Victory Old Horizontal

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

On tap at Monk’s Cafe. 1998 Vintage. Poured a dark Mahogany color with a very small off white head. Malty aroma and tastes with dark fruits (plums). Very sweet (candi/brown sugar). Alcohol content very well hidden. Would make a nice after dinner sipping beer. I’m starting to enjoy Barley Wines (a style that is relatively new to me).

12 oz bottle-pours a tan, rich head. Color is a deep cloudy reddish-orange. A hoppy with citrus aroma. Taste is alcohol, then sweet-malty & hopscome through. Not to my taste.

Deep amber robe with a thin beige head. Bottle-conditioned with generous small sediments. Intense hop aroma, floral, piney as well as a sweet candy peaches presence. In mouth, it's pretty complex, possibly the most well done american barleywine I've had to date excluding the HOTD jewels. Great flavor balance with a complex layer of hops making for an obvious bitterness that is never too much. The malt profile is also there and very balancing lending this an outstanding silky medium body to bring up all those malt subtleties. Notes of pears, oranges, resin, alcohol(wouldn't guess above 10% though), honey, vanilla, pepper. Yep, that's one top notch barleywine, generous in all the senses of the term.

No#34. I think this may have been a few years old but i didnt see the bottle. Aroma is of a fullbodied woody barley wine. Taste is Seriously oaked, theres a good bit of sweetness too, however a dry finish. Paulines second fav beer from the tasting so thanks to whoever brought that one.

2002 This beer rocks. The aroma is malty and sticky sweet. Notes of black pepper and basement musty. There is a definite hop presence but, c’mon. Although it’s brewed by Victory with their hoppy, Left Coast leanings, this barley wine has to be all about the malt, right? This is a very dark, crystal clear amber beer. The head is medium-sized and off-white. Frothy head that is mostly diminishing with excellent lacing. The flavor? I was right.. Malt!! Sweet, sticky, thick Malt!! Malt, Malt, Malt!!!... and guess what! That’s just the flavor on the frontside. Hops galore disguise the huge malt presence on the backside. Warm alcohol throughout. Clover honey in there too. Full-bodied with a syrupy mouthfeel. Softly carbonated. A long, dry woodsy, bitter finish with a burst of clover at the wee end of the finish. Excellent barleywine!

11/98 vintage sampled on 12/10/05 (7,4,7,4,14): I never thought I’d get to try this old of a vintage of this, but thanks to kp I was wrong. Pours a lightly hazy dark copper with a thin-lacing white head. Semi-sweet oxidized toffee aroma still has some mild hoppiness. Body starts sweet and caramely with some nice dark fruity notes and complexity and good viscosity. This has held up pretty well, but has definitely past its prime.

New vintage bottled on 12/14/04, sampled on 6/28/05: This is still one of the most balanced and flavorful barleywines I’ve ever had. After aging just over half a year, the hops still have a good piney presence in the aroma and nice bitterness in the body. Malt is nicely caramely sweet and hides the alcohol better than most barleywines do.

Rerate 12/21/04: Same vintage, aged two years: Butterscotch is more prevalent in the aroma with more caramel dark fruity complexity. Hops are still slightly noticeable. Still very balanced and enjoyable. This has aged very well. An awesome barleywine!

Rerate 12/8/03: Same vintage as earlier. The hops have seems to mellow down in the aroma giving way to more sweet caramel malt and some oatmeal. Palate seems to have lost a little of its smoothness as the carbonation has become stronger. Body still has a nice sweetness and the hop flavor is still in force. I think the fresher, the better with this barleywine. Although, even after a year it’s still delicious.

6/2/03: (bottled on Dec 04 02) Huge hop bouquet upon pouring. Color is dark copper with a thin covering of cream-colored head. Floral hop aroma is complemented with hints of caramel malt and candi sugar. Body is so remarkably viscous, smooth, and full with the softest velvety touch, that I’d like to rate the palate a 6. Flavors consist of a sweet and bitter onslaught of the senses. There are enough hops that this could be mistaken as a double IPA. Wonderful balance between the sweet almost chocolatey caramel malt and the floral and bitter, yet not overpowering, northwest hops. There is even a soft red apple fruitiness. Did I mention that my brain sensed the alcohol before my taste buds? Finish is the culmination of sweet and bitter in just the right amounts with dry, woody attributes. This is by far the best barleywine I’ve had! I’m so glad I bought a six pack of this. Expect re-rates about once a year.

clear red-amber colour, the fine foam quickly disappears, tons of hops in the nose, grapefruit, some apricot and cheese, oily and full-bodied, explosive bitterness and a very long bitter finish with more apricot and floral notes - very strong character for a unique beer - thanks to Clarkvv for this one !

Very big, chewy, malty little brew, with a crapload of sharp aromatic hops. Thick raisiny, spicy flavourful barleywine. Theres no shortage of flavour or ingredients here, and really is a meal in itself. I’m not often a fan of barley wines, but this has won me round.