St. Boisterous - Victory Brewing Company

nomad

Kansas

4.45/5  rDev +15.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

The appearance of this beer constantly changes yet doesn't budge at all. Color wise it shows golden, brown, amber, and straw-yellow shades overlapping for a different color depending on the light, angle, and how much is left in your glass. What doesn't change is the complete lack of carbonation or head. It somehow never looks quite as good as it tastes.

Smells of bready notes smooth out by lagering, fresh honey, and doses of marzipan. Sometimes a mutated grassy scent of noble hops sneaks in, only to be enveloped by the sweet and comforting body of malt.

Taste follows with the complementary palate of bready/doughy malts with honey edges and a big minty hop finish. With time the sweet malt body gets quite large but is never cloying or otherwise obtrusive; a good lagering makes the big body of this beer as sleek and smooth as German engineering. Hops balance well this full-bodied beer.

A very good maibock. Spot on to style like all of Victory's lagers.

Serving type: on-tap

06-06-2004 15:57:21 | More by nomad

aracauna

Georgia

3.9/5  rDev +1.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Light amber in color, the head was on the small side. While unimpressive in the appearance, it was a surprise after that with a crisp orange flower aroma and a refreshing citrus flavor. There’s a light bitter finish that helps make this an excellent maibock.

Serving type: on-tap

06-05-2004 05:35:01 | More by aracauna

cerevisiaephilus

Michigan

4.35/5  rDev +13%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Since being back in SE PA, this has been one of my favorites. Really a nicely done bock that isn't overpowering. Very nice looking beer with a nice head even after 2 hours in a growler. Nice munich malt caramel notes in the nose. The taste is very nice following the nose with some just right caramel munich flavors. I figure they're munich flavors, maybe some vienna malts as well. I also get some hops in the finish. I think they're hops. Just a bit bitter at the end. I like it. Pretty decent mouthfeel, nothing super. Very drinkable, even at >7%abv.

Serving type: on-tap

05-24-2004 23:19:22 | More by cerevisiaephilus

Gasp100

Delaware

4.33/5  rDev +12.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

I picked up a sixtel of this seasonal from the brewery on the advice of fellow BA's / kegarator owners.
Pours a clear amber copper with a peach colored fluffy head. The lacing is sparse down the side of the glass. The aroma is full of sweets, malt, slighlty floral hops, a breadiness, yeast and a touch of fruit notes. The taste is sweet toasted malts, very light fruit overtones and a short quick finish of hop bitterness. The mouthfeel is incredibly smooth, full and rich; a little sticky and the warming hint of alcohol comes out near the end on the palate. The balance and smooth character make this beer extremely drinkable and a really nice spring seasonal. Overall, I prefer hefe's, wits and pilsner's around this time of year (been averaging 80 degree's plus)but this is a perfect choice to have one tap when spring is heading fast into summer. Delicious.

Serving type: on-tap

05-18-2004 22:11:21 | More by Gasp100

purplehops

Maine

4.1/5  rDev +6.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Growler filled from the tap at Victory.
Poured a copper/yellow color with a frothy off-white head that left nice lacing on the glass. The aroma was very malty with hints of fruit and citrus. The taste started with plenty of upfront toasted malt flavor and some caramel notes blended with a wee bit of earthiness and alcohol. The longer it was in your mouth the fruitier and more floral it became. The finish was very refreshing and crisp with the first notable appearance of hop bitterness joining the balance of malt sweetness and citrus flavors. Aftertaste was a pleasant maltiness with lingering notes of alcohol and citrus. Mouthfeel was smooth yet with a crispness to it and the body was medium.
Overall another nice brew from the folks at Victory. A nice balance and complexity for a Helles Bock IMHO.

Serving type: on-tap

07-13-2003 22:16:15 | More by purplehops

dwarbi

New York

4.28/5  rDev +11.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Nice looking beer. Amber colored, with a pure white head that settles to a thin layer, mostly on the edges and a little puddle in the middle of the glass. Not much of an aroma, but is there is pleasant. Slightly sweet and grainy. Very tasty. Chunky, but balanced. Feels creamy in the mouth. Complex, so it keep you interested and entertained.

Serving type: on-tap

07-04-2003 14:15:51 | More by dwarbi

WVbeergeek

Ohio

4.2/5  rDev +9.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Anytime I see a Victory product on tap I have to try it, they just are always a wonderful balanced representation of their style this maibock definitely delivers for me. Pours amber mild brown with an off white peach colored head. A nice trickled lace forms as the head begins to dwindle. Aroma is full of malt balanced by slighlty floral hops, a breadiness possibly from the yeast, and a touch of plum notes comes through to form one amazing beer aroma. Taste is very nice mellow balanced flavor primarily consists of malt sweet tones with an underlying fruit tone and hop profile tip toeing on my palate followed by a warming rush of aclohol that is not too overbearing just need to give this beer a little kick. Mouthfeel is slightly stickywith a tickling carbonation from this well-consructed medium bodied Victory classic. Drinkability nice spring/summer seasonal that I was pleased to find on tap very nice beer that plan to visit revisit hopefully in Downington.

Serving type: on-tap

06-14-2003 11:29:31 | More by WVbeergeek

rugbycritic

New York

4.1/5  rDev +6.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Most bocks coming from American brewers pale in comparision to their German counterparts. I'm sure it has to do with the selection of malts available, and the conditioning times allowed.

However, don't let all of that fool ya. This is an excellent helles. It's got everything you need, firm yet tasty maltiness, good color and clarity, just a hint of hops to balance the residual sweetness, and a hint of clean cloves (just a wafer thin hint mind you).

I have tried to brew this and related styles, and they are picky. This one definitely deserves a second look-see when I find it again.

Serving type: on-tap

06-02-2003 07:11:52 | More by rugbycritic

Bierman9

New Hampshire

4.35/5  rDev +13%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Stopped by Victory on D-Day, 06JUN09, with daughter Caitlin. Ended up with a couple of pints of this with dinner. The 0.5l glass was filled with an enticing, medium-golden, clear nectar. Occaisional carbo headed topside, towards the creamy, fine white head. Lacing in the glass was top-shelf. Nose was bready and floral, a great invite to sample more deeply. Body was very solidly medium, with nary a hint of prickliness on the tongue.

Flavor was replete with bready, toasty, malts. The sweetness level here was perfect. Hops were well represented, with lightly fruity traits (think pear and green apple). A superb blend of malt and hops! Oh so drinkable! Prosit!!

4.35
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | drink: 4.5

*** *** ***

Original review from 25MAY03. Hell yeah! Wish this bier was available in New England! St. B has a medium copper color, with perhaps a tinge of orange. It was clear throughout, and had a fine, thin white head atop it, with decent lacing. Nose was malty and sweet (in a Hell-Bock kind of way), and both body and smoothness on the tongue were medium. The flavor has a healthy dose of bready malt, nice and toasty and semi-sweet. A hint of fruitiness (and just a hint) shows up about midway through, and there is a crisp, fresh hop finish to St. B. Nicely balanced all the way! This is a lovely Bier! Prosit!!

overall: 4.25
appearance: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | mouthfeel: 4 | drinkability: 4.5

549

Serving type: on-tap

05-25-2003 07:38:02 | More by Bierman9

Boto

Connecticut

3.98/5  rDev +3.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Draught @ Victory. This one pours a absolutely clear golden color. There was very little white head on it. The nose was somewhat malty and also had a slight grassiness to it. The taste is a bit of a malty biscuity taste, and was slightly sweet. The medium body belies its 7.4% alcohol. Very Good!

Serving type: on-tap

05-15-2003 13:39:21 | More by Boto

frank4sail

New Jersey

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

Fruity sweet nose (yeasty). Rose' color with a yellow tint. Sweet taste with some floral notes in the finish (hop). Sweet biscut malt taste in dominant. Medium mouth with lively little bubble action on the tongue. Solid and quite drinkable. Had this at the 4/5 BA event and thanks to the BA's at lunch for the reccomendation... it went well with the pizza!

Serving type: on-tap

04-25-2003 11:07:24 | More by frank4sail

goindownsouth

South Carolina

4.22/5  rDev +9.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Mmmm, mmmm, good. This is one Helles that I will revist as much as I can while it is being tapped at Victory. Amazing in color, depth of flavor and aroma are all there. This brew offers a good bit of maltiness on the nose, which entertains you as the head vanishes. Very good from start to finish. Another Victory classic.

Prost!

Serving type: on-tap

04-19-2003 15:58:52 | More by goindownsouth

Jarod

Pennsylvania

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

This beer came to me a crystal clear, nicely carbonated and medium to dark straw colored. The head was white in color and seemed dense and light in nature. The aromas that came from the glass were fairly simple sweet malt, flowers, very light fruit, and some bitter hops. The flavors of the Saint were less simple then the nose. Some hops took the front – bitter, and floral hops – light caramel, great malt, some very light fruit, and a tad alcohol seemed to be present as well. A good balance of malt and hops that seemed to keep each other in balance, with the malt slightly more aggressive which left it with a moderate sweet appeal to it. Medium bodied and good malt balance make this beer pleasant to drink.

Serving type: on-tap

04-07-2003 09:38:20 | More by Jarod

bierman2000

Pennsylvania

4.13/5  rDev +7.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

very good maibock that changes form year to year with varying malts and hops. Sometimes dry other times sweeter, 7.4% alcohol is not noticeable at all and is a fairly smooth maibock. The draft version is usually all that is available anymore some years they bottle it and some they will bottle something different. A must try for maltheads as the malt usually dominates if slightly over the hops.

Serving type: on-tap

03-04-2003 14:51:17 | More by bierman2000

sponberg

New York

4.33/5  rDev +12.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Very nice example of a maibock. Malty fruitiness present and very drinkable. It speaks volumes that, when I brought three of these each to the houses of two friends who had spent substantial time in Germany, the third bottle of the three magically disappeared into the "hide this beer for myself only" corners of their refrigerators.

Be forewarned, it's hard to find the brewery - in an industrial complex and you cannot see at all it if coming in from the west.

Serving type: bottle

02-13-2002 23:31:05 | More by sponberg