Victory Old Horizontal

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

This is truly the best barley wine I have tasted yet. It was smoother than Immort. I definitely need to get a some of this and age it. Good hop flavor and excellent fruit flavor that hides well in this brew. The alcohol was hidden well enough that a few of these in a row and you"d be in trouble. ;)

Every year this beer knocks me off my feet. I have yet to find a better Barleywine. Fruity, malty, hoppy, sweet...this beer has it all. I can't say enough about it.

UPDATE: last review wasn’t accurate. Got another batch. Pours a dark red-copper with thick, creamy head that lasts for minutes. Aroma is of alcohol, malt , caramel and hops. Full-bodied but smooth yet thick, very thick. Can taste malt and alcohol little hops. Very great stuff from a damn great brewery. When aged for a while, it gets even better. Well worth the money.

ReRate, Bottled in 2001: A fantastic barleywine in every way! Pours a deep dark reddish/brown with an off-white head. Beautiful aroma of cherries, dark fruit and a hint of alcohol. Taste is very sweet and malty with some spice. A significant amount of hops along with notes of caramel, dark fruits, honey, pipe tobacco, toasty malts, cherries and alcohol. Very complex, gets better as it gets warmer. Extremely well-balanced and the alcohol content is amazingly well-hidden. Slightly bitter aftertaste with a warming finish. Mouthfeel is full, round and creamy ; just glorious on the palate. Everything just comes together so beautifully with this brew. Perfect.

Perfect! The hops and fruity flavor danced around the cup on a thin layer of satin silky lingerie as the alcohol slapped me lightly across my face for lingering too long. Forgiven, my tongue was fully and utterly satiated and left longing as the single bottle purchased was drained of life… left lonely until I I dare secure another seductive and flawless brew.

Old Horizontal Barleywine pours to a beautiful, deep garnet color with a slight tan head, and a soft carbonation. The nose is just jam packed with aromas. Peppery waves of alcoholic strength marry with aromas of sweet malt, fresh bread, plum, toffee, and a nice back drop of piney hop aroma. The palate is hefty and lush on the tongue. Big flavors of sweet malt, fresh bread, toffee, and vanilla coat the tongue. Old Horizontal finishes with more big malty flavors up front, then ends with a long, soothing, warming burn. This is one of the most impressive barleywines on the market today, and it will continue to improve with age. Barleywine gets its name because it approaches the alcohol strength of wine, and Old Horizontal comes in at about 11-12% abv. This is the type of brew that you want to sip and savor, and it makes a perfect night cap. More suited for winter(it is released in December), but great anytime you want to relax and enjoy a soothing brew. Try one just before you go to bed while unwinding reading a book or watching a little television.

What hit me 1st with this beer were the extreme hops! If you like a hoppy beer, which I do. Then how the taste still lingered on the palate long after you finished. I don’t think Victory is capable of putting out a bad product. This beer certainly lives up to its reputation, too many of these ..... Unfortunately I only got to try one, and that one only left me wanting more.

A great beer! A beer that if taken lightly will def leave u horizontal.