Victory Moonglow Weizenbock

Brewed by Victory Brewing Company
Style: Weizen Bock
Downingtown, Pennsylvania USA

Bottle. Pours a slightly amber body with a huge frothy biege head, which left a thin ring throughout.Great fruity, spicy and bananna aroma. Very similar carbonated body with a nice spicy aftertaste. Really nice bitter hoppy finish. Really getting to start liking this style. Another great beer from Victory Brewing.

Big thanks to Zathrus13 for throwing this one in as an extra many moons ago. I could barely get this one to the glass as the foam gushed out the top. It pours is a cloudy brown with orange hints, kinda like a cloudy tea, with a huge off-white head that leaves generous lacing and sticks around for the duration. Tons of big chunks floating around that end up gathering together at the bottom of the glass. The aroma is excellent and dominated by the sweet bananas, other over-ripe sweet fruits and plenty of caramel and vanilla. The spices weren’t too noticeable in the nose for me - maybe some light pepper notes. The taste isn’t quite as impressive but still pretty damn good. The initial taste is of some lighter apples and pears and the taste has lest banana-like flavors than I was expecting from the nose. The yeast and caramel malt form a big backbone with the spices finally showing up in the finish, mostly pepper and maybe some cloves. The mouthfeel doesn’t seem quite full enough to carry the complexity of the flavors. It’s got tons of carbonation, maybe too much, and the body comes across as a little watery. Despite the slight ding on mouthfeel, this is an excellent weizenbock - one of the best I’ve had. The aroma is world class for me and a bit thicker mouthfeel might have this one in the same league as Aventinus. As it is, it’s a notch below which ain’t too shabby.

Thanks must be given once more to my older sister who lives up in the northeast, Delaware to be exact, where the Victory flows freely and bottles are just one liquor store away. Heck, they may even be in some grocery stores, but I can only speculate. They brew one of the best traditional pilsners this side of Plzen, Czech; Victory Prima Pils. Today though, I am delighted to try another offering, the Moonglow Weizenbock. I am a huge fan of weizen bocks, so it would seem that the stars are shining in my favor today. Now, this is a weizen bock versus a weizen doppelbock, so while I expect a lot of the traditional aromas and flavors, they should lack some of the intensity of their bigger brothers.

Cloudy burnt maple syrup with a scattering of suspended chunks. A huge khaki hat adorns her body, though she does deflate into a more subtle blanket after being allowed to rest for a few minutes. No amount of foam though could hold back her impatient nose which is scrambling to appease my critical senses. Rich bananas and banana bread of the darker variety, pumpernickel and rye, with an interesting follow-up addition of whoppers, aka malt balls. Brown sugar and cinnamon sticks offer the perfect spice accompaniment while she shows a fruitier side with soft, suckling notes of peaches, mango, and plantains. Her finish is a warming rush of rum, wood, vanilla, and oak while more bananas come out to play. Very supple indeed, my first quaff is as satisfying as her nose promised. Ripe, soft bananas and banana bread drizzled with maple syrup while cinnamon sticks and candied pecans accompany her on the side. Her dry spices like to rest squarely on top of my tongue while rum, raisins, and prunes go for the finish. Her palate is a bit dryer than I was expecting, making for a very clean quaff each time that is only highlighted by the addition of wood notes and vanilla bean. Her fruitier side is much more subdued in the palate, showing up every now and then as a whisper of an undercurrent. Overall, her flavor points are spot on, and she isn’t too heavy, otherwise then she would be bordering on a doppelbock. As my final quaff lingers with spice, wood, maple, and banana bread dotted with pecans, I am left with two conclusions. In terms of style, she is expertly executed. In terms of personal taste, I think I enjoy the heartier, more complex weizen doppelbocks better.

The Moonglow Weizenbock from Victory Brewing was good, not great but good. Definitely a more sessionable brew then her bigger brothers. If you are looking for all the flavor without the extra added weight and complexity, then the Moonglow is all you need to bring a smile to your lips and a happy gurgle to your belly.

11/08/2007: Victory Moonglow Weizen Bock looks thick! It is a cloudy caramel/golden orange color with a big, foamy ivory-colored head that has a reserve cascading effect after the initial pour and then lasts for the entire session. It also creates thick foamy lacing throughout. There is active carbonation, but due to the medium-full body of this beer, it still feels slightly chewy in the mouth. Strong banana, caramelized malts, and clove spice are present in the aroma. The strong flavor has caramel malts, wheat, and some alcohol that cuts through at times. This is a very good weizen bock!

12 fl. oz. bottle (Enjoy by: Aug 29 08) shared by. Rating # for this beer.

This is my second beer from Victory. I was amazed by this beer as well. Great flavor! Kind of sweet but with a afterbite. The alcohol is well hidden for the amount.

Dark really cloudy pour. A bit thick. Aroma is some spice and caramel and brown sugar sweetness. Flavor is pretty good. Heavy body and rich spices. A bit too much for me on the spice.

Thanks ogglethorp. Pours a murky orange with a large off-white head. My glass has a bit of trouble containing it. Nice lace. Aroma has clove followed by caramel, quickly fading. Flavor initially erupts in a really nice clove-alcohol-orange burst, the back end is less pleasant, a bit cloying, and the wheat gets husky. Warm and effervescent on the palate. Medium to full bodied.

Pours a very cloudy orange with a thick foam head. Aroma is very fruity, much more on the dark fruit (plums) along with apples and oranges, than the bananas of a lighter weizen, with the usual spicy aromas of a good German hefe as well. Flavor starts out sweet, on plums again, then turns brighter and a bit citrusy. Palate is overcarbonated, bordering on harsh; it really detracts from the flavor. However, this is still a very nice brew, and one that I would drink a lot of if I could get it locally.