Victory Old Horizontal

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

Damn happy I finally got to sample this fantastic Barley Wine during a recent visit to NJ. What a treat!! Pours a deep mahogany/burgundy color with a slight haziness. Produces a thin, wispy off-white head. Deeply rich aromas of dark dried fruits (fig, raisin, prune) along with some dark rum, molasses, spice, dark caramel and orange peel with just the faintest hint of hops. Palate is medium bodied, but has a smooth sryupy texture with minimal carbonation. Flavor is predominantly fruity sweet but short of cloying. Reminiscent of rum or brandy soaked fruit cake topped with toffee candies, buckwheat honey, vanilla and a sprinkle of dried orange peel and hops. 11% alcohol amps up the flavors nicely, but not hot or obtrusive in anyway. For a big English style BW this one goes down fairly easy and smoothly. Simply said, just a classic.

Wow. This is a great beer, probably my favorite from Victory, which is saying a lot. Coppery, golden body--vinous with and extremely soft nose. Citrusy, cidery aroma. Apple cider malt flavor, notes of oranges. Spicy body. Some sweetness, perhaps a touch of smoke. As perfectly balanced as you could ever ask for in such a big beer. Strong sweet sugary finish. Very drinkable. Only complaint is the seemingly burnt/ sugary aftertaste as it warms. Lost my battle of the barleywine taste-off vs. Third Coast Old Ale as I didn't find the malt to be as complex, but this beer is probably better balanced which made it a close call.

Awesome barleywine. Full aromas of malt, fruits and alcohol. Warming. Excellent balance between the huge malt body, prolific hops and ever present alcohol. One of the best commercial examples of a barleywine.

Dark almost opaque ruby color with a small tan head. Aroma of dark fruits with a little hops. Flavor of dark fruits, heavy malt and a little chocolate and hops.

The perfect beer to halt the progress of doing my taxes! Clear ruby/caramel/amber with a moderate beige head. Aroma full of caramel and malt (biscuit)with light hops in the background. Alcohol evident but not strong. Wonderful sipping flavor - malty sweetness with caramel lushness. Well balanced by hop bitterness. Creamy at first with a full, thick mouthfeel. Moderate carbonation. Coats the mouth and leaves a lasting flavor of caramel and hops. What taxes!

Nice clear reddish tint with malty aroma. Sweet flavor with a mild hop balance. Nice mouthfeel with a presence of fruity esters. Good dry finish. I felt nice and cozy after finishing this one.

Damn good stuff. The oh-so-seductive part is very true. Old Horizontal had me from first sip.

deep mohagany in color small white head, a rich aroma had a mix of sherry notes, hops and some sweet malts. Initianl flavor had A mild fruit note with some sweet caramel notes a nicly hopped finish complememnted its warming alcohol presecnce.