It's been a little quiet on the wine front at Purple Teeth HQ, mainly because I've been spending time in Iceland, a country that's as far from the wine producing regions as any. I enjoyed a few South American imports at the wonderful Hotel Ranga where I stayed for a couple of nights. Those of note were Morandé Late Harvest Sauvignon Blanc, from Chile's Rapel Valley which served as a delicious dessert in a glass, two nights in a row, and a Punto Final Malbec from Mendoza which happily accompanied a very rare fillet of beef. Both can be found from online UK suppliers by following the links above. It's a shame they had to go all the way to South America for wine when Iceland is 64 degrees north of the equator, but I guess wine miles know no bounds when it comes to the restaurant trade. Luckily the hotel's cuisine is a lot more locally sourced. The service was excellent, and it's just a shame that the Northern Lights didn't show up to make the trip complete. I'd heartily recommend this hotel if you decide to head north, despite the snowdrifting blizzards on the main ring road from Keflavik airport.
The Malbec was rich, dark, almost as black as it's label and with an almost melted chocolate texture and richness. The sticky wine retained the freshness and acidity of sauvignon blanc, but was sweetly flavoured with marmalade, quince and honey. Both are worth seeking out if you like South American wines and the retail prices seem very reasonable for the quality of the wine, and certainly when compared to Icelandic restaurant prices. It's not just the Arctic winds that made my eyes water over there!
The Malbec was rich, dark, almost as black as it's label and with an almost melted chocolate texture and richness. The sticky wine retained the freshness and acidity of sauvignon blanc, but was sweetly flavoured with marmalade, quince and honey. Both are worth seeking out if you like South American wines and the retail prices seem very reasonable for the quality of the wine, and certainly when compared to Icelandic restaurant prices. It's not just the Arctic winds that made my eyes water over there!
Lava smoked imperial stout 9.4% abv. Is this Iceland's best beer? Trying to soak up local flavour, I enjoyed a few beers from Iceland while there. I imagine that there's a lot more to offer for the serious beer drinker at that northern latitude. In Reykjavik, we visited MicroBar (which is attached to www.citycenterhotel.is) to enjoy some fine ales. It's location is just off the main square and though small, it's perfectly formed, featuring beers from the growing number of small microbreweries in Iceland with around 8 draught beers from small Icelandic breweries and a wide selection of local and international bottled beers. For the beer fan, you couldn't want for more. Guided by the helpful bartender, Steinn Stefánsson, I selected Lava, on the basis that he called it "undoubtedly Iceland's finest beer". As the bar is always branching out for rarer beers, and at least 25 of the beers it sells cannot be found elsewhere in Iceland, I felt happy to take his advice. It was then mentioned that the beer was 9.4% abv! That's nearly as strong as some wines, so fortunately it's sold in reasonably small glasses. It's a smoked imperial stout with 6 kinds of barley malt and one kind of wheat malt, made in the shadow of the active Hekla Volcano by Olvisholt Brugghus. The label supposedly resembles the sight of the relatively frequent eruptions as seen from the brewery. It's a full bodied beer with hints of chocolate but essentially a smoked malt flavour. If you're a stout fan, you'll love it. If not, I'd recommend something a little lighter.
When it comes to beer, I definitely am a stout fan and I also enjoyed the Viking Stout, which was a lot easier to drink in volume, at 5.8% abv. Viking Íslenskur Úrvals Stout, to give it it's full name, was the first stout produced in Iceland, and is made in the northern town of Arkureyri. It's got a lot less chocolate flavour than the Lava stout, but just as much malty goodness, with hints of espresso.
My friend's beer of choice for the trip was also made by the same brewery as Lava. Skjálfti premium lager (pronounced a bit like Skelty) was more of a golden/amber beer than a lager as we know the term in the UK. Named after an earthquake, this beer had a good balance of flavour between malt and hops with a hint of sweetness. At 5% abv it was a lot more food friendly and with a hint of citrus on the palate, it matched well with the fish dishes we consumed plenty of on the trip.
In Microbar, she enjoyed a Kaldi which Steinn indicated was the closest in style. Kaldi is an Icelandic beer from another microbrewery, brewed to a Czech recipe, under the supervision of a Czech brewmaster. The beer has no added sugar or any preservatives, and is not pasteurized.
Iceland's beer scene is definitely on the up.
I'll be back with plenty of wine stories next week, after a social tasting evening I'm running this weekend. Meanwhile, here are some shots of Icelandic scenery to put you in the mood for a visit to try these beers.
My friend's beer of choice for the trip was also made by the same brewery as Lava. Skjálfti premium lager (pronounced a bit like Skelty) was more of a golden/amber beer than a lager as we know the term in the UK. Named after an earthquake, this beer had a good balance of flavour between malt and hops with a hint of sweetness. At 5% abv it was a lot more food friendly and with a hint of citrus on the palate, it matched well with the fish dishes we consumed plenty of on the trip.
In Microbar, she enjoyed a Kaldi which Steinn indicated was the closest in style. Kaldi is an Icelandic beer from another microbrewery, brewed to a Czech recipe, under the supervision of a Czech brewmaster. The beer has no added sugar or any preservatives, and is not pasteurized.
Iceland's beer scene is definitely on the up.
I'll be back with plenty of wine stories next week, after a social tasting evening I'm running this weekend. Meanwhile, here are some shots of Icelandic scenery to put you in the mood for a visit to try these beers.
Blue Lagoon, Reykjavik & sunrise at Hotel Ranga (above) Geysir, Gullfoss, SkogaFoss (below) - all photos are mine taken via iphone
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