Victory Old Horizontal

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

Clear vermilion in hue and topped of a fluffy yellowish beige head, Old Horizontal is bright and enticing in the light. Fruity and sweet the nose balances hoppy grapefruit and banana esters. A slew of sugary sensations aromatically appear: cotton candy, bubble gum and honey give rise to a medley of blueberries, mandarin, apricot, pear, vanilla and tulips. On the palate a smooth syrupy texture suggests caramel and honey. The springy bitterness of pine resin and citrus reveal the hop profile, while blackberries and strawberries make up the resurgent fruit flavors. A burnt woodiness takes prominence with warming, particularly combined with walnuts and cloves. The smooth mouthfeel adeptly hides a substantial amount of alcohol, betrayed only by the warmth I felt in my stomach. Well made, but somehow comes across as emotionally sterile – not quite my style. (10/04/2007)

Pours a beautiful dark amber/rust color with a thin yellow head that diminishes quickly.. Delicious fruity nose with hints of spice. Just slides over your tongue like a honey cream. Goes down very smoothly with powerful fruit and spice tastes. Leaves with a slight hop finish and a warmth in the stomach that pronounces the 11% ABV which would go unnoticed by taste alone. Fantastic beer!

’05 Cellared: Dirty Sedona river water with small creamy head that vanishes quickly but leaves significant lacing along the side of the glass. The fragrance is cabernet and brown sugar and flavor starts sweet and ends with stinging alcohol and bitter hops. A good barley wine but I’d take an Old Numbskull over this any day!!!

Red amber with good, creamy tan head / Sweet, winey, grapey nose / Full, malty, sticky, body with sweet, hot finish / Flavors of grape, grapefruit, nuts, and butterscotch / Body a little one dimensional.

Dark red-brown, real thin head. Malty nose. Great fruit flavor on the tip of the tongue. Real nice sweetness. Decent amount of hoppiness too. A ton going on. Creamy texture and smooth finish. Drink by date of 12/11, hoppiness might level out with some aging. Still an awesome beer, complex and delicious.

Deep tawny red color,nice head retention, decent Lacing. Nose is all about the malt with some underlying Herbal hoppiness. Very understated flavor,lots of malt.

Dark amber, transparent pour with minimal head. Smells fruity with notes of cardboard and maybe Saaz hops... slightly bitter with the sweet. Nice carbonation, and well-balanced. Hoppy and slightly citrusy as well as expectedly malty. Again, nice slight bitterness on the finish.

Bottle. Pours a dark ruby red, with a medium-sized tan head. Some nice wet dripping lacing remains on the glass. Aroma is molasses, grapefruit, acidic hops, other spices. Interesting. Flavor-wise it’s pretty strong in character. In-season fruits, sweet molasses, brown sugar, grapefruit, mango, plum...nice caramel-like finish. A good tangy mouthfeel. Bitter finish, and easy drinking. Enjoyed this one a lot.