Victory Old Horizontal

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

Glass: Snifter Purchased at: Canal’s Discount Liquors, Burlington, NJ (first visit, thanks, Mike) Price: $1.89 Size: 12 fl oz ABV: 11 % IBU: unknown Estimated Calories: 210 C RateBeer Rating: 99 Aroma 10 out of 10 Intensity: strong Balance: sweet Impression: nice Malt Flavor: Grain Bread Sweet Toast Raisin Hops Flavor:Mud Floral Herbal Spice Other: Cherries, raisins, grapes, prunes Notes: inviting, enticing, and makes you want a taste. Appearance 4 out of 5 Color: Ruby Clarity: Mostly brilliant Head Retention: Average Notes: A beautiful, menacing colored body, with a nice off white head that dissipates quickly. Flavor 10 out of 10 Intensity: Strong Balance: balanced Sweet and Bitter Impression: Nice Malt Flavor: Grain Bread Sweet Nut Hops Flavor: Earth Floral Herbal Spice Other: orange peel, raisin, sour cherry, oak, grape, alcohol Notes: A wonderful taste, more savory than sweet malt flavor, and with some deep hoppiness. Bill and Ron have done it again. Palate 5 out of 5 Mouthfeel Sensation: Drying Warming Body: Full Carbonation: Lively, visible Finish Length: Long Intensity: Strong Balance: balanced between Sweet and Bitter Notes: Leaves you wanting more. A very nice mouthfeel and finish. General Impression: 19 out of 20 Craftmanship: Excellent Freshness: Fresh Personal Taste: Loved Notes: Maybe my favorite BWSA. I only had to travel to Burlington to find it as a single. I did see a case of it in Bristol Township, PA at Penn Thrift. Just $50 and it’s yours. I’m saving up. Address : <http://beercritic.wordpress.com/>

Has a nice hoppy molasses aroma. Flavor is also great and typical of the style. Lots of molasses and hops. A great strong finish.

I had two barleywines yesterday, tonight, only the one. What will tomorrow bring? More barleywines, I hope! A perfect name, this, as it's it's the most perfect nightcap, certain to shut out anyone's lights. Lovely ruby red hue, just gorgeous, with a thick, creamy, tapioca-ish, eggnog-colored head. A dream to look at, and to sniff? Heavenly! Dark fruits pervade, cherries, grapes, berries, very much like the fruit of the vine, ripe, lush, arousing, with a brandyish feel, alcohol softly exuding, becomes more prominent further on...in a realm of it's own, this nose, near perfection. A pluckier thing on the tongue, full fruit, full malt, bits of caramel, too, thick, candyish sweetness, ever-present cognac feel, with the booze factor weighing heavier every inch in. Terribly sweet, and strong, ridiculously full in body and heavy on the palate, coats the senses well, and never leaves any doubt of it's solid, delectable flavor, it's unending twang, it's predominant feel of brandy-doused cherries, mixed up with malt and hops. A scintillating, stellar acheivement from one of America's top breweries. Among the top echelon of barleywines. A masterpiece.

Bottled 12/14/04. Bought a case of this last year and I wish I would have kept more of them around. At almost a year old this has really balanced out and blended nicely, yet the hops have stuck around. Pours a slightly hazy orange/mahogany/copper with a nicely sustaining/lacing head. Aroma of dark fruits, caramel, malts, vanilla, cherry and some light hops (grapefruit/pine). Flavor was along the same lines, just slightly stepped up with more of the hops coming through in the taste. The alcohol is well hidden. An overall sweetness to both the aroma and flavor. I think this year I’ll pick up another case...maybe two and let a bunch of it sit around for a while.

poured a dark amber with a thin head. Aroma was sweet and fruity. The flavor was a fantastic combination of fruit and malts, with a hint of alcohol. Best barleywine that I have tried.

Bottled December 22, 2005. Cloudy burnt orange with small light brown head. A hoppy aroma with a hoppy and warm alcohol taste. A very good barley wine. Very smooth and warming. Great for a cold nights. You need to watch this one it will sneak up on you!

I don’t what I love most about this offering from the Dukes of Downingtown. My favorite Victory beer up to this point was having Hop Devil from cask at the brewery. Old Horizontal has it beaten! The color is deep reddish brown. The aroma grabs your attention with its malted, perfumy, alcoholic character. The taste is wonderful, with its lingering bitterness. However, the bitterness is not overwhelming, and reminds me more of an English-style barley wine. The taste of alcohol is not really evident, but one can certainly feel it. Superb beer from a great brewery!

One of my favorite barley wines! Very good beer to sit and relax with. I wish i was able to get my hands on an older one. I bet it mellowed out wonderfully.