Victory Old Horizontal

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

Ah, now here is great barleywine. Each flavor comes out individually, and then combines into a great complex taste. Spices, banana, hops, grapefruit, sour apple, orange, pine, alcohol burn... It’s all there in a big way. And the name is so fitting, this will lay you out if you’re not careful.

This beer is named appropiatly. The alcohol is noticable but not overwhelming. Aroma is a sweet, fruity nose. Taste is lightly malty and fruity sweet. This is a excellent Barley wine.

Wow! What a beer! True to its labeling, this beer pours very rich and luminous, not just from reflection off the glass, but from an inner vibration, doesn’t make much sense, but I know it was good. Flavorful, very flavorful...taste a little bit of everything in there, although still light in texture. A wonderful barleywine just in time for the cold weather.

Very rich and full flavor. The alcohol is well hidden considering that it is 11%. I don't have much experience with barley wines, but this is the best I have ever had without a doubt. Definitly a very full flavor, I usually drink something lighter to take a break after drinking this.

Bottle: cellared 1.5 yrs. Decants a reddish brown lightly gazed, small sticky cap leaves quickly. Aromas of musty citrus and toffee. After more than a year in cold cellaring the hops are not a sharp as a fresh sample but still have a solid citrus-peel presence but the vinous complexity of the malts and esters comes up...wonderful complexity that defies description as it changes every sip as the ale warms. One of the best micro barley wines....hoppy, complex,.heady without the alcoholic burn to the tongue.

I tried this on tap last night in Downingtown. The aroma is typical of barleywines, with hints of port wine, brown sugar, honey, and apple jacks. I drank it cold, not waiting fo it to warm, and found it to be representative of the style. The alcohol is definitely there, but the brew is smooth. I only had a 7 ounce sampler, but I imagine that a few pints of this would sneak up on you and knock you for a loop. A great barleywine.

12 oz. 2001 bottle: ooh, really nice smell. pours a beautiful deep ruby color, with some floating yeast sediment. smells of malt, fruit, (melon/apricot) and slight hops. a nice thick toffee head, that dissipated a swirly head residue. really smooth palate. nice fruity malty flavor. very little bitterness, and a mellow hop aftertaste.

I first tried this right out of the bottle and was disapointed. This needs to breathe for a while. Then its very fruity and sweet, almost too sweet to drink alot of. Would make a great desert beer or just lazing about beer. deep amber/red in color with a fluffy brown head that lasts.