Reykjavík Grapevine - 05.12.2014, Page 14

14
The Reykjavík Grapevine
Issue 16 — 2014
Politics | Reykjavík
The family-run distillery has already re-
ceived critical acclaim for their gin, Vor,
which got a Double Gold Award at the
2014 San Francisco World Spirits Com-
petition. That’s impressive, but we’re
not here to praise their gin, we’re here to
taste their whisky, which is the first of its
kind to be made in Iceland.
Water of life
Eimverk CEO Haraldur Þorkelsson, tells
us how the Icelandic climate has only
twice in recorded history allowed for
decent amounts of barley to grow—dur-
ing settlement times, and now, due to
global warming. The early settlers were
more interested in making mead and ale,
and after barley production died down,
schnapps, landi (a kind of moonshine)
and potato vodka be-
came the drinks of
choice for Icelanders.
But now, with barley
production grow-
ing, the equation has
changed.
Eimverk gets their
grain straight from the
farm, and the only pes-
ticide it is exposed to is
Icelandic winter. With
its low starch and sugar
content, about 50%
more of the grain is used to make their
product than with traditional whisky.
The second ingredient, water, is a
commodity that Iceland has an abun-
dance of, and one that experts say doesn’t
need to be treated before being used to
distil. And the yeast is easily imported.
Being whisky enthusiasts, Haraldur
and his brother Egill wanted to see if they
could make their own whisky, just for the
fun of it. After they had experimented
with more than 160 different recipes,
learning the ropes along the way through
ardently watching YouTube clips, they
found one in 2009 that they thought was
worth pursuing. “At no point did we de-
cide we were going to become distillers—
everything just happened organically,”
Haraldur says.
Pioneers
The Flóki product Eimverk has already
released is technically not whisky, but
a young malt—it’s only kept in a cask for
one year, so it’s rougher around the edges.
Despite this, Haraldur says Flóki pro-
vides a taste of what’s to come when their
single malt is released
in 2015.
The whisky’s
name is a reference
to Hrafna-Flóki, the
fabled Norwegian pio-
neer who made the first
documented attempt to
settle in Iceland. In the
same way, Haraldur
and his family are em-
barking on a deliberate
journey into the world
of whiskies, hoping to
carve a home for themselves there and
pioneer the field in Iceland.
Judgement day
A bottle of Flóki in tow, I waited until
after the distillery tour to pass judge-
ment on the young malt. Despite being
intrigued by the project, my expectations
were rather low for the final product.
However, I wound I up being pleasantly
surprised.
Initially, I could smell sugary vanilla,
with hints of salt and anise. The amber-
coloured drink was clear, and hazarding
a sip, I immediately felt a sharp alcoholic
taste—it wasn’t overwhelming, and it was
then followed by numerous subtle under-
tones from the barley-rich drink. There
was a clear charred oak taste, and a lin-
gering burning sensation. It puzzlingly
reminded me of both Islay whiskies and
bourbon at the same time.
It wouldn’t be fair to compare it to
other established whiskies, as Flóki just
isn’t there yet, but the qualities that limit
the spirit’s appeal are the very ones that
dissipate once the whisky has been al-
lowed to mature in the cask. Once I added
a few drops of water, the drink became
much more enjoyable.
An informal tasting panel echoed
my findings—some complained about
a strong ethanol taste, whereas others
found that it to be a pleasant drink on the
whole. People were also generally posi-
tive to see each bottle had been labelled
by hand with its number, cask and year.
I feel confident in recommending
Flóki to whisky enthusiasts. It most cer-
tainly won’t be for everyone, but it is a
bold venture, and one that I celebrate
The small and unassuming Eimverk distillery can be found in an industrial park in Garðabær.
Inside, numerous vats, barrels, boxes, filters and pieces of distillery equipment flood the
warehouse floor space, and there is a notably sour (but not pungent) smell in the air.
Words by Gabríel Benjamin
Photos by Matthew Eisman
Booze | Yum!
14
The Reykjavík Grapevine
Issue 18 — 2014
A Taste Of Things
To Come Icelandic whisky. It exists,
we tried it—and we liked it
Eimverk’s Flóki Young Malt is available in the Keflavík Airport duty free store and
at select bars. Distribution in the Vínbúð state liquor stores will commence in
early 2015. Eimverk’s gin, Vor, is already available at both places.
An informal tasting
panel confirmed my
suspicions—some
complained about a
strong ethanol taste,
whereas others found
it to be a pleasant
drink on the whole.
EYMUNDSSON
BOOKSTORES
BESTSELLERS
THE LIST REPRESENTS SALES FROM ALL EYMUNDSSON BOOKSTORES
1 2
5 6
7 8
109
43 Njals Saga - Wordsworth Translated by Lee M. Hollander
Jar City
Arnaldur Indriðason
Die schönsten
isländischen Sagas
Rolf Heller
Sagas Of The Icelanders
Ýmsir höfundar
Independent People
Halldór Laxness
Under The Glacier
Halldór Laxness
I Remember You
Yrsa Sigurðardóttir
Ashes to Dust
Yrsa Sigurðardóttir
Day is Dark
Yrsa Sigurðardóttir
Die schönsten
Erzählungen Islands
Soffía Birgisdóttir