Víking Sterkur
Viking Brewery - Vifilfell Ltd.

Víking SterkurVíking Sterkur
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From:
Viking Brewery - Vifilfell Ltd.
 
Iceland
Style:
European Strong Lager
ABV:
7%
Score:
74
Avg:
2.89 | pDev: 12.8%
Reviews:
13
Ratings:
22
Status:
Active
Rated:
Dec 14, 2021
Added:
Dec 01, 2008
Wants:
  1
Gots:
  0
No description / notes.
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Ratings by mynie:
Photo of mynie
Reviewed by mynie from Maryland

3.16/5  rDev +9.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
I've heard Greenland's rate of alcoholism is so high that there's a legitimate push to ban booze entirely. That sounds extreme, but if a country's got enough problems that their suicide epidemic has its own dedicated wikipedia page, then some action is probably warranted.

It's easy to drink too much when the sun never shines and the whole world appears to have frozen to death. I've seen it happen in Northern Iowa, and winters in Scandinavia are much, much worse. And so, perplexing as it may seem in an advanced and progressive nation such as Iceland, it's actually sort of understandable that full-strength beer wasn't legal here until 1989.

Opposed to regular beer, Icelanders only had access to "light" options. Not "light" calorically, but light in the sense that they're pretty much water. Nothing stronger than 2.25%.

These light beers are the only ones available at most grocery and convenience stores. I was about to grab a couple before a long bus ride, when the nice lady behind the counter informed me that they had "strong beer" behind the counter. I figured "strong" meant "regular," like how in an American bar you might say "Bud heavy" simply as a way of distinguishing your request from Bud Light.

But no, she meant strong as in "strong," as in a Euro Strong, one of the handful of European beer styles that god has absolutely forsaken. Stronger than American malt liquors, and brewed without the lightening benefit of rice or corn, these beers give off harshly sweet esters of booze and white sugar.

But this one, Viking's Sterkur, was pretty decently made. Compared to American malt liquors of similar ABV, like Old English 8%, this is positively crisp.

It starts off tasting of strong malt, but not especially alcoholic or sweet. Even as it warms, no off nodes become present.

While the strength affords it some complexity, the beer is still a little one-note: heavy grain up front, mild breadiness in the back, with a little bit of an alcohol burn. Not bad, and impressively brewed for it's godawful style, but nothing you need to go out of your way to try.

BONUS FUN FACT:
If you see someone around Reykjavik holding one of these red tallboys, they are probably shithammered and up to no good. Avoid them. They will tell you poorly translated jokes about farmers and keep begging you for cigarettes.
Jul 04, 2015
More User Ratings:
Photo of gandres
Reviewed by gandres from Philippines

2.72/5  rDev -5.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5
Monday, December 13, 2021 8:08 PM
500 mL can poured to wine glass
Sight: light yellow liquid, appears clear, medium foam, some lacing
Smell: aroma of malted grains
Taste: very good, low bitterness, some sweetness
Mouth feel: high carbonation, good follow through, dry finish, slightly bitter aftertaste
Overall: good beer, ok to repeat, not to look for
Dec 14, 2021
Photo of mikeg67
Reviewed by mikeg67 from New Jersey

3.52/5  rDev +21.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
500 ml can. Pours golden with tall long-lasting white head and soda like carbonation. Aroma is of grassy hops, biscuit malt and some citrus. Body is full and slightly crisp. Grassy, herbal hops, biscuit malt, some citrus fruit and peppery alcohol fill the mouth. Finish is long and very dry. Good brew.
Oct 14, 2021
Photo of Ozzylizard
Reviewed by Ozzylizard from Pennsylvania

3.11/5  rDev +7.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.25
Viking Sterkr from Viking Brugghus. 500 mL can with dinner at Hofsstadir Country Hotel. Served at whatever temp the reefer is in a generic glass. Reviewed 26/7/21. Note that I use DD/MM/YY protocol.
Appearance – 4.
Body – Straw (SRM 3), clear. When rear-lite, same.
Head – Average (Maximum 2.5 cm, aggressive center pour), white, high density, average retention, diminishing to a one to two mm ring of bubbles and a thin partial cap.
Lacing – Fair. Medium band of torn curtain lacing.
Aroma – 3 – Weak and grainy, slight hops, no yeast, no malt.
Flavor – 3 – Begins slightly sweet and grainy. No ethanol (7% ABV, as marked on the can) taste or aroma. No gastric warming. No dimethylsulfide or diacetyl.
Palate – 3 – Medium, watery, lively carbonation.
Final impression and summation: 3.25 OK but unremarkable.
Jul 26, 2021
Photo of JonnoWillsteed
Reviewed by JonnoWillsteed from England

2.1/5  rDev -27.3%
look: 2.75 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2.25
L- Pale gold, rising CO2 but minimal foam cap.
S- Strangely anonymous for 7.0%, just minor grains.
T- Blah, nothing distinctive at all.
F- The high ABV% is clearly apparent. It's rich but not refreshing.
O- It's reminds me of a lesser version of Carlsberg Special Brew; but with no notable character of it's own.
Bought in a variety pack of 5*500ml cans of Viking beer at Duty Free on arrival at Reykjavik airport. That seemed a wise purchase to try a few local beers excl the horrendous local taxes, but be aware that I sadly found all of them really lacking.
Sep 16, 2019
Photo of MichaelGennings
Reviewed by MichaelGennings from Canada (ON)

3.28/5  rDev +13.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25
Viking Sterkr. Icelandic Strong Beer. 7% alc.

Foamy white head that disappears fast.

Beer is golden coloured, slightly hazy, with bits of tiny particulate.

Lots of ascending bubbles and nice glass lacing.

Smell is dull and almost non-existent. Some biscuit and cereal grain but oh so faint.

Taste is sweet bready malt. There is a cloying aspect that turns me off a bit. Mouthfeel is medium and so is the body.

The finish is dry.

This is OK but I’m not sure why anyone would go out of their way to drink it.

Grade: B-
Mar 21, 2019
 
Rated: 3.25 by paulish from New York

Aug 09, 2018
Photo of jlindros
Reviewed by jlindros from Massachusetts

3/5  rDev +3.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
Can from Iceland
Same fizzy foamy head, retention, streaming bubbles, lacing, clear watery color

Nose more cereal gristy dough, very light watery, mineral water, cooked corn thing

Taste cooked corn vegetables, salty brine and little hop water, toasted dough, little lager malt and bready, weird bitter finish

Mouth is thin watery again, decent but light carb
Jul 30, 2018
 
Rated: 3.09 by ItsBeer4Me from Pennsylvania

Feb 18, 2018
Photo of Roguer
Reviewed by Roguer from Connecticut

2.62/5  rDev -9.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 2.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.5
Crystal clear and lively brew.

Sweet and malty nose; grassy, with lightly toasted bread.

Not bad up front: sweet and malty. The aftertaste, however, is absolutely horrible.

The extra ABV on this brew does not help separate it from standard AAL-style swill, unfortunately.
Jan 27, 2018
 
Rated: 3 by psmith161 from Indiana

Dec 29, 2017
 
Rated: 3.13 by BlueSpader from Washington

Jun 01, 2017
Photo of Marius
Reviewed by Marius from Netherlands

2.25/5  rDev -22.1%
look: 2.25 | smell: 2.25 | taste: 2.25 | feel: 2.25 | overall: 2.25
Can shared thanks to deanso. Pale yellow with a thin white head. Notes of boiled grains, popcorn, generic hops. Light body, low carbonation and a bitter-sweet aftertaste.
Nov 20, 2016
Photo of cbutova
Reviewed by cbutova from Massachusetts

3.25/5  rDev +12.5%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25
A- Tallboy pours into a becher with a clear beyond pale grainy yellow body and a fluffy white cap. The head ascends to a few fingers high with good retention. Lacing is spotty with a few sheets.

S- Pretty much just a clean aroma with a hint of pale cereal grains, light fruits, lemon, bread and spicy hops.

T- Sweetness builds in the flavor to a low to medium level as the malts bring out toasty and raw cereal grain notes. Spicy and herbal hop hints compliment the clean slightly fruity lager yeast. Honestly not getting much of the off flavors others have found.

MF- Medium bodied with a slick and somewhat syrupy consistency. High end carbonation brings on a foamy texture. Slightly bitter end.

A solid 7% lager that stays clean despite some awkward sweet and deep malty tones not jiving with the hops and yeast.
Sep 20, 2016
 
Rated: 2.75 by arevalo from Florida

Jun 09, 2016
 
Rated: 3 by CharlesK from Pennsylvania

Feb 01, 2016
 
Rated: 2.28 by rogacks from Massachusetts

Mar 02, 2015
 
Rated: 3 by cfalovo97 from Canada (ON)

Jul 22, 2014
 
Rated: 3 by airtraffic01 from New Hampshire

Jun 05, 2014
Photo of Orca
Reviewed by Orca from Washington

2.79/5  rDev -3.5%
look: 3 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.75
500mL can (canned 2/19/2013) into an English pint glass. Pours a clear golden color w/ a fluffy white head that leaves behind some lace. Moderate carbonation.

Aroma is sweet and grainy, mildly floral.

Taste follows nose. Sweet, fruity pale malt, floral Old World hops, neutral yeast. Just a hint of bitterness on the finish. Similar to the Gylltur I had yesterday, but with more residual sugars to amp up the ABV.

Mouthfeel is clean and crisp, light and drinkable.

Overall, like the Gylltur, an unremarkable beer you don't have to think about. No need to ever drink this again.
Apr 23, 2013
Víking Sterkur from Viking Brewery - Vifilfell Ltd.
Beer rating: 74 out of 100 with 22 ratings