Iceland: home to a viking heritage, volcanoes, and cities that I can't pronounce or spell. Also from this magical island is this beer. Is it any good? I think we all hope it is, but I won't know until I try it.
It is clear and gold - a very yellow gold. It looks very much like your average American macro brew, which is odd for a beer that claims to be bottle conditioned. Normally, I would expect a bit of murkiness from the detritus that allows for the proper finishing of the beer. The foamy top leaves a very significant amount of lacing on the sides while the aroma of thin malt, lemon, orange, and maybe coriander waft a very short distance from the rim.
First sip reveals a very crisp, orange and very light hops. The spices and malt exist as background, and I fear that a full swig is going to bring out a lot of wateriness. But, I might just be worried about nothing. Let me take a proper gulp.
Tip-in is slight carbonation burn with orange and coriander. The middle tingles with carbonation and light hops and a dusty malt. In general, it's smooth and mostly tasteless. As the finish arrives, things get a bit more serious. a sour note runs down the gullet with a more harsh earthy malt.
Bottom Line: A reasonably good beer. I expected something more special, but this was just okay.
2.5/5