Victory Lager - Victory Brewing Company

dmarch

Pennsylvania

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

Everybody around here loves yuengling so there alway scared to try any of Victory's beers. This is the one I always tell them to get. It's always available and it gives the macro something they can not only enjoy, but appreciate. Clear copper in color with a fluffy white head. Sweet maltiness in the aroma and slight hops. Taste is malty with a slight flavor of hops in the finish, not much bitterness from the hops. For what it is, it's a great beer. It's like they just did what every macro brewery does, only they did it much better.

Serving type: on-tap

07-05-2003 11:26:10 | More by dmarch

feloniousmonk

Minnesota

4.22/5  rDev +17.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Appearance: typically transparent, pale yellow color, short, off-white head.
Aroma: initially decent, dry, clean, with a late emerging caramel malt sweetness, mingled with notes of honey, amnd bourbon.
Nice, simple, easy-going taste, are my first impressions, and I was prepared to write this one of as ordinary, but it grew on me, and it got better as we became further acquainted.
Malt is predominant, providing excellent, lip smackin' texture, yummy.
Caramelly sweet, but not too so, it seems like sweet and dry just catch each and amke it a well-matched tango. Sweetness leads, though, and danced the tastebuds it a vigorous fandango.
Fills the mouth with friendliness on it's every entry.
All American lagers should be this good!
Thanks to PintofAle!

Serving type: bottle

06-25-2003 15:51:17 | More by feloniousmonk

RonfromJersey

New Jersey

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

A slighty hazy golden body topped by a frothy white head. A lot hay and grass in the aroma. A soft malt opener, swept along with a gentle hop brush. As stated, superbly balanced. Light bodied but not thin. A fine session lager, a hell of a lawnmower beer. An excellent crossover beer for the B/M/C/H/C drinker willing to try something a little better.

Serving type: bottle

06-22-2003 20:23:16 | More by RonfromJersey

BeerResearcher

Massachusetts

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

Pours a cloudy gold with a foamy fading white head and some trickles of lace. Floral hop and sweet malt aroma. Medium malt with caramel notes. Fruity, and citrusy lime-like hop bitterness. A slight alcohol fuminess weaves in and out. Very fluid and drinkable. Nice summer treat!

Serving type: bottle

06-04-2003 18:57:20 | More by BeerResearcher

oberon

North Carolina

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

Poured a nice deep golden color with nice rocky head,a slight malty sweet aroma not much to speak of.taste was nice and fruity witha good malt backbone,very drinkable.A real nice lager not to wimpy but realy drinkable,I would seek it out again when i wanna drink something a little lighter but with some real substance.

Serving type: on-tap

05-28-2003 18:42:34 | More by oberon

Darkale

Virginia

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

Absolutely crystal clear bronze/copper body, topped by a bright white and fizzy head that faded to a skim across the entire surface of the beer and stayed there. Good lacing.

Fresh, slightly malty aroma. Faint.

Crips, refreshing, and slightly malty. Not chewy, but not thin. Medium body with a nice hops bite. Sour around the edge.

This is a thirst-quenching beer. Very drinkable. Aftertaste is slightly malty and rich, and eventually fades to a lingering sourness.

Nice warm weather beer.

Serving type: bottle

05-17-2003 19:05:12 | More by Darkale

Morris729

Texas

3.85/5  rDev +7.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Pours a hazy golden color with a very tall foamy white head and a thick stream of bubbles racing up from the bottom center of the glass. Nose is herbal and grassy with some faint musty notes. Light to medium in body and quite crisp. Taste is lots of sweet malts and soft grains up front followed by some yeast and citrusy hops. A pretty nice lager and a nice brew for the summer. Thanks to francisweizen for the sample!

Serving type: bottle

05-04-2003 19:39:54 | More by Morris729

frank4sail

New Jersey

3.53/5  rDev -1.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Musty (sneaker) malt nose. Yellow color in the glass with lots of bubbles.. quite carbonated. Sturdy white head that lasts and follows your lips. Taste is dominated by must malt with a slight sweetness in the finish. Medium mouth. This was a little dissappointing for a Victory product. Don't get me wrong it is not a bad beer.. just not the quality or complexity of their other selections.

Serving type: bottle

04-25-2003 11:11:16 | More by frank4sail

goindownsouth

South Carolina

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

I am traditionally not a Lager fan, but this one was an eye-opener. Very malty, with some diversity mixed in, this brew was very earthy and hearty, but in a very good way. Combine that with the fact that it goes well with some of the more carnivorous items on Victory's grub menu. Worth the try.

Prost!

Serving type: on-tap

04-19-2003 15:53:17 | More by goindownsouth

pezoids

Pennsylvania

3.7/5  rDev +3.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

This beer poured a bright and clear amber color with a thin white head. A very easy drinking light to medium bodied lager beer that matched perfectly with the wings I was having. Well controlled hop bitterness and a nice malty aroma. Similar to but easier drinking than the Yuengling Traditional lager I’m quite used to.
A good average beer.

8/3/03:

Bought a case of this recently and I don't remember this beer being so light in color. it's a golden color with tinges of amber. Still very good, but doesn't seem as malty as the above draft version.

Serving type: on-tap

04-06-2003 14:01:27 | More by pezoids

francisweizen

Australia

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

A very clean, malty, german style lager beer. This lager pours a dark amber colour into my pint glass. The aromas are of malt. The taste is very malty, with the hops hiding in the background, if they are even there...The mouthfeel is full, crisp, and satisfying and the drinkability is very good as well...

A very simple beer from Victory, but one that is very easy to quaff all night long(if need be)

Cheers to Victory for this one!,
F.

PS: the new version is very similar to the old one, but now it tastes more like Miller High Life! Judge that one for yourself!!!

Serving type: bottle

04-02-2003 10:21:30 | More by francisweizen

DrunkenPanther

Pennsylvania

3.83/5  rDev +6.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Pours a sparkle caramel color with a head that goes away just as fast you can pour the beer.
The smell is interesting...at first, the heavymalt/hop smell reminded me of straight wort, but not as potent.
I found two different tastes with this one depending on whether it was consumed very cold or as it warms a bit. If consumed very cold, it hits with a strong malt flavor with a fairly strong bite on the tongue (not a bad bite, just not one you would expect with a very malty beer) and finishes off with more traditional lager flavor. As the beer warms, the malt taste lingers more and smooths out. Definitely an easier brew to drink as it is not really overpowering with malt as one might expect.

Serving type: bottle

03-13-2003 15:17:12 | More by DrunkenPanther

cretemixer

Indiana

3.95/5  rDev +10%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Pours a clear golden oak color with a thick off-white head that fades rather quickly to a thin layer. Leaves a spotty lace. Alot of malt and some citrus hop on the nose. True to its name, this is one malty brew. Very little hop presence. Slightly above average mouthfeel and good carbonation for the style. A very drinkable beer. If it was more readily available to me I'd definitely keep this in my fridge. Would make a good beer to introduce a newbie to the world of good beer. Thanks go out to aaronh for introducing it to me.

Serving type: bottle

01-28-2003 19:48:19 | More by cretemixer

OldFrothingSlosh

Pennsylvania

2.95/5  rDev -17.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Appearance: Bright golden-blond color with no head and minimal lacing.

Smell: Grainy and malty with a little citrus in the background.

Taste: Not very appealing to me. The first thing I thought of when I tasted this beer was "Budweiser". Too much of a "grainy" flavor and it lacked substantial sweetness, too.

Mouthfeel: Not a lot to get excited about here. Barely any carbonation to speak of detracts somewhat.

Drinkability: Not a beer that I cared for. I was too reminded of a macro beer. It's interesting to read the other reviews of this beer. Most seem to think that it is a very good example of this beer style. Given that this is the first beer of this style I've reviewed, I am probably not fully appreciating what this beer has to offer, but I just didn't care for it. One positive thing to take away from this is that I like hops (and lots of 'em) in my beer.

Serving type: on-tap

01-28-2003 11:07:59 | More by OldFrothingSlosh

BeerAngel

Texas

4.05/5  rDev +12.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Pours a very clear pale golden hue with lots of bubbling action and a small white head. The smell is that of a combination of grain and a light citrusy hop. The taste reveals more of the citrusy character with a hop bite on the nose and followed by earthy grain malt. This light bodied brew finishes crisp and clean and goes down super easy. Not highly complex, but tasty nonetheless. Thanks to Rotsaruch for sending me this brew! Cheers!

Serving type: bottle

01-11-2003 11:38:58 | More by BeerAngel

IrishRedRock

Pennsylvania

3.98/5  rDev +10.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Simple, easy-drinking lager from Victory. Typical gold appearance with some thin lace atop. The smell of this lager was impressive though, as most lagers I have encountered don't have much complexity in their aromas. This had a malty aroma, reminding me of a malty German lager, but also had a fruity scent, much like apricots. Taste is malt dominated and smooth going down with little carbonation. Could possibly use some more hop flavor to balance things out more, but all in all another quality brew from Victory.

Serving type: bottle

01-08-2003 22:37:07 | More by IrishRedRock

Suds

Pennsylvania

3.93/5  rDev +9.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pale yellow color with a small, stable, white head. The head leaves bits of clumpy lace. Aroma is yeast, citrus, and malt.
This is a slightly sweet beer, and not nearly as hoppy as I expected from Victory. Still, it's well balanced and very drinkable. The Finish is a little sweeter than I expected and doughy.

Serving type: bottle

12-31-2002 15:22:39 | More by Suds

the42ndtourist

Ontario (Canada)

3.75/5  rDev +4.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This was rather clear once in the glass, but while it was still in the bottle, I could see rather a lot of sediment floating around. I'm rather confused about that point, because once poured out the sediment was a lot less evident. Ah well.

Rich clear gold, with a slightly off-white head. The flavour is actually somewhat tangy, with a slightly bitter hop finish. That had me wondering as well - I expected a hop-less beer given the All Malt title. Curious. Pleasant in the mouth and going down, I appreciated the less polished feel - this is what macro import lagers are missing.

Serving type: bottle

12-14-2002 19:03:42 | More by the42ndtourist

mzwolinski

California

3.95/5  rDev +10%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Crystal clear, light gold in color, with a very thin head which dissipates to nothing rather quickly. Ample and even carbonation. The aroma is clean, light, and dominated by a grainy-malt and a slight nose of German hops. Flavor itself starts off with a good hit of grain up front, followed by an exceedingly smooth and crisp malt body and a slightly lemony hop finish. Just a hint of yeast gives the aftertaste something of a sweet bread flavor. Very well-balanced and very clean, but strong enough to hold up against, say, a spicy pizza.

Serving type: bottle

12-09-2002 06:43:24 | More by mzwolinski

MaineBeerMan

Maine

4.13/5  rDev +15%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Nice golden hued beer with a good head of white foam that left just a bit of lace.
Smell was full of toasted malt and nice floral hop aromas. Kind of an earthiness there too.
Sweet malt flavor with a perfect hop balance, some toasted malt character blends into the crisp light hop finish.
Damned tasty beer with a great drinkability, I'm not usually big on lagers, but this one hit the nail on the head. I would drink a lot more of these if I could get them, thanks to NeroFiddled for a sample of a great lager!

Serving type: bottle

11-30-2002 22:09:31 | More by MaineBeerMan

HossMcGraw

Pennsylvania

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

People have described this as having a very grainy taste, and I'd have to agree. It tastes like corn. Since I'm an American, I guess I don't know what a real lager is supposed to taste like. I didn't like it at first but it grew on me. If you can imagine a combination of strong corn and hay flavors, mixed with a traditional lager, you get Victory Lager. It's actually a lot tastier than I just described it.

I think the bottle that I tried was bad, so it's hard to give an objective review of this beer. Even if it were ok, I think I would have gone for Yuengling if I was in a mood for a lager.

Serving type: bottle

11-26-2002 15:09:36 | More by HossMcGraw

SchmichaelJ

Pennsylvania

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

Beautiful golden color, with a nice white head that quickly dissipates, leaving no lace. A thin head is retained throughout. Nice floral scent, with hints of hay or grass. A crisp, clean taste, with a fuller mouthfeel than one might anticipate from this beer's appearance. Pretty drinkable, but if you're having many different beers in a drinking session, try this one first...it's pretty complex, but can cleanse the palate pretty well, paving the way for others. Victory continues to impress me with their range of great brews.

Serving type: bottle

10-26-2002 23:39:57 | More by SchmichaelJ

aaronh

Pennsylvania

4.43/5  rDev +23.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

This was a big change from all my previous Victory experiences-Mild hopping! This is an excellent lager. It pours a nice deep golden color with a thin white head which dissipates fairly quickly and leaves no lace. The aroma is clean and fruity, with bread-like overtones. The taste is malty and smooth, with enough hops to clean the palate. The finish is very clean, with just a hint of a fruity aftertaste. I do believe I could drink these frequently (read "pound"). While different than many of the Victory beers I have tried, it is truly excellent. A great Dortmunder.

Serving type: bottle

10-26-2002 18:54:24 | More by aaronh

Jason

Massachusetts

3.6/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

12 oz brown bottle with no freshness date. Blurb about the beer on the label.

Fluffy foamy off white head, a touch of haziness from either a chill haze or yeast on a dull yellowish straw hue. Head retention is decent.

Aromas of a hay like grainy malt, lemony herbal hop and a faintness of yeast.

Light crispness, more smoothness, on a moderate body. Raw snap of grain upfront with a doubling of hop bitterness that wants to linger. Soft graininess with a powdery, almost doughy character. A kiss of yeast in the back with hints of alcohol and a drying husky grain.

I bet you this brew on tap is lovely, pretty good in the bottle to say the least. A raw lager, not like most at all … light yet flavourful. As others have noted this could be a great crossover beer if not just a brew for macro drinkers to enjoy.

Serving type: bottle

10-26-2002 14:45:50 | More by Jason

allboutbierge

Austria

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

My 1st impression is this beer right what rolling rock trys to do. I know what you're thinking, this is a lager and rolling rock is an extra pale ale. But hey, the tastes are similar, except for the fact that Victory Lager is much smoother and fuller tasting. This is a great beer to drink with a meal, or to have alot of. I would not recomend it if you are going to only have 1 beer. Victory makes much better beers for that situation. But, if you want to have a few brews with your buddies, this is a great choice.

5KD approved.

Serving type: bottle

10-16-2002 15:36:40 | More by allboutbierge