Victory Lager - Victory Brewing Company

diamondc

Texas

3.83/5  rDev +6.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A: Fluffy head, leaves a thin cap of foam after dissipating. Pale, golden hue. Not much lacing action going on.

S: Faint lemon, hay, grass, cereal, a lot of honey.

T: More of the lemon, grainy, honey, crackers. Why am I reminded of Honey Smacks cereal? Can't detect much hops, just a faint grass/earthy bitterness at the end.

M: Quaffable, just a real no brainer when it comes to drinkability here.

O: Not that complex at all, but then it does hit all the style notes well. If six packs were cheaper, I'd buy this more.

Serving type: bottle

11-08-2011 20:32:31 | More by diamondc

xnicknj

Pennsylvania

3.73/5  rDev +3.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

on tap at good dog in philly

Pours a clear straw golden color with a lighter white head resting on top. Fades fairly quickly with a few spots of lacing.

Floral hops with a swift bitterness in the nose. Straw and toasted grain malt. Touches of grassiness and lemon peel add a nice crispness.

Light hoppiness up front, grassy with lemon peel. Soft malts with straw and toasted grains. Light steelyness and faint fruit tones. Finishes super crisp and clean.

Lighter body, higher carbonation, tingly and a little dry on the tongue. A solid, drinkable lager once again from Victory.

Serving type: on-tap

10-06-2011 14:30:06 | More by xnicknj

CHADMC3

Connecticut

3.65/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Pours a cloudy, straw-like golden yellow beneath a scattered, pure white head that leaves almost no lacing behind.

Aroma consists of straw, pale malt, and citrus, perhaps lemon, perhaps grapefruit.

The flavor offers fainter citrus, pale malt that is a bit bready, and a bit grainy.

Crisp, smooth, quite refreshing with a medium to light body and medium carbonation.

A nice example of the style overall, just about what one could hope for.

Serving type: bottle

10-06-2011 00:31:14 | More by CHADMC3

justintcoons

Pennsylvania

3.75/5  rDev +4.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Pours a clear straw with about 1 finger of creamy head that dissipates quickly. Very low carbonation. Very thin, webbed lacing that clings to the glass for only seconds.

N: Light lemony citrus and floral aromas, grapefruit and grains. Very light hints of banana.

T: Lemony citrus and grapefruit upfront. Followed by light grains and a hint of banana and caramel. Finishes extremely clean with almost no flavors except some lingering grains and grapefruit.

M: Light-medium bodied, smooth, crisp and extremely clean.

O: Incredibly easy drinking and a prime candidate for a gateway beer for your BMC drinking buddies. Highly sessionable and light on the palette.

Serving type: bottle

09-25-2011 23:43:51 | More by justintcoons

twiggamortis420

Texas

4.4/5  rDev +22.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Finally got this down here in TX! 12 oz bottle with a best by date of Nov 28 2011. Pours a fairly clear, light gold color with a decent cap of white head. Retention and lacing are both average.

Nose is saltine crackers and a light, citric-flesh fruit. I thought I would find more graininess and grassy hops, but Victory has beat a different drum once again.

Taste is light and crisp with some biscuit grain and a fair amount of bright hops...both flavoring and bittering. I like this beer quite a bit, not necessarily a classic helles, but damn is it refreshing and tasty. I would have no problem finishing off a sixer of this in a day. Tasty, clean and interesting...just what I want in a nice lager. Excellent beer, I see a repeat purchase in my very near future.

Serving type: bottle

09-25-2011 00:47:56 | More by twiggamortis420

chodinheaven

Maryland

3.63/5  rDev +1.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Light straw color with perfect clarity and lots of visible carbonation. Not a lot of head, but there is a thin and patchy white sheet on top after it rapid dissapation. Smells of wheat and barley malts, as well as some fine crisp hops. Fresh oranges back it faintly, rounding the smell out.

Light to medium body, slightly heavier than your average lager. Crisp, clean taste but some slight lingering of barley malts in the finish. Hops add the crispness and have a small bittering effect that balances out the barley. Definitely a twinge of citrus in the taste, adding a level of complexity that you don't find in a whole lot of lagers. Higher carbonation adds to the crispness. This is just a beer that is not overly complex, but they definitely paid attention to the details and brewed a solid lager with more flavor than most others you'll find out there. Definitely no off adjunct flavors, probably the best part of this beer. Great for a hot summer day that calls for a light and refreshing beer that tastes pretty damn good too.

Serving type: bottle

09-18-2011 04:41:50 | More by chodinheaven

deadliest

Texas

4.33/5  rDev +20.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A: Pale golden yellow. Lots of bubbles. 2 fingers of white head that sticks around for a short while and leaves dots of lacing behind.
S: Light malts and some citrus/grassy hops.
T: Light malt and citrus hops again. lemon zest, and biscuit.
F: Light mouthfeel. Crisp. Good carbonation.
O: Really good lager. Too bad craft breweries don't put out more examples of these beers.

Serving type: bottle

09-11-2011 18:10:28 | More by deadliest

happy4hoppybeer

Pennsylvania

2.9/5  rDev -19.2%
look: 2 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Pours a bright, clear yellow/light gold, with moderate white head about an inch thick. Retains for a few minutes, then quickly vanishes, leaving no lacing. Typical weak lager appearance.

My nose detects scents of lemon,citrus, grains and light malt. A little weird, but has character.

Mouth absorbs faint traces of malt and graininess. A slight acidic and bitter citrus-like edge near the end of tasting. probably from hops. Fairly light-bodied, with your typical lager high carbonation.

As you may know I am generally not a fan of plain ol' lagers(the non-pilsener and non-Oktoberfest kind), so I did not expect much from this. That said, it is what it is. Not supposed to be extraordinary, just an everyday-type session brew. It's rather average at that, because I know there's better offerings in this style out there.

Serving type: bottle

09-09-2011 02:05:13 | More by happy4hoppybeer

micromaniac129

Pennsylvania

4.05/5  rDev +12.8%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A clear light golden in color with a small frothy head. A fast fading head leaves just a ring and spotty lacing.

Smells of malts. There is a sharp crispness in the aroma as well as sutle hints of grass.

Taste has that crisp malt taste, but not overpowering more in balance. A light toasted malts or toasted biscuit. Followed by fresh grass with a lemon tartness at the finish.

Thin and ever so tart. Finishs clean.

A good easy drinking beer. A smooth sutle malt forward style that's sure to please.

Serving type: bottle

09-03-2011 12:47:21 | More by micromaniac129

JAXSON

Pennsylvania

4.38/5  rDev +22%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

On tap at the brewpub. Pours a clear light gold with a white head. Nose is fairly mild ,with a pleasant fresh grain and a light hop note. Mouth is snappy, bright, super fresh grain and a kiss of sweet malt. A touch grassy in its hop element. This was one I overlooked for awhile but it's just fantastic. Understated, extraordinarily well balanced. Of course criminally underrated. One of the best lagers I've ever had, up there with Victory's best pilsners. They are masters with this style.

Serving type: on-tap

08-30-2011 02:18:02 | More by JAXSON

smakawhat

Maryland

3.43/5  rDev -4.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured on tap at Pizza Paradiso Dupont DC, into a mug.

A rising shiny fourteen carat gold, bright as all get out body, with a small collar of simple white. Classic singular straight rising carbonation that never stops. Looks like a solid lager.

Bouquet is small smelling, soft kind of malt but not much else with a little yeast.

Taste comes off with a heavily carbonated feel. Mild white bread and Wonder Bread light. Stupidly crisp with a mild herbal hop presence and even some butter. A bit gaseous but just tolerable enough.

Overall a good example of a lawn mower beer.

Serving type: on-tap

08-11-2011 18:32:01 | More by smakawhat

jizfiasco

New Jersey

3.98/5  rDev +10.9%
look: 2 | smell: 3 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Pours a very clear goldenrod color that resembles a very watery American lager. The head is fluffy and white but disappears in a blink. Smells a bit more German than it appears with a little pepper and grain. The taste is so much betters than the look and scent. If I saw this beer in a glass not knowing what it was I would pass it by buy the flavor is on point. I get grainy breaded malts, herbal hop notes and that peppery feel that is necessary for the style. Carbonation is lower but very striking and the beer goes down easy buy it gets too sweet as it warms so it's a gulper. Overall a good representation but could be a little cheaper I'm my opinion for what it is.

Serving type: bottle

07-23-2011 23:17:07 | More by jizfiasco

nickfl

Florida

4/5  rDev +11.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - The beer pours with one finger of loose, white foam on top of a perfectly clear, golden body. The head collapses quickly and leaves only light lace on the glass.

S - Grainy malt with some notes of honey. A bit of herbal hop character in the background as well.

T - Clean, grainy malt up front with some graham cracker character. A touch of honey comes out in the middle along with a little herbal hop flavor. Things finish up with more dry, grainy malt and moderate bitterness.

M - Medium body, moderately high carbonation, and a dry finish.

D - Clean and well balanced with a decent malt character. This is a drinkable Helles, but not as flavorful as some others that I have had.

Serving type: bottle

07-18-2011 05:21:05 | More by nickfl

ChainGangGuy

Georgia

4/5  rDev +11.4%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

12 ounce bottle - $1.89 at Olde Crabapple Bottle Shoppe in Alpharetta, Georgia.

Enjoy By: Sep. 29, 2011.

Appearance: Transparent, light yellow-hued body with a smallish layering of white suds.

Smell: Judiciously sweet-scented German malts supported by a pinch of finely-ground spice and a twist of lemon.

Taste: Moderately grainy-tasting, faintly bready pils malt with a drop of honeyed sweetness. Spicy, lightly lemony hop profile with ample bitterness to balance V out. Closes out dry with a small tingle of effervescent carbonation.

Mouthfeel: Light-bodied. Medium-light carbonation.

Overall: A pleasant, likable all-malt lager.

Serving type: bottle

06-29-2011 20:10:25 | More by ChainGangGuy

Brent

Kentucky

4/5  rDev +11.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A nice, old-school aspect to this beer. Light gold/caramel color with good head retention. Moderate bittering with a bit of fresh grain popping through in the middle. Finish is even, with the barest hint of honey sweetness. Could be a little smoother around the edges, but overall quite nicely done.

Serving type: bottle

06-23-2011 18:10:38 | More by Brent

rtepiak

Poland

3.93/5  rDev +9.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

this is definitely better on tap. Had both on a trip out to allentown. An intense pride for victory out there. And they are the best brewery by volume in my opinion so i'm all for it. Few do it like then quality wise. Mass production worldlyness isn't easy. And with that said... This is a great brew with an american yeast augmentation... Or accent. Look is good. Some subdued head but i can't tell if it was due to the humidity. Gold clear pour. Nice hay and bubble gummy esters. Export sweet nose. Palate is dry... But not pilsner. Nice balance. apple rind, bubble gum and hay. Dry nice balence and some porter grape hopping but with a brisk finish that has hints of biscuit.

Serving type: on-tap

05-25-2011 05:20:26 | More by rtepiak

rebel1771

Florida

4.2/5  rDev +17%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Pours a pale yellow with little to no head.

S: Grainy aroma with sweet corn and honey. Just a touch of a grassy/hoppy note at the end.

T: Very similar to the smell, the taste is full of sweet grains and a notable honey flavor. Slight hop note at the end.

O: This is a very good brew, perfect for summer cookouts.

Serving type: bottle

05-22-2011 22:18:55 | More by rebel1771

JednoPivoProsim

Maryland

4.2/5  rDev +17%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a 12 fl oz bottle into a pint glass. Enjoy by May 6 2011. Why do I keep finding such out of date Victory beers?? I guess I need to pay better attention at time of purchase.

Appearance: Cloudy yellow-golden lager color with a thin white head that all but disappears completely.

Smell: Very malt heavy aroma. Does not have the grassy, metallic smell of most helles lagers.

Taste: Wow, this beer actually tastes good. I hate to try it when it is not three weeks past the "enjoy by" date! I think I just found my summer go-to and my next case purchase. Very malt forward with just an slight hop bite.

Mouthfeel: Appropriately heavy mouthfeel with very little carbonation.

Overall: Again, I am very impressed by this beer. I just hope I can find some fresher examples!

Serving type: bottle

05-22-2011 15:03:12 | More by JednoPivoProsim

PhageLab

Virginia

4.75/5  rDev +32.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Served in a standard pint glass with a Victory logo.

A - Nice 2 finger head tops off this bright golden brew.

S - Mostly subtle aroma, bread-like with a hint of lemon.

T - Grassy flavor with the perfect hop bite. Balanced, slightly herbal in tone, and ultimately refreshing.

M - Clean and crisp with a mild carbonation level.

D - Fantastic representation of the style, especially for an American brewery. Plan on enjoying this again in the future.

Serving type: on-tap

05-08-2011 23:43:03 | More by PhageLab

TheWhiskerReview

Tennessee

3.55/5  rDev -1.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Pours a brilliant orange-tinted yellow with some yeast flecks and a small white head. Minimal retention and lace.

The nose is soft and delicate, with a vaguely chalky-lemon zest dusting over the creamy pear flavors. There are touches of corn and hoppy flowers lingering in the background too.

Palate is very smooth, with more malty and creamy flavors. I'm thinking the hops weren't meant to be too noticeable. It's almost too drinkable of a brew.

Overall, wonderful flavors but the delicacy and smoothness make this borderline too chuggable. Even when I'm looking to get trashed I want to savor a beer a bit. But still very delicious and a sure recommendation for someone who hates hops.

Serving type: bottle

05-04-2011 04:28:25 | More by TheWhiskerReview

Chaney

District of Columbia

3.2/5  rDev -10.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Best if enjoyed by May 6 2011.

A: Sparkling gold, with small specks of yeast floating around in the brew. The nice finger or so white head was picture perfect.

S: Bready, yeasty, and with a slight hop crackle.

T: Bready... more like unsalted crackers, with little to no sweetness to make it interesting. Disappointing.

M: Crisp, well carbonated, but... whatever.

O: This one was in dire need of a little something special to make it interesting. Meh...

Serving type: bottle

05-03-2011 22:24:22 | More by Chaney

Knapp85

Pennsylvania

3.58/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

This beer was a nice looking light copper color. The head was fizzy and white. Kind of faded off after a few minutes. The aromas here are oh hops and malt pretty much. There might be a little wooden aromas too but not much. The flavor is pretty hoppy, there is a little bit of a earthy tone in the aftertaste. The malts leave some dryness behind as well. The mouthfeel is quite drinkable. This beer is pretty good and deserves a try.

Serving type: on-tap

04-15-2011 02:54:45 | More by Knapp85

ajfa531

New Jersey

3.73/5  rDev +3.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

12 oz bottle with best by May 6 2011 on the label.
-Poured into a Duvel tulip. (maybe should've grabbed a pint glass for this lager, but, hey... shut up.)

I didn't give it the most vigorous pour. So, literally no head. Ring around the collar bubbles. Very close to white foam when swirled. The beer color is mid-range yellow. Straw color. Looks refreshing. I had thought on the verge of gold, but, I take that back. Very clear. Some floaties (Maybe coagulated proteins. Makes me want to go to a brewery and have some unfiltered helles lager.)

Sweet nose. Makes me think of mead. Might just be the sugars, but, almost a honey quality to this aroma. Earthy hops. There are some hops that impart a honey-ness, but, they are English, if I remember correctly. The malt, honey nose adds to the refreshing qualities. A Helles should be refreshing... so, here come the points.

Definite maltiness upfront, but, the hops come in quick with spice and grass. I was expecting more malt sweetness and bread. However, the color isn't that dark. So, maybe I should've known better. Not bad by any means, but, it does leave maltiness to be desired. (Maybe I just want a bock.)

The mouthfeel is a little thin to me at this moment. The carbonation is fine for a session beer. There are watery feelings. This aspect make me wish that those spots were filled in.

Overall, a real good beer. I'm a big aroma dude and that part is great. On the other hand, I don't feel that it carried over to the taste. I've helped brew Helles in production and the Honeycomb qualities were strong on all fronts throughout. I wanted more in the taste. Then, again, I'm a day-to-day taster. I really enjoyed the first 5 bottles and this one fell short of those.

Future edit in mind.

Serving type: bottle

04-07-2011 06:19:08 | More by ajfa531

bubseymour

Maryland

3.88/5  rDev +8.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance - Yellow clear like a pilsner. Carbonated throught drinking yet very little head develops at all.

Smell - Lemony, grassy and strawlike but subtle and nothing really jumping out.

Taste - Very true to the european origniation and not an over-the-top American craftbrew style. Straw and grass flavorings present but like the smell, flavors are subtle and not overpowering making this a great session beer or summertime drinker. Has some similarities to the pils but there is no hoppy bite to it.

Mouthfeel - Slightly watery but this is a 4.8 ABV lager so I wouldn't expect it overly rich or buttery.

Overall - this is a very well made, true to Munich style lager. Easy drinker, with pleasant light flavorings. Anyone and everyone can enjoy this brew whether your a BA or not.

Serving type: bottle

04-02-2011 20:39:35 | More by bubseymour

sturner26

Pennsylvania

2.38/5  rDev -33.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Poured from a 12oz. bottle into normal pint glass.

A: Clear pale yellow, bordering on golden. Tiny bubbles and a 2-3 inch white head that fades quickly.

S: Smells like an adjunct to be honest. Some lemon and grass but the smell makes me think I'm drinking an BMC.

T: With the smell of adjunct in my nose, I couldn't help but find the taste to be slightly above BMC. Lemon overtone and some cereal or wheat but it had a distinct aftertaste, like sulfur and was not great.

M: Good (compared to an BMC, which has become my standard for this beer unfortunatly). Good zest and active carbonation similar to a pils.

D: Not great. Packaged in a mized case with Hopdevil, Prima Pils, and Golden Monkey, I know which beer will be my last resort every time I visit the fridge.

Serving type: bottle

03-24-2011 15:41:50 | More by sturner26