Victory Old Horizontal

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

bottle. pours a nice red with a light golden hugh. large fluffy off white head. lots of puffy gobs of lacing stuck to the sides of the glass. aroma is malty and hoppy. taste is mellow. subtle caramel, malt and a sweet fruityness. this is a delicious beer and one that i will drink often. i must do a side by side with anchor old foghorn.

Rerate of a Jan 2001 bottle consumed May 2006. Wow, this entire time I thought it was another 2004. Wow though. Poured the same body, maybe a few more floaties. Nose was just divine though. The grapefruity aroma was still there, but almost brought out a vanillalike (perhaps an evolution of the citrus?) nose. I wanted to fall in the glass. The smooth caramel malts were there too. The flavor was the same, and at 11% was DANGEROUSLY drinkable. Best balance I’ve seen for a BW. The hops were there, and very tasty, but not overbearing. Same deal with the malts. Huge flavor profile yet very drinkable. A treat I may never again experience, especially since it looks like the newer vintages suck compared to the older ones. I have never had a new one.. Bottled Dec 14, 2004. Orangish brown body with a small head. Huge, rich hoppy aroma. Pine, grapefruit, citrus, it’s all here. Also notes of caramel as well. Flavor is the same, huge and complex. I think my favorite American Style Barley Wine to date. Reminded me of a better version of Avery. 8/4/8/4/17

12oz bottle bottled Jan 11 05 - obtained in a trade with Jonathan3584. Thanks Jonathan - Pours a lovely deep ruby with a nice thick tan head that laces the side of the snifter in a grand way. Aroma is of sweet ripe cherry, caramel malts, citrus hops. Aroma is quite sweet but pleasant. Flavor is robust and malty. Crystal and caramel malts come through as well as some cherry and grapefruit hops also some spices occasionally find their way through the sweetness. On the palate this is amazing,, It feels so good in the mouth that I found myself letting it sit on my tongue for a minute at a time before swallowing. Coats the inside of the mouth and is oh so smooth and balanced. There is absolutely no sign of the 11% alcohol in this one. It is easy to see why Old Ho stays in the top 50. Great Barleywine!

Bottled. Light-brown diminishing head, little lace, some tears. Clear copper pour. Heavy, sweet malt aroma, resin notes, toffee, alcohol, raisins. Full, slightly sticky mouthfeel, pleasantly carbonated, hop bitter finish. Flavor was long, heavy, and malty. An example of an American Barley Wine lifted straight from the style guidelines themselves!

Wow! Very strong and tastes that way. Huge malt flavor! Could use more hops, but still a great beer.

Bottle - rating No. 1000 for this beer! Have been sitting on this sucker for a while now, though it’s still from the most recent batch. Lots and lots of clumpy yeast floating around at the bottom of the bottle. Huge, thickly malty aroma, prominent alcohol with raisins and black currants, doughy caramel and subtle yeast, floral tones and a strong, piney burst of PNW hops. Sugary though, barely dives under the cloying mark. Pours a gorgeous, luminescent ruby red with a rocky tanned head. Taste is strongly bitter but not bracing, accompanied by gradual warmth and light sweetness (all of which disappears by the end, in an orgy of bready, saliva-inducing dryness). Loads of malt, dark and caramel-rich, with subtle wooden tones but not dirty or earthy; no, this is both clean and complex. Hop presence is strong but not abusive (as in some (I)IPAs), adding a lot of heft and power to an already full body and robust flavor. Pine needles and dates in with the everpresent floral hop oils. Yeast backs off considerably but catches an occasional nook in the teeth during the finish. Malt is thick and seductive and smooth, and there’s a sense of complimentary blending here that is often lost in other barleywines - a true Gestalt. I’d have guessed the abv at closer to 8%. Superb, superb brew - classy, slow-drinking sipper that wants to go much faster! and not overrated in the least.

One of America’s great Barleywines; how lucky we are that it is cheap and easy to come by!

This beer came in a tulip glass that looked like an orb of dark glowing cherries with a dark tan head that left some slight lace. Smelled of dark fruits, brandy, caramel and a little touch of pineapple and cedar. The taste floored me! I took a sip and just sat back for the ride. Tasted of thick burnt caramel and thick dark prunes and plumbs. There was also spicy yeast mixed with cloves and other spices. The flavors went by so fast, it was hard to pin them all down. Around the edge of my tongue, there were dry hop bubbles that swirled around that didn’t interfere with the flavor, but complemented it nicely. The finish was dynamic too! Faded from all of this, to chocolate, and then to cherries and left me with a nice warming. Fantastic! Mouth feel was a few shades shy of chewy, so it was still very drinkable.

I am confused with this beer. I had a case of it in February and it was delicious, nice balanced malt with lot of Hoppiness. Then I bought a case in September of this year and I don’t know if I’m crazy or the aging process effected it alot, but the hops were at a minimum and it was just a very malty and average strong beer. Earlier this year I rate it a 4.5, now I rate it 3.7. Leaving us with my current ratng.