Victory Old Horizontal

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

Excellent, but perhaps a little young. Dark amber pour with a fruity malt nose and a dash of hops. More hops than I expected in the flavor department; still, nice, lightly spicy character and fairly well balanced for such a strong beer. Very nice.

(Bottle) Pours a rich mahogany color with a slight effervescent white head. Aroma of biscuit and sweet molasses. Taste includes hints of brown sugar, plum, and some citrus. Rather bitter finish, with plenty of malt to balance. The alcoholic warming is there, but is pretty smooth. A very good example of the style.

"Victory Old Horizontal is one massive beer. Not what I expected at all for this style. Very subtle fruitiness, and more hoppy than I expected. The taste here is big and the mouthfeel is very heavy. I got plenty of caramel in the nose and flavor, and you can sense the alcohol--especially once it warms up. The alcohol plays well in the flavor of this one somehow though. Can’t wait to get into the rest of this batch."

Very cloudy/hazy light reddish brown. Small head goes away quickly. Sweet malt aroma...honey and banana. Big hop bite in the taste. A little bit of fruit. Tasty, but not as complex as I expected. Alcohol comes on strong at the finish. A bit thin. Worth trying, b ut seems a bit overated compared to other barleywines.

clear brown flat pour. no head, barely any lacing. taste is a little bit hop and a little bit floral with malts. A bit of a letdown for me.

pours a red-amber, medium off white head, nice lace. nose of dried fruit, sweet malt and floral hops. flavor is sweet malt. with floral hop and fruity notes. the alcohol is well hidden. medium body, bitter finish. a tasty beer sampled at a LoSBD tasting. i think cornfield provided the sample.

(Bottle (best by 11/15/12) from Julio’s Liquors, cellared for 1 yr. after purchase) Pours somewhat cloudy dark reddish amber with about a finger of lightly yellowish off-white head that recedes to mostly just a very thin layer. Aroma of sugary rock candy, pine and grapefruit. Mouthfeel is full, smooth and sticky. Fine light sheets of lacing that melt way quickly along with a syrupy film. Flavor of rock candy malt sweetness, perhaps a hint of caramel. Pine and grapefruit overlay and a lightly piney bitterness builds and provides a nice crisp bite in the finish. Warming ABV presence does not overpower but is lightly felt in the nasal passages. Not overly complex but a fine barleywine nonetheless.

Poured a deep amber with a large fluffly off-white head. Nose is alcohol and citrusy hops. Taste is rich malt and alcohol with a touch of raspberry and citrus. The hop bite rears itself towards the end. Good mouthfeel. An awfully nice barleywine, especially for the price.