Einstök "Icelandic Lime & Juniper" Pilsner

The journey of Einstök has been a good one. If every beer company could maintain a stable of beers that hit average and above every time... I guess my average rating would have to move. That's what average means. Still, these guys are setting a pace that others need to keep up with, and I'm happy to have another one of their beers in front of me right now.

I am genuinely surprised that this pilsner is not crystal-clear. Yes, I expected a color, but I also expect the clarity that I'm not seeing. Maybe it's just because the good folks at Einstök clearly know what the hell they're doing and can produce some damn good beer, so they would know that a pilsner should be very bright. Instead, the pale yellow beer has a noticeable haze to it that is likely coming from either the lime or the juniper. Very little lacing happens as the rocky mixture of bubbles descends to a quarter inch thick layer of foam that actually makes the beer pretty fetching. The aroma is heavy with lime and, predictably, juniper with bread malt backing the whole thing.

First sip isn't making me jump up and down for joy. I'm not sure that the lime and juniper are really adding anything good to this mix. The bread malt doesn't really seem to be jiving with the juniper, and the lime seems to have been added just to possibly cover up the other tastes. I say that as if the beer is overtly offensive, and that's probably misleading. I would say it taste like an amateur effort, and the bitterness and dryness at the end indicates a beverage that is just not balanced.

Tip-in is distinct and overpowering juniper above a mild carbonation buzz. The middle allows the bread malt to come forward a bit, and the lime tries to add some soothing, but the unfortunate addition of the juniper has seemingly sullied the beverage. The finish is dry and bitter with flowers joining the juniper for the ultimately disappointing beverage.

Bottom Line: These guys can do better than this.

0.75/5