Victory Old Horizontal

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

12 oz bottle, 2008 release. Deep mahogany colored pour with a smallish off-white head. Brown sugar maltiness and piney hop aroma. Flavors of sun-dried fruits and spicy hops. Medium mouthfeel. I was impressed with this, but I was expecting a little bit more. Probably better as it ages a bit. Will revisit this one in the future.

Trade from Tertons, thanks! 11% abv. Pours a seep brownish-red hue with light brown creamy head that fades quickly. Aroma is slightly floral and fruit with bits of caramel, earth and fruit. Taste is caramel, light fruit, and light citrus hops. This beer is amazingly smooth for the alcohol level. Only in the finish do you get a glimpse of the alcohol bite which goes up the nose to the effect of horseeadish. However, the beast is well balanced. It’s very smooth across the tongue but packs enough punch to be a true sipper. Excellnt!

Pours a clear, slightly darker brown with a thin creme head. Airy and fruity nose that is a bit uneventful really. I’m not really getting much off of it. Great flavor profile. Nice rounded sweet tones. Hearty edge. Feel is smooth. Nice level of carbonation and good liquid body. This is very drinkable now. 3 to 7 years of age would make this very interesting I am thinking.

Bottle. Ruby/amber pour with off-white diminishing head. Continuous cascade of tiny bubbles rise from the depths to form a slick of lace. Aromas of sweet malt, caramel, and a wiff of alcohol. Bitter on the initial taste, but not overpowering. More sweet caramel follows. Great balance. Medium/full mouthfeel, a bit chewy. Bitter, warming finish. Not as complex as some, but very good.

Pours deep reddish brown with a minimal light head that disappears quickly. Smell of caramel, yeast and alcohol. Strong barley wine. Nice balance. Strong malts up front, nice bitter after taste. Good classic barleywine, but had Old Numbskull last night, which was better.

Pours a dark orange color with a white head. Aroma of hops and alcohol. Tastes is of strong bitter hops with an alcohol burn/malty finish. Drinkable, but overrated.

Bottled. Lovely appearance in the proper glassware; very deep amber color with a thick sticky vanilla head and white lacing. Lots of spicy caramel notes in the aroma, with tons of brown sugar influence. Well-balanced flavors of orange citrus and grapefruit go well against the roasted toffee background, very soothing and smooth. Rich, complex malt profile slips underneath a robust bitterness at the end of each sip. Medium body. It has a touch of pungent wet cardboard, but I could see this one being damn fine with a few years of aging.

Poured from a 12oz bottle and served in a snifter. This barley wine poured a clear, beautiful ruby/amber hue with a thin head of tan bubbles that lasted throughout the entire glass, leaving a small amount of spotty lace. Was initally surprised by the clarity, but then noticed that all of the yeast was stuck to the bottom of the bottle. The aroma of the beer was made up of a mix of grapefruit and orange, along with rich caramel. The flavor included a very spicy citrus hop presence, mild caramel, and some warming alcohol. The mouthfeel was full-bodied with moderate carbonation. I had high hopes for this one, but it was just an average barley wine.