Before we begin with this beer,
a bit of background is in order. From the label:
Orkney-A small group of islands off the northern tip of Scotland,
shrouded in magic and mystery, was the home of Thorfinn Hausakluif (Skullsplitter)
7th Viking Earl of Orkney, around 1000 AD.
Thorfinn was known as the Skullsplitter, which is a great name if you’re a
Viking or a beer, but would old Thorfinn really have wanted to split the
skulls of his enemies? Probably not. Why waste a perfectly good drinking
vessel, after all? No, I haven’t gone off my rocker, thank you very much.
You see, Vikings were nice guys to drink with, but you didn’t want to get on
their bad side. It was a common practice for a Viking to cleave the head of
a vanquished foe from his body, remove the flesh from the skull, and polish
it to a fine sheen. It would then be used as a drinking vessel at the
raucous drinking parties the Vikings were famous for.
And what would they drink from those vessels? Ale might be one beverage.
Lagers were not around yet, and the ale was not hopped. It might be spiced
with honey or whatever was available. Honey, in addition to being used to
spice ale, is the primary fermentable in mead, another drink your skull
might end up full of if you found yourself at the wrong end of a Viking’s
battleaxe.
On November 11th of 1997 I wrote the following about this beer:
The bottle styles this as an "Orkney Ale", named after an island chain near Northern Scotland. The Orkney Islands have a history of Viking rule, and one gets that impression immediately upon viewing the label which features a Viking Warrior with a stern glance fixed upon his face.
The name Skullsplitter seems to be derived from
Thorfinn Hausakluif (which means Skullsplitter), the 7th Viking Earl of
Orkney at the turn of the millenium. It's also a play on the beer's
strength, since Skullsplitter weighs in at 8.5% ABV. The brew is medium
brown in color with minimal head retention. It has a slightly sweet nose
reminiscent of cotton candy. The first sip is doppelbock-like, very malty,
sweet and packed with hints of molasses and caramel. A warm alcohol,
candyish finish rounds out this delicious brew best suited for a cold
winter night. Superb!
Skullsplitter Orkney Ale pours to a deep caramel color with light
carbonation and a sweet, sticky nose. The palate is rich and sweet and
hinting at molasses, raisins, crackery malt, and has a light nuttiness that
strengthens in the finish where it combines with the mouth-warming alcohol
to leave quite an impression on the palate. The alcohol content here is 8.5%
by volume, which is higher than most beers but not by any means an extremely
strong brew.
Orkney ale is synonymous with Scotch ale in my book, which is what this beer
really is stylistically. Drink it in moderation. Too many of them could
easily lead to a skull-splitting situation the next morning.
And remember, try a new beer today, and drink outside the box.
*Pricing data accurate at time of review or latest update. For reference only, based on actual price paid by reviewer.
(B)=Bottled
(D)=Draft