Victory Ten Years Alt

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

Bottle thanks to ilinismitty. Poured a clouded brown with a gray white thin head. Sweet caramel and jelly aroma. With some nut aroma. O.k. the first taste made me wince. Hard biting flavor really surprised me. Strong herbal and grass hop presence that mixed with an alcohol bite that I do not like. There is an underlying sweetness here that is struggling in vain to show itself fully. This is strongly medicinal. A touch of licorice too. Chalky oily mouth feel, how it is both I don’t know but it is. Finish is like mint and raisinets. This is not the beer for me. But I appreciate the attempt. Ap-3 ar-7 tas-2 pal-2 ov-6

Bottle. Mildly pleasant aroma with light amber look and thin head. Very malty tasting with slight bitterness. The hops balance was good but intresting. Not my fav style but good tasting.

Hazy orange amber, with a small off-white head that went away quickly. Nice aroma, lots of malt, some hops, some green apple. Upfront, get sweet malty taste, then lots of hops, and an alcoholic finish. Nice complex beer, delicious, worth buying.

A large, slightly off white head sat on cloudy, light brown body. The head quickly faded. The malt came through first then the hops. The aftertaste was bitter and put me off. The balance is off, leaning towards the hops.

(12 oz bottle: Obtained 01-May-06 in trade with hopdog, thanks Steve!) "Enjoy By Aug 02, 06" Well okay, I will!! This beer proudly displays a tall, off-white chapeau on a cloudy, deep amber body. Emanating from the glass is a fruity, mildly sweet, grainy and caramely aroma that is less pleasing that I was expecting because it is also has a dirty-laundry aroma. Whatever short-comings I find in the nose, they are erased when I take a sip of this wonderfully flavorful beer. Actually, the first thing I notice on my initial sip is the exceptional, full-bodied mouthfeel. Wow, this is almost chewy! The flavor is very malty, toasty, and quite hoppy and bitter, nothing shy about it. The toasty malts turn a bit bready in the finish. Hops are more European in style rather than the citrusy type I’m used to out here. The head gradually settles to a wide ring, but leaves large pathes of lace that resemble ice crystals on the window on a cold winter’s day. While the beer seems a bit overstated for the style, it’s a superb beer that’s more than worthy to represent the 10-year anniversary of Victory.

Bottle is actually far better than the tap pours I’ve had. I’m not a huge fan of alt beers but this is a really complex, even subtle interpretation that combines hints of rich (occasionally sour) fruits with a bold maltiness. Sounds like it might suck, right? Not so. It’s really good, with a rich, burnished quality.

12 Oz Bottle. Aroma of rich, earthy grains, as a loaf of French Meadow Whole Grain Boule can be, with supple nitrogenous sugars and yielding yeasts. At first, the aroma carries a lightly acerbic touch of lemongrass and sour peaches, mingled with a dab of soy sauce and minted bourbon. Pour of heavily clouded richly ruddied amber, with sunset fire fringes and tawny glints. Lacy cream head of deep ivory. Wow! I was not ready for that intense malt burst right on the tongue. It has such delectable sweetness and gentle caramels. Lightly toasted grains with sweet lemon thyme and basil stems. Good chewiness. There’s a touch of toast and some aged wheat with a spot of light yeast spice. As the beer sits in your mouth, it gracefully grows into a refreshing bite of grassy pears and sweet marmalade rinds, but then defines itself a little over the edge with an almost parching effect. The alcohol is barely perceptable, with a graduale glowing effect. Bravo! This is outstanding, stylistcally.

Hard to put a finger on this one. It’s good, just different. Sort of hoppy and bitter with a slightly thick sweetness. Had a strange aftertaste. I haven’t had many of this style though, could just be me.