Einstök Ölgerð Icelandic Arctic Berry Ale

I'm not sure someone could have convinced me a few years ago that I would be on my fourth Icelandic beer to review. But, here I sit, and I have another beer from Einstök sitting on my side table ready for me to analyze more than most people would bother with. This one is a berry ale, and I'm not sure I have ever been convinced that berries should be involved in this whole process. Let's see if they find something unique.

This is a white ale with berries added to it, and I'm very happy to see that it didn't turn some shade of red in the process. Instead, it is shockingly golden with a reasonable head that settles to an uneven layer of bubbles slopped onto one side of the glass, leaving the other side naked. The aroma is berries and honey with a wheat base.

First sip is a whole lot dryer than the berry smell made me expect. It's not sweet or juicy or even particularly thirst quenching. It's not bad, but it's a bit thin with a simple glaze of berries across a modicum of grains. I'm not displeased by the taste, but it's not really something too spectacular.

Tip-in is mild carbonation burn with the film of berries and a grain backing, just like the sip. The middle roams in with a honey-backed, thin grains and berry broth with carbonation just gently sizzling. The finish is a dry mist of berries and grains.

Bottom Line: Not bad. Not great.

2.25/5