Victory Grand Cru

Formerly brewed at Victory Brewing Company
Style: Belgian Strong Ale
Downingtown, Pennsylvania USA

2003: Slightly hazy orange amber hue with big creamy off-white head and very good lace. The aroma hints of grapefruit, apple, tangerine, banana, sweet spices, floral, and dusty yeast esters. The taste starts with large dose of Belgian sweetness with an yeasty tone. Good undertone of both sweet and caramel malts and finishes with a spicy and twangy grapefruit notes. The mouthfeel is quite lively and crisp for the style, a tad thin. Alcohol is only slightly noticeable, more towards warming well after finish of the drink. Overall, more than a solid effort, worthy of a try. Happy anniversary to me at RateBeer.

Bottle pours hazy caramel with a large fizzy off-white head.   Large amounts of carbonation can be observed.   Spices, Belgian candi sugar, yeast, and citrusy aromas.   I also get heavy floral aroma, as well as a light alcohol.   Taste confirms the aroma, distinct belgian yeast/sugar flavor, citrusy, flowery, and also a slight alcohol tinge.   Not has smooth as some others I've had, a slight biting mid-way through.   Finishes with a floral/alcohol aftertaste... while not bad its not as complex as I would have liked.   Definitely a great beer, but could stand to be smoother on the palate.   Thankes goes out to austinpowers for the trade.

Pop!" goes the cork, as I embark on my tasting of this bottle that I've unprecedentedly saved for several months. Normally my curiousity, and obsession, doesn't allow for waits of such length, and now we see if this bottle is worth the fuss. Pours a gorgeous nectarine shade, a bit apricotty, near, even, to peachish, with a fine white head, though it simmers down too swiftly. Aroma: sweet, though subtly so, and terrifically rounded. a great conflagration of fruitiness, like canned preserves in a beer, it is. Heavenly. Nicely hopped, tasty as you like it! Taste: Fierce hops, brazen and buzzing, teasing the tongue with fruity divinity. Rich and wondrous, utterly wonderful. This one's only 5 1/2 months old, (bottled on 5-15-03, says the label ), and who knows what time could do for it, but i'm no miser, and I've only got the one bottle, and who knows if I'll ever see another, so a'drinking I will go, me laddy! Bright, bold, and unrelenting in fruity flavors, very persistent, resilient, and effervescent in the finest extreme. Seriously, a beer to make you feel the world a better place than it actually is, one to slip back, luxuriate in, soak in the pleasure and forget all of your sins... Oh! Did I mention that I liked it? Tart at times, too, but still, the never-ever-ending glorious flavor is something to praise, and praise it, I do. Damn, I' m only halfway through this 750ml bottle, and I've got more praising to do, apparently. Or, I could shut my yap and let it wash over me, luxuriantly...that's what this brew is best at, it seems. And bludgeoning, too, as I recall, for the effect is taking, now..damn, I'm knocked out! Tasty, fruity, but, oh, so, stong! Wowz, this is a MackDaddy, DongDiddly, DooBoppity...motherfurger of a fandiddilitasticly gorgeous and powerful beer. Rich and tasty, glowing with orangey, citric flavors, a perfect autumnal brew, Thick, rich mouthfeel, Great acheivement, Victory!

Beautiful orange-amber in colour. Aroma of oranges, lemon, quite floral, yeast and some alcohol. Flavour was floral with lots of oranges, yeast, slight sourness, alcohol and some malt. Finishes with an alcohol warmth, smooth. Thanks for the bottle Steve.

The beer as it evacuates the 750ml bottle pours a luminous orange color, the head preposterous in size, frothy in texture and a toothsome light tan in color, the lace a glutinous and thick sheet to smother the glass. The aroma of fusel alcohol greets you along with ripe pineapple, sweet malt and a slight acidic crispness at the back, start is ambrosial, thick in malt, top is moderate to full in its feel to the palate. Finish is prickly in its acidity, the hops dynamic in their spicy presence, and a sure fire belly warmer, and a fine drinking beer, another winner from Victory, but that’s nothing new is it?

Bottled 5-15-03.Nice try guys.One of my favorite brewers too.Aroma of musty yeast(earwax,sweaty asscrack ect.)malts,hops,some oxidation.Pours out a slightly hazy dark honey orange/huge frothy head/weak lace.Flavor of a beer that didn't age well.Kinda sour.Thin bodied w/ a tease of the proper spritz a good Belgian should have.I wish I enjoyed this but I didn't.Wish I had someone to share it with(theres always the drain which I really don't believe in but this is really hard to drink.9% is hidden well but I was drinking this for a good taste,good buzz second.

Medium brown color. Small white head. Aroma is fruity, spicy and sweet. A medium to full bodied Belgian Strong Ale. Malts are nutty, fruity and sweet. There is also a definite Belgian funkiness to this one as well. Very smooth taste. Hides the 9% alcohol fairly well, its there but you don’t care. Mouthfeel is full and round. Finish is clean and smooth. Aftertaste is slightly bitter.

Nice glowing dark orange color with a thin layer of head. Palate has a nice grassy crispness to it, in tune with a good hop profile bite at the end. Aroma is is distinctly belgian and strong. Quite a bit of sweetness with a small bit of spice hiding behind it in the aroma. The flavor is warming while the sweetness is still present, some sweet citrus orange in there as well. After it warmed up, the bite was much less noticable, and this was much nicer to down.