St. Victorious - Victory Brewing Company

atsprings

North Carolina

3.93/5  rDev -3.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

On-tap at Busy Bee served in a tulip glass a deep crisp amber with a thin diminishing head. Aroma is burnt caramel malts and a hint of alcohol. The taste is caramel malts and dried fruits in front of Earthy hops giving way to a lingering dried fruit finish. The beer is medium bodied with mild alcohol presence. This is a unique and enjoyable Dopplebock, one I could certainly see myself ordering again.

Serving type: on-tap

02-17-2011 22:10:11 | More by atsprings

tzieser

Arizona

4.58/5  rDev +12.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

poured from a 12oz bottle into a standard pint glass (AC/DC themed, if you must know)

a: pours a deep dark ruby color with a thick two finger head that slowly settles into a thin lacing.

s: rich aroma. notes of sweet toasted malts, caramel and ripe fruit. i can already tell this is gonna be a deliciously malty dopplebock.

t: deliciously malty. great malt complexity. notes of caramel, toasted malts (bready character) and a very subtle crispiness (hops?). very very good. probably one of the best US made dopplebocks i've had. even rivals weihenstephan korbanian (my fav)

m&d: smooth mouthfeel; good drinkability.

again, this is probably the best US made dopplebock i've had. i keep seeing people mentioning Troeggenator dopplebock....the troegs' bock is good, but it just doesn't have the same german character that this one does. well done.

Serving type: bottle

02-15-2011 22:21:05 | More by tzieser

rwillh

Massachusetts

4.55/5  rDev +11.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Appearance: Dark Amber. It looks like a double bock. About one finger head.

Smell: Malt, Chocolate, Spice. Not all that strong of a smell for a double bock

Taste: Awesome. One of the best double bocks I've had. Its Malty, and sweet, but not overly sweet. Hints of chocolate and spice, maybe some caramel and coffee too. "Liquid Bread" is not a bad description

Mouthfeel: Very full/chewy, which is what I am looking for in a doubhle bock.

Drinkability: Alcohol hidden well, could definitely have more than one in a sitting. Not something you are going to polish off 4-5 in one go, but that's not the idea.

Serving type: bottle

02-14-2011 02:04:34 | More by rwillh

BeerLover99

New Jersey

4.38/5  rDev +7.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A-: semi-cloudy amber/mohagany, 1 finger head, patchy lacing

S: malt, hint of nuts, chocolate, spice, bread.

T: big malt sweet spice middle with hint of bitter in finish.

M: med/heavy, smooth, good carbonation, went down smooth!

D: I have had a few Victory beers and I have LOVED them, this did not fail me. Wonderful brew and if you love Dopplebocks, treat yourself and give this feast a try. The alcohol is well-hidden and the delightful PA made-German style beer will warm your spirit.

Serving type: on-tap

02-13-2011 17:37:34 | More by BeerLover99

Brad007

Vermont

3.75/5  rDev -8.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Pours a mild burgundy color with a one-finger head into my glass. Beautiful colors are always a good thing.

Sweet, possibly chewy malt greets the nose. The smell of spring is in the air, is it not? A slight alcoholic edge is present as well.

Thick, chewy malt dazzles the tongue with a slight hint of plum. Lots of alcohol warmth as well.

Good overall mouthfeel. The alcohol kind of overwhelms the palate though.

A decent example at best.

Serving type: bottle

02-13-2011 03:51:46 | More by Brad007

BB1313

Ohio

3.08/5  rDev -24.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Enjoy by Dec. 17, 2011. 12oz bottle poured into a standard pint glass. Pours a nice trasparent brown with a vibrant red tone, nice color. Nice head, but disappears quickly along with the lacing. Nice nose, lots of caramel, chocolate, malts, and breads up front. The taste is almost metallic or tinny. It took me by surprise, although the flavors came together somewhat the more you drink. Once again, lots of caramel and chocolate. There's also a slight nuttiness as well. Alcohol is noticeable, slightly warm, finishes dry for the most part. Fizzy mouthfeel, but smooth enough. To me, this could be a really great beer, but something didn't connect with me in the flavor department.

There's something holding me back from really enjoying this beer, but I definitely respect it.

Serving type: bottle

02-13-2011 01:30:16 | More by BB1313

far333

Connecticut

4.28/5  rDev +4.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Deep mahogany colored with a low head of light brown foam. Low aroma of lightly roasted malt and marshmallow, some nutty notes. Rich and complex flavors of cocoa and coffee, plus caramel and slight woody notes, some root beer, marshmallow. Full and even mouthfeel, moderate carbonation, slight warming of the cheeks. Very tasty, great beer, and very drinkable despite the strength.

Serving type: on-tap

02-10-2011 01:08:13 | More by far333

Jesse13713

Ohio

2.65/5  rDev -35%
look: 4 | smell: 2 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 2

Appearance - There isn't much head here. The brew pours a very pleasing light brown and ambery red color. It also leaves a pleasant film on the glass and looks consistent with average carbonation.

Smell - It's a bit malty and nutty, but not much going on here. A slight hint of wheat and barley as well.

Taste - It is quite alcoholic and fairly nutty. However, at the same time, it can be very smooth despite being so alcoholic. It is more reminiscent of a nutbrown ale rather than a doppelbock. I would start to taste dark fruits but was then overcome by the taste of alcohol; so much so that at one point the taste reminded me of vodka.

Mouthfeel- A good balance of malts and dark fruits. Tasted very alcoholic at first but then balanced out more as I got used to the taste.

Drinkability - Not very drinkable. I would not drink it frequently and it was a little difficult to get through the whole thing because of how alcoholic it tasted. The nut and fruit tastes were very subtle and I would have preferred the alcohol not overcome them.

St. Victorious has a lot of good things going for it. It has a complex mixture of wheat and dark fruit hints to it. However, I was quite disappointed that these tastes weren't balanced well with the alcohol.

Serving type: bottle

02-08-2011 15:27:03 | More by Jesse13713

AwYeh

California

2.23/5  rDev -45.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2

Thanks to Jesse13713 for splitting his bottle of this with me.

A: Clear crimson brown, with a touch of amber/copper. Not much head; less than half a finger, though it retains well.

S: Very faint, I can barely detect some sweet dark fruit flavors- grapes, raisins, maybe some cherry.

T: Dark fruit is pretty prominent here; I definitely am picking up a lot of darh cherries, along with some figs and more grapes. Unfortunately ethanol makes a bigger appearance than would be enjoyable, considering that only sweetness is present to balance it. As I near the end of my (half) glass, the taste begins to border on cloying, which doesn't help matters much.

M: Immediate warmth from the alcohol, accompanied by a thin body and light-moderate carbonation. Sticky finish.

D: Sugar and alcohol dominate the flavor profile too much to make this an enjoyable beer. High expectations coming in, as Victory is a great brewery and doppelbocks are usually somewhat enjoyable; this one just didn't do it for me.

(To any beer or doppelbock newcomer who may be reading this to decide on which doppelbock to try first, I highly recommend trying Troegenator by Tröegs Brewing Co. first.)

Serving type: bottle

02-08-2011 07:17:47 | More by AwYeh

cbutova

Massachusetts

3.03/5  rDev -25.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

A- Crimson red body with a foamy white head that gets to be about two fingers. Retention is pretty good. A few small spots of lace from a small ring.

S- Really not much going on to me. I get some toasty nutty malt and dark, somewhat medicinal fruit. Somewhat grainy and a tiny bit roasty.

T- Toasted nutty malt profile with a dark fruit overtone. A bit of roast malt blends in with a general grainy feel. Just a tiny bit of alcoholic flavor. Fair sweets and caramel.

MF- Body is a bit light for me. It has a somewhat watery feel with high carbonation and a fair warmth from the high ABV. Some bitters.

DB- Flavorful but it is strong and a bit medicinal to me. It feels a bit out of balance and just doesn't drink smoothly in my personal opinion. Not bad but there are other style examples I would drink before this.

Serving type: bottle

02-07-2011 03:20:19 | More by cbutova

BeardedBoffin

Minnesota

4.43/5  rDev +8.6%
look: 3 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

From the bottle, the beer pours a brown, cloudy color with a thin to medium cap of foam. The appearance isn't bad, but isn't the beers strongest suit. The aroma is where the goodness begins. Sweet malty grains envelop the nostrils in waves. The malt and grain on the palate produce a moist and pleasing mouthfeel. Sweetness rises but is then replaced by dry bitter hops as the beer moves toward the back. The hops provide ample balance to the blast of malt. Neither the malt nor the hops becomes overwhelming, making this brew highly drinkable. The complexity of the malt is the real show here.

Serving type: bottle

02-07-2011 01:32:37 | More by BeardedBoffin

goblue3509

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev -2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a deep dark brown cola like color that is clear with a slight tan head which gives way to ver little lacing. The aroma is of caramel malt, chocolate, and dark fruits. The taste has a caramel and breadiness back bone with hints of the dark fruits and a slight chocolate flavor. The mouthfeel is medium carbonation. The drinkability is good it is complex enough to keep your interest and an easy enough drink to not deter you. The alochol is very well hidden as well.

Serving type: bottle

02-06-2011 14:47:21 | More by goblue3509

OttoPeeWee

Illinois

4.4/5  rDev +7.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

This is my fourth one out of a six pack (over a few days!) and the BA guys have their reviews right on the mark. Dark, raisin, chocolate with a hint of sweetness. Extremely drinkable (fantastic with zah) and a great malty head. I feel it, but I'm having a hard time figuring out where the alcohol is. Wow, I'm going to have to get another 6'er of these.

Serving type: bottle

02-04-2011 01:18:01 | More by OttoPeeWee

mryuk

Illinois

4.33/5  rDev +6.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

a- Very nice deep amber brownish color. Almost non-existent head that disappeared very quickly.

s- rich malts, chocolate, cherry, smoky and not a lot of hops.

t- very smooth and malty. a bit alcoholic.

m- a bit heavy but very smooth. decent carbonation.

d- I was very surprised by this beer. Not my typical brew but I really enjoyed it. I don't know that i'd love 2 in a row but this one was really good.

Serving type: bottle

02-03-2011 00:24:21 | More by mryuk

MookDawg

Vermont

3.53/5  rDev -13.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

12 ounce bottle decanted into a Celebrator .3l glass

A - crystal clear, deep carmel color, reddish highlights, 1/2" tan head, dissipated within a minute. Carbonation keeps lightly bubbling up, with constant thin ring around the top edge.

S - dark fruits, alcohol, sweet malt, and dark sugars. Not as aromatic as I think doppelbocks should be.

T - hints of alcohol, sweet malt, and fruits. A little burnt/carmelized aftertaste.

M - chewy, a little syrupy, but smooth.

Overall - A decent doppelbock, but not the greatest. I think more time in the bottle will allow it to balance some of the harsher alcoholic notes out and let the malt sing.

Serving type: bottle

02-03-2011 00:04:17 | More by MookDawg

silver0rlead

North Carolina

4.15/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Pours a mahogany brown with nice clarity and a thin tan head that doesn't stick around. The aroma is deeply malty and authentic, with notes of molasses and turbinado sugar, multigrain bread, slight smoke, herbal hops and alcohol. The flavor is similar with sugary malt upfront (notes of caramel, molasses, turbinado sugar) along with some toasted bread, dark fruits, herbal hops, a hint of smoke and some alcohol. The mouthfeel is rich and smooth and drinkability is very good. Very tasty American dopplebock, certainly one of the best domestic interpretations.

Serving type: bottle

02-02-2011 04:18:51 | More by silver0rlead

Gambrinus1184

Connecticut

3.9/5  rDev -4.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Served on-tap in a tulip-shaped glass at My Place in Newtown, Conn.

A: Deep, ruby amber in color with a thin, whispy head of off-white foam which disipated and left a ring of carbonation quite rapidly. Carbonation looks good and there's a bit of a chilled haze to the brew.

S: Very fruity, malty, bready aroma with some expected yeasty and wheat German malt mustiness. Bits of apple, pear and berries sneak over the somewhat alcoholic and low bitter aromas.

T: Sweet, bready, delicate and fruity malt sweetness combine with a bit of an alcoholic and low bitter hop bite. The linked proteins and tannins are a bit to chew on, but add a fruity, sweet, malty dimension to this complex dopplebock.

M: Sweet, full-bodied and a little sticky malt mouthfeel leads into an herbal, caramel, bittersweet finish with some grassy, earthy hops noted in the aftertaste.

D: A big, potent doppelbock to put down all night; in fact, you're better off sampling and moving on. The sweetness might be enough to deter novice palates not acclimated to the rich, lager style. Otherwise, I can't complain too much, save perhaps its balance and compromised hop balance.

Serving type: on-tap

01-31-2011 04:09:27 | More by Gambrinus1184

Cylinsier

Pennsylvania

4.33/5  rDev +6.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

tap

Pours a brownish red color, small off-white head with good retention.

Smells of cherries and dark sugary malts.

Taste is like toasted grains with a bit of sweetness like chocolate. Mild hop flavor in the aftertaste avoids being bitter.

Full mouth with very low carbonation.

Strength makes it hard to drink a lot of it, but what you do drink goes down easily and enjoyably. Very good and would definitely have again.

Serving type: on-tap

01-31-2011 00:23:09 | More by Cylinsier

CuriousMonk

Virginia

4.33/5  rDev +6.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12oz bottle poured into dimple glass. Pours a slightly hazy, medium amber-brown color; khaki-colored head with patchy lacing. Pleasant nougat and chewy caramel in the aroma, with a hint of lively citrus and some dried red fruits; very clean and generous without being sticky. Medium-to-full mouthfeel: there's definitely a bit of viscosity upfront, but not to the tune of 8.5%; plenty of dried red fruits, caramel, and toffee; resists being too weighty and forward, opting instead for a clean yeast character and a surprising level of drinkability; well-made and tasty. Medium, doughy and bready malt finish; some lingering caramel and a touch of bitterness. Me likely alot!

Serving type: bottle

01-14-2011 20:24:29 | More by CuriousMonk

VMWhelan

Pennsylvania

3.83/5  rDev -6.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 2.5

Poured a very nice looking deep red. Not much head and what there was dissipated rather quickly. Left some nice lacing around the edges.

Smells great. I first noticed the cherries, then some chocolate. Also noticed some mint which was interesting.

Was expecting this to have a nice chocolate cherry profile from the smell, but it did not. Instead I picked up more earthy tastes. Tastes very toasty, almost smoky. Burnt toast and a bit like burning wood and peat. Also picked up some tobacco notes, like a nice cigar. Alcohol is noticeable but not prominent.

Mouthfeel was thick, chewy and syrupy. Low carbonation.

This was very filling giving it a lower drinkability. Would be hard to drink of lot of.

Overall this was a good looking, great smelling beer with some very complex flavors. Only downfall was how filling it was, because I'd love to have had another right away.

Serving type: bottle

01-12-2011 21:30:00 | More by VMWhelan

tapman

Illinois

4.58/5  rDev +12.3%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Red/violet in color, densely packed dark eggshell head. Filtered.

Smells like dutch chocolate, chocolate malted milkshake, hearty german bread. Hops are very minty.

Tastes just like the nose. No detectable alcohol at 58 F. I guess the only thing I could say is that I miss that raisiny taste in a brew like this, though most of the others ones have it so it is a nice change of pace.

Velvety smooth. Carbonation is just right. Good combination of drinkability and chewiness.

A fantastic example of the style from a consistently good brewery.

Serving type: bottle

01-09-2011 02:56:30 | More by tapman

Khazadum

Illinois

3.95/5  rDev -3.2%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Vision
Caramel colored body with tan, biscuit like, froth on top. Murky... very murky with butterscotch similarities. Many carbonated streams filter their way through the liquid to display a crazy amount of activity. Lacing doesn't have enough mettle to hold itself up along the edges of the glass leaving a clean slate behind itself.

Bouquet
Hoo... very sweet with hints of alcohol. Almost boozy. Caramels... grape character... and alcoholic apples. I'm a huge fan of this. Smells fantastic, never fights me or fades away. Definitely an apple outflow.

Flavor Profile
Opens caramels, sickly sweet that I have fallen in love with as I drink. Strong opening flavors actually allow a transition into that apple flavor I was detecting on the nose. It is more wine-like now. Gives an idea of grapes and granny smith apples. Finish is somewhat bitter that tart fruits leave you with. Hints of alcohol all over the place.

Oral Sensations
Full bodied with a sticky nature. Chunky... flavorful beyond normal. Crisp middle that makes me appreciate the carbonation level. Due to its very gravity it flicks itself all over the place and hides leaving little notes around my orifice.

Conclusions
This is a meal in a glass. So filling, so flavorful, and so sweet. Something uber-malted... but it reminds me of some barley wines I've had in past, as well. I have no idea the style. It drinks great, I'll enjoy the full twelve ounce all by myself tonight.

Reveals.... Victory St. Victorious... Wow.. Dopplebock? Really? This shocks me. I guess it makes some sense, but I'm still shocked.

Serving type: bottle

12-28-2010 00:39:55 | More by Khazadum

claspada

New Jersey

3.95/5  rDev -3.2%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Aromas are mainly like fresh baked goods with some darker kilned malts and a hint of nuts/dark fruits mixed in. Some hopping but not really noticable over all that malt

The taste is also loaded with lightly toasted bready malt, with hints of nuts, caramel and dark fruit. The finish is crisp and slightly bitter with just a touch of alcohol. This beer is sweet, yet fairly dry with a chunky medium full body and moderate carbonation.

Overall this beer is quite drinkable, maybe a but too much so for the ABV. One of my favorites from Victory.

Serving type: bottle

10-26-2010 17:34:04 | More by claspada

wahhmaster

Virginia

3.55/5  rDev -13%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a 12 oz. bottle into a Sam Adams Boston Lager glass.

Appearance: Pours a deep brown color with ruby hues. Has a small, foamy head that dissipates quickly and leaves little lacing.

Smell: Has a strong smell of sweet and caramel malts reminiscent of most doppelbocks.

Taste: Slightly bitter up front. Gains a strong maltiness as it develops. Has a slight alcohol edge to it as well. Pretty typical doppelbock.

Mouthfeel: For a doppelbock, a little light-bodied but still pretty good.

Drinkability: A pretty decent doppelbock. Certainly not as good as its German incarnations but a decent interpretation. I'd certainly have it again.

Serving type: bottle

10-17-2010 17:52:58 | More by wahhmaster

Arithmeticus

Maryland

3.7/5  rDev -9.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3

A: dark amber color; not much head
S: sweet, bready, caramel
T: although billed as a doppelbock you might find that this beer gets inspiration from barleywine-style ales (though lighter in alcohol than they tend to be); bitter with dominant high notes
M: thick, smooth, bubbly; I've had few that feel so nice

Definitely worth drinking

Serving type: on-tap

10-12-2010 15:16:45 | More by Arithmeticus