Victory Old Horizontal

Brewed by Victory Brewing Company
Style: Barley Wine
Downingtown, Pennsylvania USA

As the last rater said...not bad...actually, pretty good. This poured a deep brown with a nice head and an awesome hoppy aroma. There was a very nice mix of hops and malt that just really played out well. The alcohol is really tough to detect even at 10.5%. This was a really well done beer, good job to the guys at Victory.

Not bad.Pours a reddish tint with a good head.Good hoppy nose. Rather sweet with a good deal of caramel and malt as well as a fruity appeal. Finishes with an alcohol burn. Id buy it again

pours ruby with a big, eggshell head. Aroma is almost indescribable. Big, malty, sweet, spicey, hoppy. Flavor is sweet and hoppy. Balanced, subtle, and deceptively drinkable. No trace of the 11%. Wonderful brew.

Pours a dark mahogany color with a bit of a beige head. Smells of bready caramel and a hint of dark fruit. The taste is originally caramel and very malty. The alcohol then comes in and balances out the maltyness. There is a slight hint of fruit, but it is not substantial. A caramelized malt taste in the finish raps this one up. The mouthfeel is rather hefty and syrupy but not unpleasant. Carbonation is done well. This is definitely a sipper. I couldn’t put this one down too quickly, which is a good thing. The 11% is hidden rather well and took me by surprise about half way through since I was so eager to finish the glass. Another excellent Victory brew. Reviewed on: 04-15-2007

12oz bottle. Pours a slightly hazy, deep brownish red with a rather thick and long-lasting light brown head. There is a good bit of sediment in the bottle that, upon sneaking into the glass, appears quite chunky - clods of dirt floating around. The aroma is viscous and vinous with thick sticky malts, caramel, spices (peppery phenols), and dark fruit. The flavor starts bittersweet with lots of tangy, caramelly, fruity malts and a zip of spicy hops. A rather pungent and earthy hop bitterness wraps itself around the sides of the tongue and all over the back of the tongue, accentuating the spicy perception. A subtle sting from carbonation along with warming ethanol further enhance the perception. At mid-palate, the strong and sweet malts blend excellently with fruity esters and a firm, clean hop bitterness to give impressions of bitter fruit dipped in dark chocolate. The beer finishes somewhat dry with a spicy, sticky-toffee-sweet malt aftertaste. The mouthfeel is surprisingly smooth. The presence of ethanol and crisp carbonation is quite noticeable across the tongue, but combines with the full body to form creamy and slippery waves of sudsy brew. Overall - a fine barleywine - very strong and malty but well-balanced, too.

courtesy of mcbackus. very malty and sweet. very little hop aroma. smells salty like soy sauce as it warms. definite alcohol in the nose. beautiful light caramel color. starts bitter with malt balance. lacks fruitiness and complexity. not a great barley wine.

Bottle. Poured a hazy brownish color with a one finger whitish head. Aroma of caramel and some power hop notes. Flavor was well balanced, with a malty beginning and a hoppy finish. Good beer.

My very first barleywine was from Flying Dog and at the time I didn’t even realize what it was, much less what a barleywine was. That was then and this is now, and whenever possible, I seek out barleywines. They are often higher in the ABV and best savored in a goblet or chalice glass of sorts so as to breathe and acclimate just a bit to room temperature. They can also age well and are a treat both fresh and after a few years. After having experienced the wonder that was the Old Horizontal from Victory Brewing, I have no doubts that she can be savored both fresh and with a few years of wisdom under her cap.
Old Horizontal poured a thick cloudy brown with small hints of dark earth and burnt amber. A huge head of dark tan foam tops off my glass and almost flows over the sides. As she seeks refuge in her brew below, thin trails of brussels lace remain. Each swirl of my glass produces a soft head and produces a ripe nose of apples and apricot, lemon, nutty malts and a hint of sweet caramelized sugars with a flourish of warm spices. With such an impressive nose, I am even more eager to taste. Her body is thick, creamy and soft, with a hint of bubbly effervescence. A soft entrance to mask the onslaught of barleywine warmth and explosion of flavors lurking behind. Chewy, sweet and heavy with malts and caramelized sugars. Hints of spiced apples and ripe apricots which tingle on the top of my tongue. Her finish is clean and sweet with a growing aura of warmth. An alcohol warmth lingers during all of my dreamy quaffs, drawing out the spices and sweet malt profile while adding an extra kick to the lemon citric finish. Unfortunately, before I know it my glass is empty and I am left wanting more.
Old Horizontal from Victory Brewing is perfectly balanced with just enough warmth and bitter nip in the finish to balance our her sweet and dark malty profile. While I enjoy a more hoppy and hot barleywine just as much, there was something special about Old Horizontal which left me wanting another. If I had regular access, she would be a staple in my fridge.