St. Boisterous - Victory Brewing Company

kernalklink

Arizona

3.2/5  rDev -16.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Poured gleaming gold into the glass, with some nice head retention- seems to glow, very attractive brew. Aromas of bready malts, tangy spiciness and a hint of alcohols and solvent. Taste is unexpectedly harsh- huge rawness in both the alcohol and hops up front. Not so much bitter, but tongue curling all the same. Malts are also huge and overly sweet like green grapes and biscuits. Honey-like sticky sweetness on the finish, the mouthfeel is syrupy and heavy. There is that obvious lager-ish yeast flavor that helps keep it somewhat crisp and balanced but the harsh flavors need to be grounded.

Serving type: bottle

03-23-2007 14:18:50 | More by kernalklink

tone77

Pennsylvania

3.2/5  rDev -16.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Poured from a brown 12 oz. bottle. Has a caramel color with a small head. Smell is of malts and grains. Taste is of malts and grains, well balanced but not a lot of flavor. Feels medium bodied in the mouth and has average drinkability. Overall this makes for a decent brew.

Serving type: bottle

03-14-2010 23:20:26 | More by tone77

mrasskicktastic

New Jersey

3.23/5  rDev -16.1%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

A - Golden copper with a half finger head that quickly dissipates into a thin ring on the surface. Not much lacing to speak of at all. A few streams of carbonation is visible thorugh the brew's slight haze.

S - Honestly, it smells like some of the better macros. It doesn't have that classic rice pungency though. A bit of grassy hops over grain with a touch of corn. Not very strong, but this is a classical case where less isn't necessarily worse.

T - Mostly grassy hop flavor, there is a bit of light malt as well. The aftertaste is grassy hops too. Only a faint bitterness. There is a bit of an unpleasantness to the aftertaste, a little chemical edge, but it is very mild.

M - Medium bodied and only slightly refreshing.

D - It is pretty easy to drink. Mild enough for a variety of food. It seems true to the Maibock style, but I feel that it comes up short from being a really good beer. It seems to be a bit lacking in innovation. Granted, it does seem like it is a style that shouldn't be tampered with greatly, but I did expect a bit more.

Serving type: bottle

10-02-2006 23:51:26 | More by mrasskicktastic

corby112

Pennsylvania

3.23/5  rDev -16.1%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a clear golden yellow color with a thin fizzy white head that quickly fades. Golden crisp fruit aroma with hints of apple, pear banana, hops and spice. Maltier than I expected with a crisp fruit taste which is not very prominent with a delicate hop presence. Slightly bitter dry finish.

Serving type: bottle

12-07-2008 08:27:28 | More by corby112

Risser09

Pennsylvania

3.25/5  rDev -15.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

12 oz bottle poured into a pilsner - fridge - best by april 24, 2010

Appearance: Pours a golden, transparent, urine colored beer with plenty of active carbonation. A 1" soapy, white head builds and shows ample retention, and leaves some lace on the glass.

Smell: Sweet, tart and light. Lemon, funky sourness, light floral hops and a pale malt.

Taste: Light flavor of pale malt, booze, lager yeast, sweet sugar, but not too much more beyond that.

Mouthfeel: Thin, light, sweet and quite boozy. Carbonation is foamy and the booze goes down to the stomach.

Dirnkability: A yummy lager that drinks like an ale. I could hardly determine the yeast style. I don't think I would reach for it again.

Serving type: bottle

08-17-2009 11:45:19 | More by Risser09

Innocentexile

Ohio

3.25/5  rDev -15.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

12 oz poured into pint

A-Cloudy pale yellow with pretty much zippo head.

S-sort of a lemony citrus aroma, maybe orange too. pretty sweet smelling

M/T-I can taste the alcohol peeping its head out of this guy. other than that, bready taste along with a tinge of citrus. not too shabby. nice body. eh, second swig the alcohol definately came out

O-aside from the alcohol being present in the taste a little too much for my liking, this is a decent brew, certainly not the best from Victory however

Serving type: bottle

11-25-2011 01:12:26 | More by Innocentexile

BeerCon5

Pennsylvania

3.28/5  rDev -14.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a cloudy, bright orange color, with a thick fluffy white head that disappeared quickly.

The scent was of citrus and notes of sweet malts.

The taste was of sweet caramal malts, toasted bread, and some citrus.

Medium body, pretty smooth, moderate carbonation.

This was pretty average for the style, not really something I would look for again.

Serving type: on-tap

10-22-2012 14:55:44 | More by BeerCon5

AltBock

Ohio

3.3/5  rDev -14.3%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

12 oz. bottle that has an almost life like drawing of St. Boisterous, the harbinger of spring. The drawing is a bit creepy. He's got a "I know it was wrong, but I'm glad I did it" grin on his face. There was that and that leaf on his head didn't help him out with his innocence either. To the right of St. Boisterous is the US Government warning and the barcode. On the left side of the Saint is a hefty paragraph describing the beer, address of the brewery, and a clearly stamped "enjoy by" date of Sep 23, 2007. I would have drank it earlier, but I forgot I had this one.

Appearance: When poured into a simple mug, this Saint poured a clear golden orange color with a hint of amber to it. The head of foam started off real nice, but that quickly changed in only 4 seconds. It would have been nice it had kept the 1 inch head of white foam, but that made a hasty retreat and transformed itself into just 3 small white rings around the glass. It's impossible for 3 little rings to produce any lace of any sort.

Smell: I just couldn't get excited by the aroma of this beer. It was good, but it was too weak. It was a juicy aroma with a dab of sweet caramel, a trace of lightly toasted malts, a pinch of floral hops, and since this is a spring beer, it had a few blades of grass in it as well.

Taste: After the appearance and the smell, I wasn't too happy with this beer. That was until I tasted the beer. It made up for itself where it counts, the taste. It had a light, yet flavorful taste of lightly toasted malts, juicy fruits, and a few floral hops to send it off. There weren't many flavors in this beer, but whatever was there didn't any more help from any more flavors. They did the job that they were made to do and they didn't need any more flavors to get in their way of their job.

Mouthfeel: It was definitely a light beer with a nice level of carbonation. It had a light aftertaste of toasted malts and just a spatter of floral hops. They didn't bother to stick around. Much like the head of foam.

Drinkability: For a beer that a couple months over due, it still made for a good light beer that would make any spring season special. I would like to try this Victory beer fresh. If it's this good now, it has to better when it's not overdue.

Serving type: bottle

12-28-2007 06:55:27 | More by AltBock

thequeen711

Pennsylvania

3.33/5  rDev -13.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

A nice, light yellow pour with light lacing. Didn't detect a noticeable nose. A light mouthfeel, very summer oriented brew. Thirst quenching, easy to drink. A highly drinkable summer beer, this beer would be my choice for an all summer brew, thanks to the folks at Victory Brewing Co.

Serving type: on-tap

08-18-2009 23:10:57 | More by thequeen711

guinness33

New Jersey

3.35/5  rDev -13%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Pours a pretty good looking crisp copper colour with a smallish frothy head that dissolves quickly and leaves no markings on the glass.

The aroma is sweet: a bit floral, a bit candy-like and a touch of caramel malt.

Flavour is still sweet, but more grainy here and malt, while still having a caramel tone to it, is a bit earthier than expected, although certainly not rugged in any way. There's a bit of a juiciness here as well. Mouthfeel is light bodied and a touch slick.

This one was okay overall. No real flaws but nothing memorable. It does a good but not great job of representing the style and once again drinkability is a bit low for me as I'm just not crazy about the style as a whole. If you like the style you'll be into this one a heck of a lot more than I was, but still, I've got no complaints...

Serving type: bottle

06-09-2007 01:07:39 | More by guinness33

mryuk

Illinois

3.38/5  rDev -12.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

The beer pours deep reddish orange. unfiltered with a light head with little retention.

smell is strong malty honey. Very sweet honey overpowering slight piny hops.

taste is quite a bit more bitter and hoppy than the nose. a bit sour and piny the honey comes through a little.

light and crisp with good carbonation.

Drinkability is alright. The hops-honey combination didn't work that well for me but the beer was not terrible.

Serving type: bottle

02-04-2011 23:32:43 | More by mryuk

scruffwhor

Illinois

3.4/5  rDev -11.7%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A golden honey elixir color with sparse bubbles and a meager head. Some atringent yet sweet fruits greeet the nose. But not very pronounced. A light, malty beer with very subtle nuances of honeydew and cantaloupe. A little spice hit at the end from the alcohol. This beer worked rather well with some medium to hot chili.

Serving type: bottle

10-17-2006 01:52:16 | More by scruffwhor

silentjay

Massachusetts

3.4/5  rDev -11.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

pours a light, clear amber copper with a one-finer head that retains well but leaves only a little lacing.

smells of caramel and some european hops. some lemon, too. reminds me of a maltier noble pilsner.

tastes malty and sweet at first with citrus (lemony, acidic) coming through next, and then some bitter, noble hops on the swalow. sweetness comes back again in the aftertaste, as well as a little alcohol burn in the back of the mouth.

pretty light bodied, though thats to be expected. decent carbonation. drinks ok as well. not a bad spring beer. refreshing, yet kinda tasty. alcohol burn in the aftertaste hurts it here though.

Serving type: bottle

04-06-2010 23:33:47 | More by silentjay

jdhilt

New Hampshire

3.4/5  rDev -11.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Pours a two finger white head that fades quickly and leaves some lace. Slight hazy amber color. Light-medium carbonation and medium bodied. Almost a caramel nose. Flavor is malty and hoppy, nice maibock. The higher ABV is totally hidden. $2.65 for a 12oz bottle from Colonial Spirits Acton, Ma.

Serving type: bottle

10-07-2010 22:32:38 | More by jdhilt

TheFightfan1

Pennsylvania

3.4/5  rDev -11.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

On tap at the Hulmeville. Poured light orange with decent head that did disappear to nothing. Caramel malts, a quick spicey hop flash and a bready yeasty finish that lingers for a while on the palate. Smooth malty beer which finished dry but nothing really standing out. Easily drinkable

Serving type: on-tap

01-30-2011 15:19:43 | More by TheFightfan1

puboflyons

New Hampshire

3.43/5  rDev -10.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

From the 12 fl. oz. bottle with an expiration date of March 11, 2012. Sampled on April 27, 2011. It pours pale yellow with a fuzzy white head that diminishes quickly. The aroma is more grainy than anything else with a malty note thrown in on the side. The body is thin to medium but tolerable. The taste also comes across as grainy with a light but dry hop kick at the end.

Serving type: bottle

04-27-2011 22:29:18 | More by puboflyons

NEhophead

Massachusetts

3.43/5  rDev -10.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

12 fl oz brown bottle, served in a pilsener glass.

Enjoy by 3/11/2012.

Thin straw in color with a slight haze. Creamy white head that recedes to an intact sheet after a few moments. No noticeable lacing.

Honey sweetened, lightly toasted malt aroma. Notes of mild, bright fruit: raspberry, strawberry; touches of orange and peach.

Dark, musty quality with burnt oats that linger throughout the sip. The toasted malt quality has a creamy, honey sweetened quality. Stiff grains and wheat that is rather adjunctory tasting. Notes of mildly sour peach and orange in the aftertaste.

A light, medium bodied. Fairly smooth given the predominance of grain in taste.

Decent aromas and texture, but there are definitely some flaws in flavor. This is one to pass on.

Serving type: bottle

05-29-2011 02:50:53 | More by NEhophead

dherling

New Jersey

3.45/5  rDev -10.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Poured out a semi cloudy orange brown color with a decent off white head that shrunk into a thin film of blah. The nose is like fruit cake, warm cherry pie, alcohol, more lousy fruit cake, and even more fruit cake. Why would they do this? I hate fruit cake! The taste Is of corrupt malt, singing with alcohol and fruity esters, some prune, and a bit of dark sour cherry. Mouthfeel is mild and tame, finishes cloying and syrupy. Not terribly drinkable, but not unbearable either. Overall an ok beer worth trying, but not a favorite of mine.

Serving type: bottle

03-14-2007 03:39:05 | More by dherling

claspada

New Jersey

3.45/5  rDev -10.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Aromas are centered around suble bready and pale malts with some slight caramel/honey sweetness. A small bit of spicy/flowery hop character

The tastes are nice and pleasant. Somewhat sweet with pale malts, honey, grain, some pepperiness from the yeast and some mild grassy hops on the finish. Body is medium to light and the mouthfeel is crisp with fairly lively carbonation. Drinkability is high. A very solid beer through and through.

Serving type: bottle

10-26-2010 18:05:03 | More by claspada

kingcrowing

Vermont

3.45/5  rDev -10.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

12oz bottle poured into a Duvel tulip.

Pours a slightly hazy amber/orange color with a small white head with a nice ring of lacing. Nose is sweet, malty, both very 'Victory' and very German - I like it.

Taste is sharp and crisp with a light sulfur note that is reminiscent of Prima Pils, there is a bit of alcohol present but it isn't over the top. Mouthfeel is a bit chewy but still crisp and refreshing. A good way to start a hot summer evening.

Serving type: bottle

08-05-2011 21:20:52 | More by kingcrowing

walleye

Michigan

3.48/5  rDev -9.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

from the bottle that I got in a trade. poured a golden honey with a off white head that left no lacing. aroma, metallic, citrus (lemon/orange), hops, caramel, honey. flavor a malty sweetness, hops, honey, fruity. like the nice smooth mouthfeel on this beer

Serving type: bottle

05-28-2006 19:16:40 | More by walleye

BuckeyeNation

Iowa

3.48/5  rDev -9.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

"Timid men prefer the calm of despotism to the boisterous sea of liberty."

--Thomas Jefferson

Shiny tangerine that isn't that far removed from shiny amber. A boisterous pour resulted in no more than two fingers of foam that is some combination of pastel orange, beige and ivory. This is a pretty classic look for the style. Maibock... helles bock... hellerbock... take your pick.

The nose is a disappointment. I don't smell anything on the malt side of the equation; perhaps not that surprising with the paler varieties. As far as hops, I get no more than a hint of noble muskiness. St. Boisterous has some work to do on the palate or this will be one of my least favorite Victory offerings ever.

Things aren't quite so bad on the buds, but I'm still far from impressed. The beer has a wishy-washy personality in that it lacks a flavor focus. Helles bocks are usually sweeter and maltier than this. I'm aware that I'm drinking a spring release in the fall, but it's the early fall and a beer of this sort and this ABV should have held up just fine.

There's a little golden fruitiness (apricots and apples), along with a hop presence that isn't prominent... nor should it be. The German 'whole hop flowers' have an easy time balancing the barely evident sweetness of the German malts. I don't know why Victory can't let us know what's in their beer.

I like the mouthfeel since it has a lightly silky smoothness that is helped by a laid back amount of carbonation. Big (and even medium-sized) lagers, if brewed with any sort of skill at all, have always appealed to me from a mouthfeel standpoint.

Victory brews some of the best beer to be found in this country. Storm King Stout, Prima Pils, Hop Wallop... all superb. Even though maibock/helles bock isn't among my favorite styles, I can appreciate a good one when I drink it. St. Boisterous is decent beer, but no more than that.

Serving type: bottle

10-01-2007 13:40:22 | More by BuckeyeNation

farrago

New Jersey

3.48/5  rDev -9.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

The head crests over a finger of some of the loosest foam possible, big bubbles pop and evaporate swiftly, the foam barely coats the surface, zero lacing. No beads, just random huge bubbles, has a clean light golden color of a slight metallic cast. The nose is based in pretzel dough, black pepper, orange marmalade, peach, apricot, green apple fruit scents and caramel, noticeably sweet overall with a moderate hoppiness at most, produces cereal and granola notes as it opens, quite full nostril presence. Full-bodied, its plushness and generally weak carbonation undermines the pepper, grass and straw but it is not wimpy, simply sweeter than may be desired. Displays orange, tangerine to almost pink grapefruit pulp citrus. Layers on the apricot, peach, nectarine, pineapple, sugary and close to dried fruit in nature. Still, feels obligated to add a bitter twist to the end, this in spite of a syrupy mouth texture. Overall, feels and tastes like a “normal” everyday lager sent to finishing school and made from higher quality ingredients.

Serving type: bottle

07-21-2011 02:08:33 | More by farrago

hanco005

Minnesota

3.5/5  rDev -9.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Picked up a single to review, 12 oz bottle, tells me to enjoy by Oct 13 06, poured into a pint glass

A—pours clear honey yellowish amber with a fizzy thin sheet for a head that is gone instantly, laces down the inside of glass similar to detergent

S—sour, yeast and wheat, mild sweetness, some lemon, some banana, too

T—Malty to be sure, some sourness and tartness, maybe a bit on the bready side, not bad, really

M—feels a little flat, light bodied, mild carbonation

D—not bad, but not great either. Worth a try, but I wouldn’t buy a bunch of these.

Serving type: bottle

06-25-2006 05:06:54 | More by hanco005

hoppymeal

Michigan

3.5/5  rDev -9.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Pours a deep gold color with a white head that fades quickly. Smell of sweet grass as well as light nutty sweet malted barley with a little lemoniness. Taste follows the aroma with the sweet matiness dominating especially as it warms, there is again a hint of lemoniness and a little crisp-ness in the finish. Light to medium in body and fairly drinakble. I think I prefer this one on the colder side as it is a little more crisp, probably not refrigerator cold but as it warms to room temp the crispness definitely fades.

Serving type: bottle

08-08-2006 22:53:53 | More by hoppymeal