St. Boisterous - Victory Brewing Company

chodinheaven

Maryland

3.78/5  rDev -1.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Good looking bright yellow color with a 3-finger white and bubbly head after an aggressive pour. The smell is pleasant and floral with a littler more than a touch of booze.

Full-bodied and hoppy for the style. Alcohol in the front and back, just a tad too much for the style as it takes away from the lightness you would expect in a spring or summer beer. Other than the booze, nice hop bitterness that makes the mouthfeel crisp and clean, with a dry finish. Better on the colder side, as the booziness starts to take over as it warms. A little fruitiness in the flavor too, but it's in the background. Good beer though, love Victory and their use of hops.

Serving type: bottle

05-23-2011 01:58:06 | More by chodinheaven

BB1313

Ohio

3.58/5  rDev -7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Enjoy by March 11, 2012. 12oz bottle poured into a standard pint glass. Pours a nice hazy golden on the brighter side. Decent head that rims around and nice lacing. Lots of earthy notes up front. The aromas are sweet as well. One sip and wow, this is pretty bitter. More earthy notes in the flavor as well, lemon is present. Caramel and malt does its' job. Mouthfeel is nice, very rich; not over-carbonated; full-bodied. The aftertaste is very bitter and warm. The alcohol is pretty noticeable, that's my only beef w/ this one. But overall, it's nice for the style.. nice for spring/summer.

This is an extremely robust lager! Not bad.. try it if you're into lagers, or want to try something different. This is pretty much what I expected from Victory.

Serving type: bottle

05-08-2011 00:05:59 | More by BB1313

Brad007

Vermont

3.53/5  rDev -8.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a nice yellow/gold color with a one-finger head into my glass. Definitely a helles bock for sure!

Sweet malt with a nice whiff of grassy hops in the nose. Seems to be very clean and possibly crisp.

A lot more bitterness upfront than I had anticipated with a mix of sweet and chalky malt.

Lingering grassy hops and sweet malt. Not much else of note.

I liked it at first but as the pint went along, I tasted things I didn't like. If they clean up the overall flavor, it might be more enjoyable. Still worth a try.

Serving type: bottle

05-04-2011 01:39:35 | More by Brad007

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

Samtoberfest

New York

3.75/5  rDev -2.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

"Tastes like nature, like you ate a pile of leaves"

Lovely words from my even lovelier girlfriend after having her try a sip of St. Boisterous at my favorite watering hole. While I have to disagree with her overall description, I do enjoy where she was going with the "earthiness" of this beer. I'm not traditionally a bock fan, but after hearing so many other customers claiming that this is their "favorite bock" I decided to give it a try. I wouldn't normally say you can really taste the hops in a lager-style beer, but St. Boisterous was an exception. The "earthiness" my girlfriend was so elegantly trying to describe of this beer was no doubt a testament to the traditional German hop and malt notes. It's an extremly smooth-going beer and finishes rather well on the palate.

While I'm not usually a fan of the darker Bock beers, this take on the Maibock or Helles bock is an exceptional substitute for the traditional American Lager. Rather than tailgating with a Budweiser (a name I use simply for reference to lager) I suggest going with a St. Boisterous. But be warned: The name is the truth, drink too many of these in the sun and you will, in fact, become quite Boisterous.

Serving type: on-tap

04-21-2011 21:00:33 | More by Samtoberfest

CJfromPhilly

Pennsylvania

3.63/5  rDev -5.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Pours from the 12oz. bottle a crystal clear light golden hue with a 1/2 finger head that settles into a collar of medium thickness. Carbonation is on the light side, not many bubbles visible. Aroma has a malty sweetness to it with a hint of citrus (lemon) with a hay/grass/straw note. 1st sip brings a dry hints of lemon, grass, a slightly metallic hop note, and some bready, biscuity yeast. Mouthfeel is light & refreshing, and there is little hint of the 7.4% alcohol. These would make a pretty good session beer. Overall, another very good beer from one of my favorite brewers.

Serving type: bottle

04-17-2011 23:46:03 | More by CJfromPhilly

aerozeppl

New York

3.98/5  rDev +3.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A: Amazingly clear bright golden color. One of the cleanest looking examples of the style that I have ever seen. A half finger of white head with good head retention.

S: Very clean fermentation. The highest compliment a German lager can get. A little bit of grain with just a touch of the hops in the back of the nose.

T: I find the best examples are not booze and this one hides it well which is tricky. Finishes clean and dry. Really well done example of the style.

M: Light bodied with just a little bit of a sticky.syrupy feel.

O: Drinks like a champ. The key with the style is to get it fresh and this was bottles less than two weeks ago. It was almost 80 today so this really hit the spot.

Serving type: bottle

04-12-2011 00:27:16 | More by aerozeppl

thebeerisgood

Indiana

3.68/5  rDev -4.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Aroma: Spices and caramel malt

Appearance: Dark golden color, unfiltered yeast with a light head that disappears quickly.

Taste: The sweet caramel malts come through pretty well on this one with only a slight bitterness from the hops. Finishes with spices and a bread/yeast flavor.

Mouthfeel: Hearty feeling with mild carbonation and very slight alcohol, pretty smooth overall.

Drinkability: Full bodied, solid beer. The alcohol is a little high, not something you would want to spend an evening drinking, but they go down very well.

Notes: This is my first beer experience form Victory, based in Pa, and I must say that it was a good first impression. I also enjoy the idea of a good Helles Bock, as it represents the coming of spring, and all the beer festivals that take place in Germany around that time. Compared to other Helles Bocks that I've tried such as Rogue Dead Guy and Sierra Nevada 30th Anniversary, this stacks up pretty well.

Serving type: bottle

04-03-2011 22:14:52 | More by thebeerisgood

billab914

Virginia

3.93/5  rDev +2.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured from a 12oz bottle into my Dogfish shaped glass. It poured golden in color with a fizzy, white head to it. The head faded after a few minutes, and left just a bit of lacing on my glass as I drank it.

The aroma has a crisp, grainy flavor to it. Some earthy, slightly peppery hops give it some very nice balance. Very clean, crisp and balanced beer.

The taste is similar to the nose suggested, with crisp, grainy flavors leading the way. I also get some more of the earthy, peppery hoppiness, especially in the finish. I get just a bit of sweetness coming through up front, where the hops seem to take over towards the finish.

The mouthfeel is on the lighter side with carbonation being moderate. Overall it was a very nice beer. It was crisp, clean, balanced, but also had a lot of flavor to it. Everything came together very nicely and made for a very easy drinking and tasty beer. A nice refreshing choice after working on the house all day. Definitely one of the better ones of the style I've had.

Serving type: bottle

04-01-2011 22:49:49 | More by billab914

Kendo

New York

3.78/5  rDev -1.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Poured from the bottle (best-by date of April 10, 2011; poured on 3/31/11) into a pilsner glass - carefully so as not to disturb the visible, floating sediment at the bottom of the bottle. . . . Body is coppery-amber and clear with a nice 1-finger light-khaki-colored head that leaves nice lacing behind.

S: Interesting - At the same time I'm getting juicy and fruity. The impression I get is that the juicy (a touch of citrus and apricot) is from the hops while the fruity is malt or yeast. Pleasant nose.

T: Similar to the nose, in that I'm not sure what this beer wants to be. Some doughy sweetness and a touch of apricot again, along with generic fruity sweetness. Ever-so-faint lingering bitterness on the palate cuts what is otherwise a generally fruity-sweet beer. Fairly high ABV is well-hidden, felt in the belly but not on the palate.

M: Feels pretty light - call it slightly heftier than light-bodied, but it isn't substantial enough to be called "medium." Carbonation is smooth and gentle.

O: I'll give it a "good" in overall impression.

Serving type: bottle

04-01-2011 01:23:51 | More by Kendo

JRed

New Jersey

3.68/5  rDev -4.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A slightly bubbling clear golden body with white foam head that fades to the edges of the glass. Pleasant notes of grains, cereal, slight wheat, floral, and some hops in the nose. Tastes of cereal, grains, slight dirty wheat, a flash of the booze towards the finish and then a sweet honey note mixes with hop dryness that fades out. Light bodied with light carbonation. Crisp in mouthfeel with a good malt base and a passable hop presence but the booze comes across as stale and pestering.

Serving type: bottle

03-23-2011 02:42:00 | More by JRed

Suds

Pennsylvania

3.63/5  rDev -5.7%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

This beer is a mostly clear golden color with a very slim head. Nice, malt-heavy aroma. The beer has a slightly toasted scent, with a bread and alcohol scent. Clean flavor, with a prominent malt character. A little sulfur-like note, but otherwise clean. Sweet. Firm body, and very drinkable. Overall, a good bock.

Serving type: bottle

02-26-2011 02:48:55 | More by Suds

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

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

JamnesCameron

Illinois

2.4/5  rDev -37.7%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2

Poured into a MJ tasting glass.

Pours a hazy deep golden orange with an offwhite head. Took a vigorous pour to get about two fingers of head. Slowly drops to about half a pinkie's worth. Looks like some good lacing from this one. Should be much clearer beer for style.

Aroma of sweet malt, caramelly. Otherwise, not much aroma when chilled. No hop aroma. Expected a bigger malt presence in the aroma.

First sip is of thin malt, with a balancing bitterness. Some bite from the carbonation. A little astringency. Very short finish, doesn't leave much there except a little astringent bitterness.

Mouthfeel is light/medium. Drying, astringent bitterness. Almost coppery flavor.

Okay drinkability. Not very close to style. Needs more malt, more bitterness, less astringency, and a clearer appearence.

Serving type: bottle

01-25-2011 23:46:09 | More by JamnesCameron

CuriousMonk

Virginia

2.68/5  rDev -30.4%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2 | overall: 2.5

Poured 12 oz bottle into a snifter glass. Pours clear orange gold, thin white head. A quite fragrant beer - interesting mixture of flowers, honey, and spices. Not to heavy but definitely distinct. Taste adds a moderate bitter hop over a lightly sweet malt (has elements that remind me of honey). Not very good carbonation with lingering sediments which I found odd coming from Victory. Very flat, lacks head and lace. Am going against the grain here and say I wasn't impressed with this one overall.

Serving type: bottle

01-23-2011 22:18:41 | More by CuriousMonk

brystmar

New York

4.22/5  rDev +9.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

12oz bottle into a tulip. Same bottle as RB below (aged ~1yr); "Enjoy by April 10, 2011" printed on the side.

A: beautifully orange, slightly murky. White head with poor overall retention, but a decent film of white tops the brew.

S: much bigger aroma than I was expecting. Malty & spicy with yeast, hops, some sweetness too. Fantastic -- I've never had a Helles that smelled anywhere close to this good!

T: malty at first with well-balanced hoppy bitterness start to finish. Spices shoot out with small peaks of differing flavors here and there, but it's still watery like every other Helles (and most lagers) I've had. Given the style, this is quite tasty.

M: a smooth beer with more body than expected. Not much carbonation (likely due to my half of the bottle being poured 20min after RB's). Creaminess is what I desire: gimme gimme!

D: Like most Helles, this one boasts good drinkability -- even given this particular high gravity recipe. I'd happily order this beer at a bar on a random night, and that's something I can rarely say about any lager.

Serving type: bottle

01-12-2011 06:56:46 | More by brystmar

Richardberg

New Jersey

4.05/5  rDev +5.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A - poured into a tulip. Bottle is about a year old, so I'm not surprised the head is a little lacking: half inch of white on top after a vigorous pour, gone in 30sec. A few bubbles float up now & then, or join the fleck of foam around the edge. Color is a muddy orange, almost pink at some angles, brown at others. Totally opaque, but not what I'd call cloudy; nothing floating.

S - big smell for a maibock. Sweet caramel malts, hops, a little winter spicing. Hops are entirely toward the floral side of things, which is good; pine and citrus would be out of place. Distinctive fruity plum character as well.

T - pretty much like the smell. Bitterness of the hops is more forward, but pleasantly so. I perceive the spices more as a bite than a distinct flavor.

M - still has enough latent carbonation to be crisp, almost fizzy on the tongue. Frankly I prefer this feel to the typical lager. A lot. Nice rich body too, coats smoothly, especially given the style @ "only" 7%.

D - well done. Not gonna drink a sixer like you might with a more typical bock, but this one is worth it, especially in a snowy winter like now. And yet, it's not like they gone and brewed a barleywine or a porter or something wacky: it's still very recognizable. And I like it anyway. Not the first time Victory has made me a believer in styles I'd otherwise discard. Props.

Serving type: bottle

01-12-2011 06:27:58 | More by Richardberg

RickS95

Indiana

3.83/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Pours a bronze/copper color with a light tan head. Slightly cloudy.

There are a lot of smells taking place. I can pick up hoppy, flowery notes; some sweet fruits; and some warming spices.

I don't usually like lagers, but this is one of the best tasting lagers around. The taste is similar to the smell with fruity sweetness, hoppy bitterness and cinnamon.

The beer has some bite to it with the hops and spices, so it's not smooth and lacks the mouthfeel I look for.

Fortunately, this is a winter beer because it's perfect to keep you warm. It's got a warm smell and warm flavors, and just enough alcohol to warm you up as well.

Serving type: bottle

12-25-2010 05:25:35 | More by RickS95

aasher

Indiana

3.8/5  rDev -1.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This one pours a a muddied orange brown, kind of like apple cider. The bottle is a little old so the aromas don't come out as they should. It smells of subtle pale sweet malts with light citrusy sweetness. It tastes very good for a Helles Bock. The citrusy hops complement the pale malts quite well. It drinks smooth with mild carbonation. I'm a fan of this one. I normally don't like this style but it has good flavor and is very drinkable for 7.4%.

Serving type: bottle

11-27-2010 20:16:17 | More by aasher

keanex

New Jersey

3.55/5  rDev -7.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Poured from a bottle into a snifter.

A: Hazy Amber color with a small fast dissipating head. Minimal lacing.

S: Pleasant hoppy and florally scents mixed with a malty scent.

T: A nice mix of hops, slight caramel, and a few other tastes I couldn't really put my finger on. Pleasant beer overall.

M: Low-Medium carbonation, lighter-medium bodied beer. Goes down easy.

D: Very drinkable beer, goes down smooth.

Serving type: bottle

11-22-2010 14:59:39 | More by keanex

TMoney2591

Illinois

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

Served in a Chicago Bears shaker pint glass.

Another second-chancer, which I'm happy to see out here in the middest of the Midwest. It pours a pretty clear pale amber topped by a finger of wan ecru foam. The nose comprises buttery biscuits, orange zest, caramel, and a light smattering of flowers. The taste strikes a very nice balance between orange-laden citrus on the one hand and buttery bread and caramel on t'other. Good times. The body is a stolid medium, with a light carbonation and a fairly smooth feel. Overall, a decidedly nice brew, something to kick back on a lazy autumn day.

Serving type: bottle

11-05-2010 18:38:28 | More by TMoney2591

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

cameraman

Kentucky

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

A medium amber color with some visible carbonation. A light beige to white colored head, that starts at a half inch and dissolving away to a thin layer on top. A malty fragrance, with touches of bread and cracked grain, finishing with a mild feint scent of grass. Malt, malt and more malt is the dominant flavor, with bread and biscuit flavors. Those flavors last till the back end, when it finishes with a hop bitterness of grass and citrus, did I mention the malt. The consistent medium body lasts all the way through, it leaves a medium dryness at the end. This is really drinkable, the color and aroma are classic for the style. The taste is malty, more malty than I would prefer, but it takes nothing away from the flavor. Overall this is a great beer for spring and the summer heat.

Serving type: bottle

10-22-2010 03:31:17 | More by cameraman

Thorpe429

Illinois

4.15/5  rDev +7.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Reviewed from notes.

Pours a slightly opaque off-gold color with a white head. The nose brings a lot of bread with a bit of grain and some light fruit notes. While the nose is certainly quite mild, I get a lot of different fruit notes sneaking out from underneath the doughy exterior. The taste dials back on this a bit, and ends up being more of a sweet bread-type brew. However, for the style it style has quite a bit of nice flavor. The feel is nice, with a light to medium body that's slightly creamy. Overall, this is a very good American rendition of the style.

Serving type: on-tap

10-21-2010 00:38:14 | More by Thorpe429