St. Victorious - Victory Brewing Company

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

Hopfenpeter

Maryland

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

Very nice deep amber red color. Little building of head, which disappears fast and does not lace.
Good smell which hints fruits, caramel and alcohol.
Great taste of fruity flavors like plum and caramel, coffee undertones which is followed by a bittersweet hop.
the mouthfeel is syrupy with very little carbonation.
Overall exactly what you expect from a nice Doppelbock.

Serving type: bottle

10-12-2010 02:45:09 | More by Hopfenpeter

Mosstrooper

California

4.15/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured from a 12oz bottle into a 400mL Radeburger Seidel.

Appearance: Pours a bright, copper color with a small brownish head that dissipates quickly and leaves no lace behind.

Smell: Grape, figs, and caramel malt with an alcohol backbone.

Taste: Begins with a sweet grape flavor, finishing with sweet caramel malt and molasses and mild bittersweet alcohol.

Mouthfeel: Medium body with balanced carbonation and a sticky finish.

Drinkability: A good doppelbock. Not quite as good as the "real" German ones, but a good, faithful interpreation.

Serving type: bottle

10-10-2010 18:45:14 | More by Mosstrooper

PABeerHiker

Pennsylvania

4.13/5  rDev +1.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Reviewed from my notes on 8/21

A - A clear dark caramel colored with little to no head.

S - A mixture of molasses and sour fruits.

T - Caramel, bitter coffee, and a slight touch of dark chocolate.

M - A nice level of carbonation and slightly chewy.

D - A real enjoyable beer. Would recommend to drink it during the late summer through the fall.

Serving type: bottle

08-22-2010 22:16:27 | More by PABeerHiker

mobyfann

Ohio

4.68/5  rDev +14.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Paid around $11 for a 6 pack in Maryland...

The beer pours a clear chocolate colored base, with minimal head retention and lacing on the glass. The aroma is bold with sweet caramel and roasted malts.

The beer is creative and almost true to pure style, it's starts off slightly syrupy and transforms into a blast of malts and settles on a sweet aftertaste... it's a great sequence in consummate and dry enough to let it stick to your palette, what a gem! Is this a double bock at 8.5%? Very easy going down the hatch and an ideal session beer for its style... so impressed!

Final Thought: Remarkably modest in it's presentation, this beer knocks your socks off!

Serving type: bottle

08-06-2010 22:48:26 | More by mobyfann

Teleweizen2

New Jersey

3.43/5  rDev -15.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

From notes

A - clear dark caramel brown with some red highlights. Small white head, no lacing.

S - strong bready malts, hints of caramel and a bit of alcohol sting.

T - sweet malts. Toast. Some mild hint of cherries. Long warming alcohol finish.

M - medium bodied. Low carb.

D - decent beer. Fairly drinkable dispite it's high abv. Paired very nicely with some pizza.

Serving type: bottle

07-09-2010 03:33:42 | More by Teleweizen2

garbercury

Pennsylvania

4.2/5  rDev +2.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Another hot afternoon. Enjoying an early day out of the office and figured why not...Poured into a pint glass.

A--Not much carbonation, actually just about zilch. No lacing.

S--hints of caramel and toffee. Fruit, oranges maybe?

T--Even with little carbonation in the appearance, tasty brew. Reminds me of a high end dopplebock like celebrator, enjoyable for certain.

M--Smooth and refreshing to the palate.

D--High ABV, so this is one I would probably sip on more than anything else. Great for the style and nice in terms of price.

Serving type: bottle

07-08-2010 18:54:10 | More by garbercury

Bouleboubier

Pennsylvania

4.03/5  rDev -1.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured into a clean, tall hefeweizen glass. Fresh til 2011.

One of the most beautiful colors in a beer I have ever seen. Fiery, autumnal, deep blood orange. Half point off for the fly-by-night head. Lots of initial bubbling too that all but vanished.

Aroma is moderately subdued. Vinous notes and some yeast.

Pretty darn close to the true German style as far as taste. Once again, vinous/fruity sweetness, mild yeasty spice, tiny touch of earthy hop. 8.5%?

Really smooth. Not nearly as fuller-bodied as say Celebrator, for instance. But close. Nice, subtle lip-smacking malty finish. Where's the 8.5%?

Rediscovering how tasty and delightful Victory's version of a doppelbock is. I can see grabbing a sixer of this.

Serving type: bottle

06-11-2010 18:06:13 | More by Bouleboubier

javincik

North Carolina

3.98/5  rDev -2.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12 oz bottle poured into a pilsner glass

A-Pours a deep rustic reddish brown with a 1 finger off white head that quickly settles down. Not much visible lacing left behind. The color hue is very appealing though.

S-Lots of bread, caramel, toffee, toasted malts. Maybe a hint of dark fruits and candied sugar.

T-Lots of up front sweetness with heavy bread and caramel flavors predominating. Leads to some toffee and dark fruitness in the middle with some brown sugar in there also. Finish is battle for balance between the malt sweetness and hop bitterness from the noble hops-the sweetness wins out, but this is not a bad thing.

M-Viscous and full bodied lager here. A little chewy. Really is just like liquid bread. Carbonation a touch on the high side, but finishes with a crispness despite the full body.

D-Two of these is really no problem. A great full bodied lager for the spring time. Despite the 8% ABV, there really isn't much evidence of alcohol in the taste or mouthfeel. I plan on picking up a case of this every spring while I'm in PA.

Serving type: bottle

06-05-2010 17:42:50 | More by javincik

OneDropSoup

Pennsylvania

2.65/5  rDev -35%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2

On tap at Carl's Tavern in Wilkins Township, PA.

Poured into a shaker: a ruby-brown, barely translucent body with half-a-finger of smooth tan head, no lacing. Head falls & leaves me trace, had to drop the rating after a while.

Smell is sweet but restrained caramel malt. Good but not much there.

Taste is mild caramel as well, but coupled with a strong boozy taste, pretty sharp, with some spicy, raisiny character & a round, toasty flavor. Good stuff happening, but can't compete with the alcohol, which overwhelms it from the get-go & just grows, getting less & less drinkable.

Medium-bodied, too sharp & dry for my liking. A little sticky in the aftertaste.

Thought this was going to be decent, but after a while I really couldn't find enough good stuff to redeem the big booze & flat malts in this one. Very unbalanced, not into it. I'd give it another chance, but this was not a great experience.

Serving type: on-tap

06-03-2010 20:02:53 | More by OneDropSoup

JamisonM

Arizona

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

thanks wedge421 for this beer, check him out on youtube/beergeeknation for his video beer reviews.

A: nice reddish brown color thin head off white nice lacing on the glass

S: brown sugar, chocolate and dark fruits smells rich malt

T: malty sweetness, brown sugar with some chocolate and dark fruit

M: Med mouth good carbonation

D: pretty drinkable I would most often stop at 1 of these however

overall: pretty good brew from victory nothing really outstanding but I do like it.

Serving type: bottle

06-01-2010 22:39:30 | More by JamisonM

emmasdad

Colorado

4.1/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Pours a nice medium brown color, with a decent light brown head. Nice malty aroma, with burnt brown sugar, caramel and toffee. Toasty malt flavors, along with raisins, toffee and caramel. A very nice beer, with a bit of warming alcohol on the finish. One I could drink quite a few of.

Serving type: bottle

05-21-2010 03:39:06 | More by emmasdad

Phyl21ca

Quebec (Canada)

3.5/5  rDev -14.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Bottle: Poured a medium brown color ale with a large off-white foamy head with good retention and minimal lacing. Aroma of caramel malt and light toffee is enjoyable though not necessarily what I was expecting from a doppelbock. Taste is also dominated by sweet caramel malt notes with light toffee notes as well. Some notes of banana bread would have complemented well this beer. Body is about average with good carbonation and no apparent alcohol. Well done though lacking usual ester.

Serving type: bottle

05-06-2010 02:00:15 | More by Phyl21ca

bierenutz

Michigan

3.95/5  rDev -3.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

I had this on tap as a guest beer at FFF on DLD.
A-Dark amber brown color with a small amount of head and lacing.
S-Roasted malts, dark fruits, molasses and toffee.
T-Mocha toffee flavored with an earthy malty aftertaste.
M-Medium bodied, but a little thinner than I was expecting and minimal carbonation.
D-Overall, this was a good beer. My expectations were probably higher than my experience, but good overall.

Serving type: on-tap

05-01-2010 23:51:55 | More by bierenutz

jsh420

Illinois

3.98/5  rDev -2.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

on tap @ DLD

pours dark amber with a 1 finger head that faded and left no lacing

smells of brown sugar dark fruit malts

taste is good - sweet brown sugar, rich dark fruit, nutty malts - good amount of earthy hops to balance sweet malts

mouthfeel - medium body with low carbonation that gives you that smooth creamy feel

drinkability - it wasnt the best beer i tried at DLD but it hit the spot on that cool cloudy day

Serving type: on-tap

04-25-2010 22:31:59 | More by jsh420

JoeyBeerBelly

New York

4.18/5  rDev +2.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

12oz bottle, "enjoy by" Dec 18 2010, served in a glass beer mug.

L - clear red/brown with a beige head that totally thinned out after a few minutes.

S - toffee, chocolate and dark fruits, rich, roasted malt.

T - malty sweet, caramel/toffee/dark fruits are balanced with hoppy earthiness, there's a bit of alcohol warming on the finish.

F - medium/full bodied with mild carbonation.

D - easy drinking, a fine example of the style.

Serving type: bottle

04-16-2010 01:51:56 | More by JoeyBeerBelly

jwc215

New Jersey

4.35/5  rDev +6.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

"Enjoy by" Jan 5 2011:

Pours brown with ruby highlights. A thin head immediately falls to wisps.

The smell is of toffee - towards chocolate with medium-dark fruitiness. Rich malty aroma is complemented by earthy, floral notes in the back.

The taste is very malty - caramel/toffee - dark fruits - fig, prune, some dark cherry. The malt is balanced by some bread and and earthy, floralish touch. Sweetness is balanced sufficiently, while keeping a malty sweet character. Some warming alcohol shows, though not raw or masking.

It has a rich, full, silky body.

A very enjoyable, malty but with a hop touch - traditional-style doppelbock. Easy to drink despite alcohol warmth and overall richness. Complex maltiness with a hop touch in the finish....Well done!

Serving type: bottle

04-15-2010 15:59:16 | More by jwc215

tigg924

Massachusetts

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

Appearance: clear, caramel brown in color, 1/4 inch head, low carbonation

Smell: caramel, chocolate, and toasted malt

Taste: caramel, toasted malt, some bitter coffee, and with a touch of chocolate

Mouthfeel: very sweet with a bitter middle, medium-light body, moderate carbonation

Drinkability: Very good and complex for the style. A nice bitter aspect. I could have a couple. One of Victory's better brews.

Serving type: bottle

04-05-2010 13:45:28 | More by tigg924

sliverX

S. Georgia & S. Sandwich Isls.

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

Poured a deep opaque brown that when held to the light turned copper. slight light tan head that faded to a dense ring around the glass. Left nice lacing as well.
Smell was deep sweet maltiness also pick up a note of toasted bread
Taste was less sweet as the nose but still malt dominated taste was very similar to a malt shake for good reason, pick up a hint of herbal hops in the end of the sip.
Mouthfeel is full and chewy with just enough carbonation to make it bite just a bit on the tongue
Drinkability this just reminds me why I love doppelbocks I could sit here all day and drink this absolutely wonderful brew no hint whatsoever of 8.5% and the fact that two or three and I'd be on the floor.

Serving type: bottle

04-01-2010 19:07:59 | More by sliverX

ATPete

New Jersey

3.93/5  rDev -3.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

12oz bottle, very fresh

Pours a wonderful light brown color with a small off white head that disappears very quickly. Malt forward to the nose right away, a gentle sweetness and mild smokey note, some red apple, cherry and caramel as well. Very nice. A chewy malt bomb that does not cloy the throat, a very balanced sweetness that drinks so well for the style. Victory does it right.

Serving type: bottle

03-31-2010 14:19:42 | More by ATPete

dasenebler

Maine

4.2/5  rDev +2.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

12oz. Think it's this year's (2010) batch.

Deep, reddish brown with a dense finger's head that dissipates all too fast.

Aroma is slightly smoky and toasty, with a sweet malt presence.

Flavor is excellent. This is a bona fide malt bomb. Tons of sweet, sweet bread and dark doughy goodness. Touch of smoke and pleasantly thick, meaty flavors. Fine carbonation is effervescent, and contributes to the smooth and creamy feel. Just a rich, thick beer. A joy to drink.

Easily one of the best American-made Doppelbocks. Victory makes some excellent beer: German style with a twist. Here, it's the smokiness.

Serving type: bottle

03-31-2010 06:05:38 | More by dasenebler

morebeergood

Massachusetts

3.3/5  rDev -19.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Single from a mix-a-six pack. Poured into a standard pint glass. Dark auburn color with orange highlights. Thin head, which is a bit of a letdown. Smell was malty and boozy. Taste was pretty decent, lots of malt flavor. The biggest gripe I have with this beer is the mouthfeel. Extremely sticky on the palate, and the alcohol profile is way too up front. Not a beer that I would want to have more than one of. An average beer, but not overly enjoyable to drink. The best-by date was 2011, and if I had a second bottle, I would try aging it. Just doesn't seem ready to drink now.

Serving type: bottle

03-30-2010 20:17:25 | More by morebeergood

adamette

Ohio

4.6/5  rDev +12.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Live Review. Poured from the 12 oz. bottle that was given to me by my friend Bill, a fellow BA who picked it up in Erie, PA a few weeks ago. I have never seen this beer in a store here in Ohio. "Enjoy by Jan 5, 2011" stamped lightly on the label. Poured into my Cooperstown Beverage Trail pint glass. I appreciated the following, printed below the name of the beer on the label: "A dark, rich, lager beer of sublime complexity and character." Per Bill's recommendation, I let it warm a bit before opening it, it was probably near 50 degrees F as I opened it.

A Light brown, puffy head over a nice, translucent ruby red body, right on target with the style and inviting. Head did not stay around long though (30 seconds?) and it left little to no lacing on the inside of the glass. 4.0

S Light smell of dark fruits, maybe some cinnamon and right after I poured it I thought I picked up some nice malt sweetness. Good and inviting from a style that at one time was my favorite (I was really liking Spaten Optimator for a long time). 4.5

T Oh yes, that great barley malt sweetness, light tastes of the dark fruits, nice lingering (but aftertaste is welcomingly light) moderate sweetness. This is a really great Dopplebock and now I only wish that I had tasted this years ago when I used to buy a few cases of Optimator, thinking that it was the cat's meow. Don't get me wrong, I have great respect for Optimator but this American craft brew rekindles my interest in the style and also it is nice to know that I would not have to buy an "import" at "import" prices to find the taste of a great Dopplebock, which St. Victorious most certainly is. 5.0

M Some bigness with the dark fruits, some malt sweetness but really this is a light to moderate feeling beer which translates nicely to the drinkability. 3.5

D Very good with the light to moderate feel, interesting and delicious tastes. 4.5

Notes: Thanks to Bill for seeing that I was able to enjoy this great beer from Victory, a brewery with a nicely rounded lineup of beers.

Serving type: bottle

03-29-2010 02:58:26 | More by adamette

dahlen22

New Jersey

4.78/5  rDev +17.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

This beer is awesome. Dark red color with a malty aroma. The taste reveals raisins, toffee and plenty of malts. There is a slight hoppiness at the end. The 8.50% is very deceptive as this beer is extremely drinkable. This is one of the best American doppelbocks that I have ever had and I highly recommend it. Cheers!!

Serving type: bottle

03-28-2010 19:30:28 | More by dahlen22

turnstile

Pennsylvania

4.08/5  rDev 0%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance: Pours a dark, reddish brown with almost no head. Leaves a minute ring around the edge. No noticeable lacing.

Smell: Dominant aroma of sweet malts and notes of red grapes. A spicy hop aroma lingers in the background. Faint brown sugar aromas become more apparent with later sniffs.

Taste: Sweet with biscuity malt and grape sourness. A very mild bitterness lingers in the aftertaste. The higher ABV is hidden well and is almost un-noticeable. The complexities of St. Victorious reveals itself as it warms.

Mouthfeel: Light carbonation with a medium, creamy body.

Drinkability: If it wasn't for a surprising 8.5% ABV, I would've proclaimed this brew sessionable.

Serving type: bottle

03-18-2010 03:57:20 | More by turnstile