Ölbeat 321 (BC17 #8): Borg Surtur Nr. 30

Brewery: Borg Brugghús
Country: Iceland
Style: Imperial Stout
Abv: 9 %
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What about the beer?

Colour is black with a 2-finger thick beige head. Aroma has smoked meat, roasted malts and dark chocolate. Taste starts with bitter meaty and malty smoke. Campfire smoke and sweet charcoal roast take over with hints of espresso and salty liquorice. Towards the end bitter salty liquorice and strong malty flavours rise next to smoke and roast. Aftertaste has smoky bitter liquorice, alcohol warmth and roasty malty dryness.

Smoky and powerful Imperial Stout. Smoke and salty liquorice enhance the bitter and roasty flavours of a superb imp. Rich and excellent stuff from Iceland.

Ölbeat

"Honour" is the name of this song in English. And that's where my understanding of Icelandic lyrics almost ends. Anyway, the music is dark, deep and roughed-up with the almost-screaming vocals. Without understanding a word I liked this immediately. Seriously, have to find out the meaning of the lyrics, and check out the band a little more.

Sólstafir: Æra (YouTube, Live)

From the 2011 album Svartir Sandar, the song was written by Sólstafir.

Ölbeat 305: Einstök Icelandic Toasted Porter

Brewery: Einstök Ölgerð
Country: Iceland
Style: Porter
Abv: 6,0 %
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What about the beer?

Colour is black with a large fluffy tan head. Aroma has salty roast, grainy malts and rye bread. Taste starts with bitter charred roast. Charred malts and bitter cocoa take over with some salty espresso on the side. Towards the end the charred bready malty main flavour gets some salty roasted caramel and bitter dark chocolate side tones. Aftertaste has dry roasted malts and bitter espresso.

Rich and very roasty Porter. Charred malts dominate with caramel, chocolate and coffee joining the bitterness on the background. Excellent brew from Iceland.

Ölbeat

The previous beer from the brewery took us to the world of vikings. Now the Icelanders are stuck with the theme. This time the brew is slightly darker, and so is the music.

Amon Amarth: Guardians of Asgaard (YouTube)

From the 2008 album Twilight of the Thunder God, the song was written by Amon Amarth.

Ölbeat 290: Einstök Wee Heavy

Brewery: Einstök Ölgerð
Country: Iceland
Style: Scotch Ale
Abv: 8,0 % 
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What about the beer?

Colour is dark brown with a large natural white head. Aroma has grapes, raisins and caramel malts. Taste begins with sweet caramel malts. Sweet berry-fruit juice and spicy caramel malts dominate with gentle bitterness. Towards the end sweet fruity bitterness with spicy malty notes comes through. Aftertaste has fruit-winy bitterness, caramel sweetness and finally bitter-malty dryness.

Fine and fruity Scotch Ale. Sweet caramel and spicy berries rule the game at first, in the end malts and fruity bitterness strike through. It's hard not to like a fav style beer that's well made. Excellent piece of brewing from Iceland.

Ölbeat

Since the brewery logo takes my thoughts directly to vikings, I exceptionally pick some Icelandic theme-related folk metal. The song is from the band's debut album, which tells a story of a viking called Baldur, who fights a demon that has attacked and killed his family. This is the last song of the original album about the dead hero meeting his family in Valhalla.

Skálmöld: Valhöll (YouTube)

From the 2010/2011 album Baldur, the song was written by Skálmöld.

Ölbeat 288: Borg Garún Nr. 19 Icelandic Stout

Brewery: Borg Brugghús (in Icelandic)
Country: Iceland
Style: Imperial Stout
Abv: 11,5 % 
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What about the beer?

Colour is black with a small beige head. Aroma has smoky roasted malts, sweet black coffee, chocolate and vanilla. Taste begins with bitter boozy roast. Sweet charred-roasted bready malts take over with dark chocolate and coffee. Towards the end sweet burned coffee and spiced chocolate come through with tingling boozy bitterness. Aftertaste has sweet dark chocolate and bitter roasted coffee, which turns to lasting rye-bready dryness.

Sweet and malty Imperial Stout. Chocolate, coffee, roast, spices, booze - all there. But. The brew lacks a little bit power, a little bit smoothness and a little bit flavour. Good beer, anyway. And the first visit to beer country Iceland.

Ölbeat

Named after the deacon's girlfriend Guðrún (Garún by the deacon's ghost) in a traditional Icelandic ghost tale of the Deacon of the Dark River, the brew shows some darkness but leaves one craving for more. So the song choice is a lady-themed soft metal track, although at the time this probably was heavy metal.

Saxon: Princess of the Night (YouTube)

From the 1981 album Denim and Leather, the song was written by Saxon.