Victory Lager - Victory Brewing Company

number1bum

Pennsylvania

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

Pours a hazy pale golden color with only a finger or so of off-white head. Does not keep more than a very thin, wispy lace with little stick on the sides either.

Despite the lack of head the smell is very nice. It's bright and floral with a pronounced grassy and spicy hop aroma as well as some lemon. Has a light bready sweetness to it as well. Really, really nice.

Taste also has a fresh and robust hop flavor, grassy and spicy like the nose, with a touch of lemony citrus too. A nice bready, grainy malt base as well. Does not quite meet the vibrancy of the nose, but it is quite flavorful.

Mouthfeel is medium bodied and pretty crisp, although I find it to be a touch cloying in the finish. There's really not more than a mild sweetness to the beer but it has a sticky feel in the finish.

This is not nearly as good as Prima Pils but it's a very well done lager from Victory. They know how to do nice German lagers, that is for sure. My only complaints are that this is a bit uneven; head is very disappointing and the feel is off a bit, but where it really counts - flavor - this one delivers.

Serving type: bottle

11-03-2010 01:10:34 | More by number1bum

007

Pennsylvania

3.8/5  rDev +5.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Victory Lager was my introduction to craft beer in the mid-90s. Back in the day, the Victory brewpub was more low-key and the draft selection was limited to five or six flagships and a seasonal, compared to 15+ today. The Lager had such big flavor and aroma compared to the macro-brews I was used to (and didn't particularly like).

I've moved on to other styles, but recently revisited my first. It poured golden and clear with little head and slight effervescence. Clean sweet aroma and crisp, clean malt flavor. On the watery side compared to other styles, but fine for a lager. Overall, very drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

10-27-2010 20:17:12 | More by 007

Flightoficarus

Washington

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

Serving type - Bottle

A - Pours a bright, clear golden hue, with a single-finger off-white head that soon recedes to moderate lacing. A nice looking lager!

S - Smell is of light, floral hops, citrus notes (lemon, lime), grassy/cereal grains, and a very subtle malt presence.

T - Taste is of light, grainy malts, with some faint honey notes, perfectly balanced with lightly floral/citrus hop notes. The balance here is ace.

M - Light/Medium body. Pretty thin mouthfeel, but that's usually what people are looking for in a basic lager. Moderate carbonation. Very smooth and refreshing.

D - Can you say sessionable? This makes for a great lawnmower/summer beer.

Overall - I think this beer could use a tad bit more flavor and mouthfeel to be a truly great lager, but it's still pretty good. Good interpretation of the Munich Helles style.

Serving type: bottle

09-23-2010 08:03:29 | More by Flightoficarus

jmdrpi

Pennsylvania

4.08/5  rDev +13.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

poured into pint glass. to style, a pale straw color, with bright white head, which fades fairly quickly. the aroma is of light hops. taste is well balanced with light flavor. clean finish.
higher carbonation, light body.
very easy drinking. refreshing.

Serving type: bottle

09-22-2010 03:24:25 | More by jmdrpi

milkbaby9

Florida

3.65/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

12oz bottle (best by 9-20-2010, drank 8-28-2010) into Samuel Adams sensory glass. 3 finger head quickly reduces to almost nothing without lacing. Crystal clear pale yellow color.

Aroma of lemon rind, light pine, and sweet malt. Tastes lemon, honey, light hops, and malt. Just the barest touch of bitterness comes in and fades back to the malt.

Okay carbonation. Very light bodied, watery. Very straightforwardly nice but kinda light on flavor almost to the point of blandness, though that makes it really easy to drink and to drink a lot of it. I think it is okay, but far from the class of say Weihenstephaner Original Premium even though that had to make a trip from overseas.

Serving type: bottle

09-01-2010 08:06:35 | More by milkbaby9

BigMike

Pennsylvania

3.98/5  rDev +10.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Best by date of Nov. 22, 2010

pours an extremely pale yellow with good carbonation and not much of any head.
Light malts and hoppiness. Grassy and spicey with some lemon.
Very flavorful lager here. Lots of sweet grassiness. Some spice and lemon zest. Very nice and balanced.
Light bodied and extremely sessionable. Crisp clean and super easy to drink.
Some times I tend to forget about lagers and more sessionable "simple" beers. This is probably the best lager I've ever had. Might be a new summer go to beer. If only BMC could make a lager with this much flavor.

Serving type: bottle

09-01-2010 00:31:27 | More by BigMike

Bouleboubier

Pennsylvania

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

Referencing my trusty wiki color swatch guide, or whatever it is, the color is maize (in the family of yellow). I feel it has a moon-yellow glow to it. The head can be sizzly, snappy, and up to an inch thick or it might not show up. Nearly still body, as in bubble-free.

Quite the spicy pilsner hop character to the smell. I'd say spicier. It's working out to be similar to Troegs' Sunshine Pils (for those of you in the gno). Faint lemon zest and yeast linger as well.

The flavor is strange but enjoyable. Serious sting or tartness that reminds me of wheat a la Berliner Weisse (the color plays into that notion, I'm sure). Zesty, so zesty. Filtered grainy qualities. The most subtle lemon honey kiss at the back.

Maybe it's the zip on the top of the sip, but I get a heavy-ish feel underneath here. Not HEAVY-heavy - not viscous... The liquid drops down on the tongue like a sleeping slob rolling off a couch. A honey kissed lemon tea feel - sorry, that's what comes to mind.

The beer's a lot better than I anticipated - "lager", at least as far as US beers go, conjures up ill feelings. I seriously need to, in the future, match this up with the cream of the crop in this style (i.e. German). Great summer beer. Chicks will dig it, too.

Serving type: bottle

08-29-2010 00:54:09 | More by Bouleboubier

HitokiriNate85

Pennsylvania

4.08/5  rDev +13.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Best by 11/22/2010

A - Very light, straw gold. Light carbonation is visible giving the beer a thin, bright white head. Great clarity. Basically what I'd expect for the style. Unfortunately, in the end it doesn't leave much of a head and doesn't lace in the least.

S - Light grain and bread notes. Flower and lemon notes from the hops. Very clean and seems pretty spot on.

T - Just as good as the smell led me to believe. Victory really hits the mark with its lagers. Follows the nose really well, and it honestly does remind me of Prima Pils a lot. It's more bready, less grainy, and the flavor is a lot more rounded(Prima Pils being sharper in comparison). It has a really nice bitterness and a great flowery, lemony hop profile.

MF - Very nicely carbonated, and there's enough body to make it known but not so much as to make me think I'm drinking say, a bock.

D - It's a very clean, full-flavored helles lager. That alone makes it more drinkable that most other beers. It's very fresh tasting and very good. It's awesome to have such good examples of German styles made a few hours away.

Serving type: bottle

07-19-2010 01:15:04 | More by HitokiriNate85

Agold

Pennsylvania

3.35/5  rDev -6.7%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Unfortunately when i poured this beer there was virtually no head to speak of. It is straw colored and pretty clear. The nose has some grain in it, and maybe a hint of spicy hops. The grainyness in the nose carries through to the taste with a minimal amount of diacetyl butteryness, a bit of an off flavor for a lager like this, but not unpleasant. There is good medium-light mouthfeel for this one. Good enjoyable, but not exceptional beer.

Serving type: bottle

07-15-2010 02:50:17 | More by Agold

Stigs

Pennsylvania

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

12oz bottle, served in a standard pint glass

A - pours with a thin layer of loose white foam which quickly settles to a film and ring. the beer is mostly clear and *very* pale straw colored.

S - grainy but with a nice grassy and slightly lemony hop kick at the end. light a light Prima (which is nice).

T - begins with strong malt grains and biscuits before a flash of grassy hops. quickly again the lightly buttery and bready malt takes over.

M - thin body but the carbonation falls just a tiny bit flat. lingering sweetness and grains.

D - light and drinkable, a bit malt-heavy for my taste but seems to suit the style pretty well. will make good work of the other 5 bottles from my Victory variety pack in this weather.

Serving type: bottle

07-12-2010 00:44:44 | More by Stigs

deapokid

Pennsylvania

3.3/5  rDev -8.1%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Replacing the amateurish review I wrote on 06/03/2007:

The other lager included in the Victory sampler pack, this thin and translucent beer takes on a grain color with limited head and no retention.

Aroma bouquet includes malt, butter, grain, alcohol and a hint of skunkiness. It's a bit typical, but never offensive.

Taste is a blend of sweet butter, corn, crackers, milk, biscuit and the slightest bit of hops. Aftertaste is completely free of any metallic qualities.

Mouthfeel is smooth with a slight dryness in the conclusion and limited bitterness.

This is certainly a drinkable beer and a nice try at a Helles lager, but, when paired alongside the superior Prima Pils, it falls flat.

Serving type: bottle

07-11-2010 20:31:12 | More by deapokid

Durge

Connecticut

3.45/5  rDev -3.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Cold from bottle to pint glass, this lager is a clear golden color with steady carbonation, a fair white cover and modest lacing. The aroma suggsts a slightly sour mash idea with a little leafy hop. The flavor brings a pretty watery apple cider malt with a mild hop bite. The taste isn't bad but it's kind of wimpy with carboard hints and maybe a touch of toffee. The constitution of this lager even reminds me at times of watermelon. The hop finish keeps it interesting, otherwise it's forgettable but fairly drinkable. It works.

Serving type: bottle

07-11-2010 05:08:35 | More by Durge

brianjay

Massachusetts

3.63/5  rDev +1.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

FULL DISCLAIMER: I am not typically a lager drinker, but these hot summer days make it a lot easier to grab one off the shelf.

No head on this one. It is a cloudy, bright yellow body. A little bit of movement, but not much. Not much aroma either. The yeast produces a bit of floral, earthy aromas but you have to search for it.

A grain/malty flavor on the back of this one, and the herbal flavors of the hops gives it a bit of character.

Overall, nothing here is overpowering. A well balanced and frighteningly easy beer to drink. Load up the cooler with a six pack of these.

Serving type: bottle

07-10-2010 00:11:25 | More by brianjay

vette2006c5r

Wisconsin

2.95/5  rDev -17.8%
look: 2 | smell: 2 | taste: 3 | feel: 2 | overall: 4.5

Victory Lager poured a bright golden color with almost no head. Even though it was a fresh bottle, it smelt a little skunked, and veery light. It tasted like a traditional lager but very light. The flavors were barley noticable. Overall I was dissapointed with this. The flavors needed to be much stronger, tasted like a watered down sam adams lager, but cost more money. Deffently not the best lager, or the best beer by victory.

Serving type: bottle

07-09-2010 00:00:10 | More by vette2006c5r

rfgetz

New Jersey

3.5/5  rDev -2.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Pours a slightly hazed gold color with moderate poof of head that leaves quickly with little lacing. Scent is very mild, faint notes of grass, hay and flowers. Taste is clean with the touches of grass, hay, faint sweet malt and light bitterness with no off twang. Lighter side of medium bodied, adequate carbonation. A high quality lager that tops all macro offerings.

Serving type: bottle

06-28-2010 13:49:21 | More by rfgetz

appenzeller

Washington

1.88/5  rDev -47.6%
look: 1.5 | smell: 1.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

Me: pilsner nut. I love and treasure pilsners in the old Czech and Bavarian styles.

I tried Prima Pils given all its good reviews (see my earlier review), found it to be mighty tasty but definitely way off for the true style. In particular, it lacked the smoothness and technical quality of a true pilsner. So, I thought I'd see if Victory found it in their lager.

Nope. This is a skunky, overpale lager. No subtle hops profile, just skank. Malts are nonexistent but what there is . . . skank. I'm willing to write off this review as an old beer, but then . . . why is it that I can still get a really nice Spaten, Urquell, or Czechvar here in the states--granted not totally fresh but not this skank?

I think if we're going to tank imports for lack of freshness (as reviewers here do), then surely we need to do that with the domestics--which have less of an excuse.

Serving type: bottle

06-05-2010 07:50:05 | More by appenzeller

bigfnjoe

Pennsylvania

3.38/5  rDev -5.8%
look: 2.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Poured from a bottle into a pint glass.

A- pours a slightly cloudy light gold with a thin bright white head that quickly fades. No lacing. Looks like...a domestic. Oh god no.

S- smells like grassy hops and corn. You know what...I don't really mind it. Sometimes, you need something thats not a total hop bomb or ridiculously malty. Its a good smell.

T- there is a little bitterness there...overall, really light tasting, not a ton of flavor.

M- light. Carbonated. Thin. No real feel to it at all. Feels like...well, generic beer.

D- I'll give Victory this, they've created one hell of a drinkable lager. Its got some decent flavor to it so doesn't seem like you're drinking colored water, but overall...its a basic lager. Nice alternative to a domestic, but its not something I'd drink on a regular basis

Serving type: bottle

06-02-2010 21:20:36 | More by bigfnjoe

TommyW

Massachusetts

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

A- Crystal clear gold body with a bubble, white head.

S- Grassy sweet malts with a bit of bitter hops.

T- Semi-sweet, grassy and hay flavors from the malt with a touch of bitterness from a European-ish hop profile.

M- Crisp and clean over a medium body.

D- Very refreshing lager that is close to the style.

Serving type: bottle

06-02-2010 17:58:16 | More by TommyW

haddon

Kentucky

3.7/5  rDev +3.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A- pours a light, golden yellow out of the bottle with nice frothy white head. not much carbonation bubbles & night much lacing down glass

S- lemon & grassy notes are about all I detect. perhaps a bit grainy hops as well. I never quite feel lagers bring a lot of notes on the nose but this is pretty indicative for the class.

T- tastes much like the nose: floral hops, grassiness & lemons. pretty clean and fresh.

M- light body that is a little light on the carbonation

D- this is drinkable beer for the dog days of Summer. pulled this out after I mowed the lawn and it did the trick!

Serving type: bottle

05-30-2010 18:50:51 | More by haddon

speter

New Jersey

3.88/5  rDev +8.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

A: Pours a pale golden yellow with a good two-finger head in my pilsner glass. (Note: it's key to get a fresh bottle of this; I got an out-of-date bottle a month ago, and it was nearly flat.)

S: The nose is surprisingly good for a lager, which tends to be light in the scent department. There is a nice grassy malt scent with a lightly-citrus hop bouquet. (I don't think I've used bouquet in any of my reviews yet, so deal with it.)

T: Pretty much spot-on Munich-style helles. Malty and lightly hoppy, but not heavy in the mouthfeel.

M: Light and refreshing. A great summer beer.

D: It's over 90 °F/33 °C here today, so I could easily polish off a couple of these.

Serving type: bottle

05-26-2010 23:56:55 | More by speter

omnigrits

Texas

3.5/5  rDev -2.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a bottle into a straight pint glass. Pale yellow with very little head which soon disappears completely. No lace.

Clean, bready malt aroma with a touch of hops. Flavour is mostly sweetly malty but nicely balanced with the hops. Good body with some prickly carbonation. A decent but not outstanding Helles lager.

Serving type: bottle

05-25-2010 23:48:51 | More by omnigrits

MirkoCroCough

Croatia (Hrvatska)

4.5/5  rDev +25.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Bottle into pint glass.

Crystal clear, bright shining light.

Very clean beery nose.

It's all in there and it is well balanced.

Good!

Clean and crisp.

This is a wonderful beer. Quality with no pretense. Impossible not to find enjoyable. Another homerun for Victory.

Serving type: bottle

05-25-2010 09:37:56 | More by MirkoCroCough

rdub

Pennsylvania

3/5  rDev -16.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

My first Victory branded beverage. I had high hopes and this one was pretty much average. I was hoping for Munich Helles style flavor but got "basic" out of it. The appearance was golden with a one finger head and a tiny bit of lacing. Smell was balanced as was the taste. Like I said above, Basic. Mouthfeel was right down the middle as was drinkability. Actually drinkability was pretty good and would be good for a rookie to try.

Serving type: bottle

05-23-2010 00:52:22 | More by rdub

zoso1967

Michigan

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

Pours a very pale yellow with an ever so delicate head that fades fast and leaves some equally delicate lace. The aroma is slightly sweet and malty, herbal hops with a bit of floral perfume. The flavor is just as delicate and smooth with a bready malt base and a herbal, floral hop character. This beer is none too exciting, but very tasty with a nice noble hop character. The mouthfeel is very light and refreshing with a nice dry finish that begs for another sip. Obviously this is very drinkable, and would be a great beer for any friends still into the BMC beers. Not the best Victory beer, but another solid offering.

Serving type: bottle

05-22-2010 02:15:07 | More by zoso1967

witster18

Tennessee

4.03/5  rDev +12.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Lager yes... hellas style... not so much.

This is a dam^ fine lager. Very subtle flavors. Mild sweetness and a touch of hoppy citrus. Just a slight bite of dort/export lager here and that really makes it for me becuase there is a lack of the usual oversweet slightly alcohol floral of most hellas lagers. That makes the style in limbo, but this is basically a mistake free lager... the perfect lawnmower beer if you will.

one led to another.. and another... etc....

would probably still be drinkin the stuff had I not run out.

Probably my third fave lager behind dort gold from great lakes and Brooklyn Lager. This is a toned down version of a fantastic lager.

I'll definately revisit.

Serving type: bottle

05-08-2010 21:06:53 | More by witster18