Victory Old Horizontal

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

Wow! Pour is a deep ruby red, thin head and very low carbonation. Aroma is monsterous - hops, malts, fruit, and alcohol are all present in bunches. Flavor is just as big as the aroma, starts sweet and malty, middle is very citric and flowery, ends with a nice oily hop pine-ish and lingering flavor. Alcohol is definately noticeable, but I think it adds to the deepness of the flavor and mouthfeel. How they pack that much into a little 12 ounce bottle amazes me.

This is my favorite of this style. Deep amber, sweet malty. Enough hops to satisfy. DELICIOUS! Victory does it again!

bottled jan 01. Deep dark red burgundy color with a very small but everlasting head. The aroma is maybe typical of the type but a massive hop smell hits you. Taste is very hoppy, with some fruity tones, mainly soft banana blended with some spices, hints of peaches. Finish is bitter and right in your face. This is one mammoth of a brew, and I might add that I´m maybe underrating him a bit. I´ve got several other bottles stashed away so I will re-rate .. simply awesome!

Beautiful dark ruby colour. Managed to get a bit of a head going, but predictably it quickly went its way, for the most part. The aroma is brilliant. Not as big as I expected, but really thick with malt sweetness. Also hops that freshen up the aroma and bring it to a higher level. First sip reveals a flavour-bomb. This is mind blowing. Entry is thick and malty, not as fruity as the aroma (though banana can be found on both fronts). Then, the hops slowly reveal their presence. Not hoppy as I had imagined from reading the descriptions, no, the bitterness is masked by the huge malt. They still give the beer amazing freshness, considering how heavy and full it is. Some citrus as the hops start to take over, sliding towards piney freshness as it ends in a remarkably sweet, yet fresh and assertive aftertaste that lasts practically forever. I can't bring myself to give it full marks on Overall Impression, I still think a beer will come along that will be even better, but this is one of the best I've had.

An incredible example of a barleywine. Spot on for style with all the expected aromas and flavors, including bubblegum, raisin, caramel, and more. Packs a punch with little discernible alcohol burn, and nicely warming on a chilly night. I can only find fault in the palate which seems to me a little thinner than other barley wines I’ve had. And it’s expensive--17 bucks at my store. But well worth it.

Woa...this smells solid! Kinda like a clementine orange. Very tangy. Tastes very fruity (citrusy). Floral hop aftertaste that’s remeniscent of when I used to eat orange peels. "Up with the V..."

WOW! What an enjoyable barleywine. Strong yet suttely distinct taste. The alcohol radiates from this ale... very potent! I would definatly love to spend another evening with Old Horizontal!

Bottled Feb. 4, 2005. Pour was an eerie, cloudy shade of orangish-amber with a tall and creamy beige head. Looked quite nice as the head was about as tall as the liquid.. and it filled my large snifter to capacity. Extra-fine sediment suspended in there, and intricate lacing followed the liquid down. Nose picked up adult Christmas candy (move over eggnog)... deep and seductive caramel and molasses sweetness, holiday spices, citrus and darker fruits, and a wonderful floral hop presence... and albeit not explicit, you know there’s a solid dose of alcohol lurking beneath your nose. Somehow, the magnificent interplay of flavors outshined the aroma. I don’t know how it happened, but damn was this good! Sugarplums, oranges, and grapefruit in there tasted like they were personally squeezed/stomped by a magical beer elf just for me. Caramel and molasses provided a fantastic medium backbone, with just the right amount of sweetness. Noble hoppage gave the brew a perfect floral/earthy quality, and was present from first whiff through four minutes after the finish. Alcohol was there, but only to give the flavor some extra zest, to impart some throat- and belly-warming-ness, and to make me feel quite fine when I had laid this most excellent brew to rest. Get some!