Victory Ten Years Alt

Brewed by Victory Brewing Company
Style: Altbier
Downingtown, Pennsylvania USA

Poured from bottle into snifter. Aroma is a neat blend of caramel, vanilla, and a smattering of earthy hops. It had a hazy dark amber color and a moderately lasting tan head. The earthy hops that I noticed in the aroma were VERY prevalent in the flavor, bordering on overpowering. I also found the finish to be a bit tinny. They made up for these issues by being very discreet with the ethanol flavor. I had no idea that this was a "big" beer. Thank you Santa!

12 oz bottle-Pours a cloudy mahogany color w/a small off white head. Bready, grainy, grassy, roasted aroma. Heavy, overpowering hoppy flavor-too heavy. This is really like an amber IPA, or double IPA. Needs some malt finish or sweetness to balance it out. I just don’t get anything out of it but big hops-needs more. A disappointment as I usually find Victory beers quite enjoyable. Well made, just not my style.

I learn more from Pigfoot by reading than by drinking: "Appearance: clear, cherryish, tea-like color, a lovely rubyish tint, under a slim cocoa/creamy layer of foam, soon down to a slight ring. Earthy aroma, big malts, mild fruit, herbal, crisp, clean, classy. A malty explosion once on board the mouth, big caramel and dark fruit, splashes every inch of the palate. Bright caramel, rich and delicious, delights the tongue, just long enough before gently drying and fading handily away. That’s the key to this terrific brew, has all the taste and strength of a doppelbock, yet holds into well into check, with the attributes of an altbier. Taste is brighter with fruit, cherries and grapes, further in. Strength is not felt right away, but creeps along. Full-bodied, boldly flavored, well-constucted, a display of skill and imagination. Great way to celebrate 10 victorious years!"

Wow, is that 8.5% ABV right? If so, it is completely undetectable. This had a nice feel to it, a bit more thick and syrupy than I had expected. Sweet malty flavors as well, like brown sugar or something. Flavor wasn’t too daring or anything, but tasty, each sip demanded a follow up. A good beer from a great brewer.

Thin frothy head of fine creamy bubbles. Light carbonation. Wait, a 8.5% altbier? Yeah right. Malty and bready aroma with some spices and a bit of sweetness from caramel or brown sugar. Color is a murky mahagony brown. More brown sugar and malts. Dry pasty palate. Kind of gritty. Alcohol warming. Big alcohol presence when drinking with food. Some hops bitterness. More caramel. Finish is warm and smooth. A pretty decent brew.

12 oz bottle: poured orange brown with a smallish tan head. Aroma of hops and malt with a bit of brown sugar. Flavor is barleywine-ish. Big alcohol bite. Light brown sugar and hops. Pretty good but kind of hot.

Was surprised to find this on my local shelf. We’re usually the last place on the planet to get anything remotely "new". Pours cold with a murky amber appearance and a thin quickly disappearing tan head. Aroma is a nice mix of malt and hops. Palate is almost thick, with a nice hop kick in the flavor. Can’t catch any presence of the alcohol in this. Quite drinkable, I may save some of these for the winter when it feels like barleywine weather... Summertime in Texas really calls for something lighter.

Courtesy of Ohiodad <!-- P --> Aroma is caramel malt, fruit, earthy notes and a slightly Barelywine-like aroma that is hoppier than expected. Pour is amber/brown with a firm pinky thin tan head that diminished slowly. Rich, sweet caramel explodes int he fore and carries on through the middle and finish. A dollop of toffee appears through the middle ranges and the whole thing is expertly supervised by a consistent, but never domineering hops flavor. Some mild fruit and bread notes are present in the far finish. Seems pretty big for an Alt (or the ones I have had) but as a beer and it is fairly tasty.