Victory Abbey 8

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

On tap at Union Jack’s Victory Night for Philly beer week. Poured dark ruby body with amber highlights with a half inch of off-white head, a really beautiful beer. Aroma was dates, raisin, subtle candi sugar, citrus, slightly like port, caramel and toffee malt, with an obvious fruity ester yeast. Very reminiscent of their alt besides the predominant sweetness and yeast differential. Flavor was maple, licorice, honey, candi sugar, raisin, woody, but not distinct flavors but rather one continuous spectrum. Very nice. Palate was also full bodied, smooth, and highly satisfying for a non-belgian abbey beer. I was surprised by this excellent beer.

Pours a mostly clear deep copper (not amber at all - doesn’t look like a dubbel) and a thin lasting head. Aroma is on the fruity side with a nice pungent sharp toasty malts, bready and syrupy sweet with a good Belgian character- phenolic and tropical fruity esters. Flavor is candi sugar sweet, nutty, light caramel, some toast, phenolic, grassy, and tropical mango hints. Fairly smooth with a nice sharp finish. Good stuff, but doesn’t even remind me of a Belgian dubbel.

[Draft at EB&B] Poured a lightly hazy, red amber color with a medium sized, off white head that left nice lacing on the glass. Aroma of caramel malts, cloves, light banana, spices, and dark fruits. Taste of caramel, light cinnamon, cloves, dried fruits, rock sugar, and a medium sweet finish, with light alcohol.

On tap at the Craft Ale House. Poured a deeper golden/amberish color with a smaller sized off whtie head. Aromas of fruitness, bready, and some spiciness. Tastes of the same fruitiness, bready, lighter spices, and some candi sugar sweetness. Lively body.

On tap at Victory. Pours a translucent amber with golden notes and a medium creamy off white head. Aroma was doughy, yeast, Belgian esters, spicy notes and some dark fruits. Flavor along the same lines. Getting some toffee and light nuts. Same light dark fruits, bready and Belgian yeast esters. Dark candy sugar present in flavor. Kind of has that very "filtered Belgian Ale" thing going on. A very solid beer and bottle conditioning could do some interesting things to this beer.

Draft at Barcade. Pours a golden orange body with an off white head. Floral sweet with hints of apples and caramel. Chewy moderately sharp co2, light bubble gum and banana’s. Good brew.

Tap at Studio Square’s Craft Beer Week Fest 2009: Deep bronze with some clarity and a tan film of head that retains well. Dry spicy dark Belgian malt aroma with dry phenols over a fruity presence of mild dates and cocoa. Some spicy noble hops are noted as well. Fluffy crisp body with a dry flavor. Dry Belgian dark malts give off a soft dark fruit presence followed by lots of spicy phenols and a solid noble hop bitterness. A nice interpretation of the style. Not overly sweet like many U.S. attempts.

Served on tap at Ginger Man NYC. Pours a golden amber body with an modest off-white head. Aroma of fruits, malts and yeast. Sweet flavor, hints of malt, caramel and spices. Full-bodied and smooth. An enjoyable session beer, but not for those who enjoy "extreme" beers.