Iceberg Season

       Late May to early June in Newfoundland is iceberg season, as icebergs make their way down Iceberg Alley, from Baffin Bay down past the Southeast coast.  This year is a very active season for icebergs, where you can almost see an iceberg in every Bay.  This past weekend, I headed up Signal Hill with my buddy to check out the Icebergs just outside the narrows.  It was beautiful!  All this "iceberg fever" inspired me to have an iceberg theme for my blog.

Iceberg Beer

       Today I bring you a proud lager brewed right here in St. John's, Newfoundland by the Quidi Vidi Brewing Company. Iceberg beer was launched in 2007 and like all their beers, they are brewed without adjuncts; which involves no corn or rice, just malt. At launch this brew came in a clear bottle but a few years later the company changed the color. They are available province wide in liquor stores and corner shops all year round. It's currently the 4th best selling Newfoundland beer according to the Newfoundland Liquor Corporation website. If you attend the tour given at the brewery then you'll most likely hear that their Iceberg beer is made from pure 25,000 year old glacier water. And we all know that the purity of the water affects the quality of the beer. Now on to the review, I’m getting thirsty…

image of Quidi Vidi Brewery by Tudorw @ beothic.blogspot.ca

       You can purchase Iceberg beer in either a white box of a dozen or six. Being somewhat of a casual drinker I opted for the latter. It comes in a tall glass bottle with a long neck much like a Corona except this bottle also comes in a cool looking blue transparent hue. A possible reason being is that clear glass bottles allows an increased amount of light exposure, thus degrading the hops and sours the flavor of the ale. Or it could also just be a clever marketing strategy to differentiate this lager from many other ones with similar clear bottles.

The above video is the property of the Quidi Vidi Brewing Company

        After snapping the pry-off crown and hearing the crisp sound of escaping vapors from several millennia of frozen purity I immediately poured the cold one into a tall glass. This light lager measures in at 341ml with an alcohol by volume content at just 4.5 percent.

Appearance
It comprised of a pale yellow ale in color with a short head and plenty of fizzing bubbles.

Aroma
It smells like mild wheat and yeast.

Taste
The flavor is a bit weak with a hint of malt compared to other light beers. It lacks in body but has a pleasant after taste with a dry finish and a balanced bitterness.

Verdict
Iceberg beer is not too strong and people who like light beer will find it quite pleasing to taste. I was quite intrigued by the marketing direction of the product and believe that Iceberg Beer makes a great Newfoundland product to promote to locals and visitors alike. At $18.68 for 6 and $34.96 for a dozen I will drink again for that price.  Bottoms Up!