Icelandic Wee Heavy
Einstök Ölgerð (Einstök Beer Company)

Icelandic Wee HeavyIcelandic Wee Heavy
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From:
Einstök Ölgerð (Einstök Beer Company)
 
Iceland
Style:
Scotch Ale / Wee Heavy
Ranked #34
ABV:
8%
Score:
90
Ranked #9,310
Avg:
4.03 | pDev: 9.43%
Reviews:
116
Ratings:
278
Status:
Active
Rated:
Saturday at 06:57 PM
Added:
Jul 11, 2016
Wants:
  14
Gots:
  45
Viking history in Scotland goes back a thousand years. Even our brewmaster studied in Edinburgh, where he carefully surveyed the local brew. Now we return with an Icelandic Scotch Ale, brewed with locally farmed and smoked barley and spiced with native Icelandic angelica – a fabled herb ancient Vikings used as currency. Surrender your taste buds. They have no choice but to be conquered.
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Ratings by TurboMon_911:
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Reviewed by TurboMon_911 from New Jersey

4.17/5  rDev +3.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
Poured a dark brownish amber into a pint glass from a 330 ml can with a finger beige high head that disappeared in about a minute, no lacing. Aroma is medium strong of caramel and smoky malts with earthy overtones. Goes down smooth & smoky with no burn and finishes with a slightly bitter sweetness. Mouth is on the south side of syrupy but very well balanced and slightly carbonated. One of my favorite styles and Einstök does an outstanding job of representing it. A great brew for sitting around the fire on a cold winters eve.
Apr 25, 2022
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 4 by kybeerdrinker from Kentucky

Saturday at 06:57 PM
 
Rated: 2.75 by mpenske from California

Feb 25, 2024
 
Rated: 4.23 by kuhndog from New York

Feb 07, 2024
 
Rated: 3.75 by Can_if_you_can from Minnesota

Jan 15, 2024
Photo of VABA
Reviewed by VABA from Virginia

4.07/5  rDev +1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
Pours a dark ruby amber color with a slight head and lacing
Aroma has caramel and fruity hints
Taste has caramel and fruity flavor
A medium bodied well carbonated beer
A good Wee Heavy Ale
Dec 19, 2023
 
Rated: 4.25 by bigred89 from Maryland

Nov 18, 2023
Photo of GreesyFizeek
Reviewed by GreesyFizeek from New York

4.16/5  rDev +3.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
This one pours a dark-ish amber color, with a small head, and a little bit of lacing.

This smells lightly smoky, with some peat, herbal hops, caramel, and toffee.

This is probably the best beer I’ve had from Einstok so far. It’s richly malty in a very pleasant way, with some definite smokiness that I enjoy. There’s some herbal sweetness, a touch of clove, lots of caramel, and some pleasant breadiness.

This is medium bodied, pretty creamy, with a very nice drinkability.

This is a nice earthy and intriguing take on the style.
Nov 13, 2023
 
Rated: 4.4 by Beecham from California

Oct 16, 2023
 
Rated: 3.93 by QuakeAttack from California

Oct 14, 2023
Photo of GuyFawkes
Reviewed by GuyFawkes from Illinois

4/5  rDev -0.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Canned 12/13/22. "Best before 2/13/23"; drank 10/8/23 @ the Yarchives.

Mostly opaque orange/brown appearance.

A rough pour yielded a huge khaki head; frothy lacing remained.

Sarsaparilla, mild caramel & faint smoke notes in the nose.

Medium mouthfeel.

Caramel & mild smoke flavors up front; mild sarsaparilla notes on the finish.

A nice take on the Wee Heavy; I'd have another!
Oct 09, 2023
Photo of LiquidAmber
Reviewed by LiquidAmber from Washington

4.21/5  rDev +4.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
Poured into a Celebrator pokal. Pours a medium to dark, lightly hazy, brownish orange with a thin, light khaki head that dissipates to patches with light lacing. Aroma of caramel malt, concentrated dried light stone fruit, toffee and light smoke. Flavor follows, with caramel malt, toffee, dried light stone fruit (particularly apricot) and mild smoke with a hint of peat. Medium bodied with moderate creaminess. This has the most authentic caramel flavor of any malted beverage I can remember. I've had a lot of caramel malt styles, but this one has that "just bit into a fresh caramel chunk" intensity. The smoke is a bit subdued with minimal peat, but the rest of the base is solid wee heavy. Considering the level of caramel and fruit, not that sweet; tastes well balanced. As a side note, this has been available from one the S Cal stores I order from, but they will not break the four packs and I just wanted to try one. Finally got this single can, and I'd have absolutely no problem buying a pack of these, even with the modest peat smoke.
Oct 03, 2023
Photo of MrOH
Reviewed by MrOH from Maryland

4.4/5  rDev +9.2%
look: 3.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.25
Cloudy dark amber with lots of sediment floating around, maybe I should have poured less vigorously, big off white head, excellent retention, rings of lace
Toffee, caramel, and brown bread aroma
Tastes like it smells, along with an interesting earthy, oddly fruity flavor (the angelica? maybe just power of suggestion)
Heavy bodied, slightly sticky but not cloying, appropriately carbonated
Really good Scotch ale.
Sep 27, 2023
 
Rated: 4.26 by BRJ978

Sep 11, 2023
 
Rated: 3.8 by bschmidt_37 from Illinois

Sep 10, 2023
 
Rated: 4.33 by Iggy88 from Ohio

Sep 10, 2023
Photo of neenerzig
Reviewed by neenerzig from Ohio

4.19/5  rDev +4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
Poured out of a 12 oz bottle into my tulip glass, this beer pours a deep, dark amber color w/ a slightly off white/tan head that's about an inch thick when first poured. Head eventually settles to a very thick coating of surface foam along w/ a thick ring lining the inside of the glass. Not much lacing here. Aromas of some bready, toasted, caramel malt sweetness along w/ some stone fruit notes and a bit of a smoky spice presence. Apparently the spice is "native Icelandic angelica, a fabled herb that Vikings used as currency", as that is what it says on the can's label in the description for this beer. This has a very similar flavor profile, with the aforementioned, toasty, bready, caramel malt sweetness that's followed w/ the smoky spice note along w/ a bit of plums and dates. The sweetness is obviously the dominant flavor profile here, as the taste has no discernible hop presence whatsoever that my palate detects, which is just fine for a beer of this style, but it isn't overly or cloyingly sweet either. Has a somewhat crisp, also smooth and frothy, medium to full bodied mouthfeel w/ light to medium carbonation. Easy to drink in the way a well crafted beer should be. All of the flavors linger nicely on my palate long after each sip for the aftertaste. Quite a nice beer here indeed.

Eric
Sep 03, 2023
Photo of GStone899
Reviewed by GStone899 from Minnesota

4.2/5  rDev +4.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
First beer from this brewery and from Iceland. Exciting! Pay a hefty price for this 6 pack. I'm sure with tariffs and all that. Reddish brown concoction. Not much lacing. Poured into a tulip glass. Lovely caramel notes on this full bodied beer. Really a pleasant brew on the taste beds.
Aug 27, 2023
Photo of AdmiralOzone
Reviewed by AdmiralOzone from Minnesota

3.98/5  rDev -1.2%
look: 2.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
Murky brown with a thick creamy tan head. Generous lacing. Aroma is caramel malt, stone fruit and spices. Flavor follows the nose, sweet up front, very little bitterness. According to the can it's "spiced with native Icelandic angelica - a fabled herb that Vikings used as currency." Whatever that is, I like it. Feel is medium bodied, lightly carbonated. Overall, I approve.
Aug 16, 2023
 
Rated: 4 by BucBasil from Rwanda

Jul 22, 2023
Icelandic Wee Heavy from Einstök Ölgerð (Einstök Beer Company)
Beer rating: 90 out of 100 with 278 ratings