Victory Old Horizontal

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

The most remarkable barleywine I have ever tasted. When chilled just right, it warms your soul, and gives you a renewed reason for life (I know it sounds pathetic). In more serious terms, it has a very nice sugary taste with ample grape flavoring and ale characteristics. It is strong, and I will completely concur with the commercial description. Complex and rewarding, this is definitely a must try. Currently my favorite alcoholic beverage period.

The aroma is very complex with berries, mostly boysenberry, wine, a lot of hops, bananas, graitfruits and a lot of malt. There is also that recognizable sweetness that Victory has in the beers. The aroma and the taste are both very spicy. The sweetness in the taste is great. This is Victory’s best so far I think. The flavor is great. I would imagine this would be even better aged, so I will try it that way next. This delivers a strong alcoholic punch. So have it sitting down. I am very impressed.

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.

Wow, this is one amazing barleywine. I was happy to find it on a road trip and my only regret now is not buying a lot more. Pours a reddish brown color, some haze to it, and a thick tan head with some really nice staying power. Aroma is quite fruity with pine, caramel, sugars, alcohol and it all creates a wonderful scent. This is a nicely hopped barleywine but not over the top allowing so many other flavors to play a major role. Toffee, brown sugar, sweet candy malt, grapefruit and pine hops and even light traces of darker fruits. Really well done. Warming but the 11% is hidden with very little alcohol sting. This can compete with any barleywine out there.