews (150 characters or more)! Check out: How to Review a Beer. You don't need to get fancy. Drop some thoughts on the beer's attributes (look, smell, taste, feel) plus your overall impression. Something that backs up your rating and helps others. Thanks!