Victory Old Horizontal

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.

Delicious bottle of beer! Pours a cloudy reddish brown color with a nice frothy of white head that diminishes pretty quickly. Aroma of apple cider, caramel, malt and some nice juicy hop notes. Flavor is very well integrated with sweet malt, fruitiness, spicy hops and caramel. Very good beer. Bells third coast is better, but not by a whole lot.

Bottled Dec 03,2004 Pours a very nice dark amber color with some carbonation and a small head, nice lacing afterwards. Scents of malts, sweet fruits, tarty fruits as well. Very nice taste, sweet, but with little bite at the end. The alcohol is hidden very very well. Medium body. So far this is the best barleywine I’ve had, because of the very well hidden alcohol content be careful, you will be looking up at the MOON in a horizontal position, LOL

2007 bottle. Cloudy, reddish orange body that lightly sparkles is topped with a thin, yellow-orange head that becomes a ring and does not lace. Mouth is fullish with light, foamy carbonation for a semi-dry finish. Malty flavor of dark, fermented fruit, pure sugar, cotton candy, roasted caramel malts, and lots of woody, piney hops for a bitter-sweet, dry, and earthy finish. Mild aroma of caramel, blush wine and musk.

I was floored by this. It’s been in and out of my fridge from roommates and visitors but never sat down and tried it till tonight. Bottle from Lone Hill. The aroma is very full, caramelized, roasty. The flavors, though, shapeshift and dance like it’s three beers at once! Melon, butter, dark raisins, wood, smoke, age and goodness. Man, what a complex, delightful, smooth-drinking beer.

Aroma is of dark spice and alcohol. It’s appearance is a dark reddish brown, with a thin off white collar. It’s flavor is spiced, with some dark fruits likely raisins, and definitely alcohol. It’s a great sipper for a cold night or a great nightcap, a bit full from drinking, but good smoothness for a monster beverage.