Victory Abbey 6

Brewed by Victory Brewing Company
Style: Abbey Dubbel
Downingtown, Pennsylvania USA

This wasn’t quite the Abbey Dubbel that you would expect. This was far hoppier than any Belgian beer that you would probably encounter. This beer was more of a sweet APA than a Belgian Abbey-style beer. The aroma was full of flowery hops with quite a bit of sweet malts. The color, though, was very consistent with the style, pouring a light amber color with an off-white head. The flavor was more consistent with a pale ale, rather than a Belgian-style ale. The profile was rather dry and hoppy, with some caramel malt and toasted bread flavor. The finish was very dry, herbal, flowery and hoppy. This beer would have scored higher had it been an actual pale ale, but since it was supposed to be an Abbey-style ale, it really didn’t come close.

IHWC, BCTWC event 10 oz goblet. Pours a very light coppery gold with a thin lasting almost white sticky head. Aroma is fresh bread and doughy pils and vienna toasted malts, with a nice subdued spiciness form the belgian yeast- skewed to phenolic side- hints of clove, and restrained fruity esters- light apple. More restrained yeast character with a touch of spicy and floral hops, ok phenolic kick, and lots of great lightly toasted and fresh bread malts with a touch of cookie dough as it warms. Finish is very crisp with a lingering hop bitterness.

On tap at the brewery. Light saison or mild Belgian ale aroma. A bit of orange peel, coriander, and teaberry. Yeasty dusty grain sweetness and light carbonic gaseousness. Orange-amber clear with thin off-white head. Medium watery body with medium-heavy carbonation. Starts sweet with pilsner malt, light wheat taste, and sweet caramel. Clean taste with light orange blossom and teaberry. Finish is dry yeasty with decent bitter character. Nice little abbey ale. Done well and goes down clean.

Sample from Brewpub. Light gold pour with a clovelike nose. The flavor was mild and subdued with light sweet fruit flavor with some mild spiciness, notably cloves. Somewhat bland and uninspiring, actually.

On tap at Victory. Not very impressed. Aromas of yeast, appeared to be a darker golden color. Taste was more yeasty and light than sweet/carmel/fruit like an abbey dubbel should be.

On tap at Victory. Poured a deeper and clear golden / orange color with a smaller sized head. Aromas of yeast, fruity, and light spices. Tastes of fruitiness, lighter spices, and some grains. Nice and drikable.

In short: A Belgian ale with an unusual mix of fruity flavours. Far from a classic Dubbel but enjoyable
How: Tap at Blind Tiger Ale House NYC
The look: Murky dark-orange body with almost no head
In long: Some fruity caramel on the nose. The malt foundation is grainy toasted bread crust with a sesame bread sensation. Then a mountain of fruity flavours, the beer is very fruity. Ground cherries, bananas, apricots, Granny Smith apples, pineapples, more… Something about the mix bag of fruity flavours was strange, not unpleasant but just strange. Dry dusty yeast sensation with bubblegum notes. Tasty leafy hops that struggle to find their niche in this busy beer. The beer is highly drinkable and I actually enjoyed it quite a bit. However if Victory were aiming at a traditional dubbel (Westmalle, Lost and Found, etc.) then they missed the target like a cross-eyed archer with a bad hiccup.

pourshazy golden orange with a thick, quickly dissipating white head. aromas of spice, bubblegum, strawberry, raspberry, and peach. minimal lacing. flavor is spicy, heavy clove, light fruit, pleasant but not too apparent maltiness. lots of lemony goodness. lingering malty, sweet, spicy, citrusy aftertaste.