St. Victorious - Victory Brewing Company

Knapp85

Pennsylvania

3.58/5  rDev -12.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

This Doppelbock pours out with a nice brown colored body. The head was a tan color that was kind of fizzy. The smell of the beer had some good malty aroma with some soft yeast on the nose. The taste of the beer is pretty good. There's a softness to the taste, the flavors are mostly sweet. The mouthfeel was medium bodied. Overall not a bad brew.

Serving type: bottle

06-07-2011 04:43:03 | More by Knapp85

JunkYardJake

Pennsylvania

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

12oz bottle to pint glass.
Nice looking bock from Victory. Dark brown with shades of amber and a respectable foamy head. Smells of malty goodness. Palate is complex and robust, yet very traditional. Layers of bready malt flavor and a touch of fermented dark fruit are complimented by a clean German yeast that adds to the depth of flavor. Full bodied with a clean finish. Another wonderfully brewed German-style lager from PA.

Serving type: bottle

05-19-2011 01:09:37 | More by JunkYardJake

soze47

Massachusetts

4.3/5  rDev +5.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

This is the second year in a row I've had this one. First time review.

Appearance: Ruby brown in color with a pale white head the disappears throughout the glass. Lots of bubbles dancing through out the glass, even as it warms through to the end.

Aroma: The nose reminds me of spring time. Lots of notes of malt with a multitude of roastiness, but there is a grassy, almost budding quality to the hops.

Taste: Very complex and layered. Right after the pour and still cold, this beer is much more malt forward with the roasted qualities standing out. However, after a few drinks and as it warms, a fruitiness of grapes and raisins comes forward and mixes really well with the hops to create an almost dry finish. This one gets less sweet as it goes.

Mouthfeel/Drinkability: Nice, loose body lets the flavors dance. This one is not nearly as heavy as the ABV may suggest. This one goes from being bubbly to creamy as it warms and settles. That makes this guy all too drinkable and a potentially dangerous brew to give to someone who is not in the know on the ABV.

Overall: Great brew. I like this one a lot and enjoy pondering how it evolves throughout the drink. I should make a point to pick up more of these before they are gone.

Serving type: bottle

05-08-2011 21:50:45 | More by soze47

Dan3279

Ohio

4.22/5  rDev +3.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured the 12oz bottle into into a snifter glass to find a deep, dark, clear amber body that had a small tan head that left no lacing. The aroma had a great malty sweetness to it with hints of caramel. I thought that the taste was great, you pick up everything from the aroma but its kicked it up several notches. There are some great malty flavors and the sweetness of caramel and toffee. There also seem to be some bread notes along with small hints of chocolate and dried fruits. The mouth feel was solid, its was an easy beer to drink and I could easily enjoy several of these in one sitting. Also you would never guess that the ABV is at 8.5%, it is hidden so well.

Overall this is a great beer and a solid doppelbock. I will defiantly be on the look out for this one again and I would recommend it for anyone who loves doppelbocks & German beers.

Serving type: bottle

05-06-2011 00:08:27 | More by Dan3279

matjack85

Illinois

4.38/5  rDev +7.4%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

I found this single 12oz brown bottle at the Binny's store in Glen Ellyn, IL for the rather steep price of $3.19 a bottle, so it better be good. There was an enjoy by date of 12/17/11 on the front label along with a small historic blurb about the beer.

The pour was about the only disappointing thing about this beer. The crystal clear mahogany red color was nice, but it only produced a ½-finger of beige head that dissipated quickly, and it left no lacing whatsoever.

Nice brown sugar and rich malty smell.

This is a very malty brew. A bit of caramel is thrown in for a touch of sweetness and the noble hops are there for balance. Delicious.

Mouthfeel is smooth and medium bodied with fairly low carbonation.

I'm not sure where BA got the abv fjgure of 8.5% as the Victory web site lists the abv for this beer at 7.6%, but in either case it is hidden very well and makes this a very enjoyable brew.

Serving type: bottle

05-04-2011 10:20:58 | More by matjack85

OWSLEY069

Pennsylvania

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

Pours a clean orange-ish to amber color with a light tan head. In the aroma, roasty caramel and a small presence of alcohol. In the taste, caramel, roasted malt, with a small presence of earth and hops. A small hop bite and a medium bodied mouthfeel, with a small sticky caramel like aftertaste. Big caramel and a bit sticky sweet, small boozyness and a nice mellow hop.

Serving type: bottle

04-30-2011 12:00:54 | More by OWSLEY069

obrendano

Maryland

4.72/5  rDev +15.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

WHAT A BEER! Got this in a random mix and match 6 pack grab

A - at first was a little disappointed as the head on this was thin while pouring, until at the last second a light tan creamy foam filled the top of the glass. the head was thick and sticky all throughout the drink. beer is a clear dark ruby.

S - initial smells of brown sugar and citrus, clean dark malt. some fruit skin comes through with more smells.

T - SCORE. this quickly has become one of the best tasting beers I've come across. complex mix of raw citrus and sugar, toffee, touches of the high alcohol content, and a nice toasty flavor under it all akin to English ales

M - creamy and sticky, not too light, not too heavy, goes down nice and smooth

D - there really is no reason to skip over this one, highly recommended and a nice surprise

Serving type: bottle

04-25-2011 01:24:09 | More by obrendano

bamadog

Kentucky

4.22/5  rDev +3.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Review is from notes taken on 4/17/2011 and poured from the bottle to a pint glass.

Appearance: Pour is a ruby/coppery color and it starts with a 1 and 1/2 finger creamy off-white, nearly light tan, head with decent retention; body is very clear and shows moderately strong carbonation bubbling up throughout;

Smell: A lot of graininess running strong through this one, very wet and mulchy, kind of like wet bran -- smell is very hearty and pretty robust, not overly complex, but just really good.

Taste: Really matches the nose -- lots of wet mulchy graininess that is bran and cereal-like; bit of a burnt toastiness to it as well as just a touch of chocolate malt; lastly there is a bit of an alcoholic bite to it (but at 8.5%, not to be unexpected) as well as a touch of lager yeast; as mentioned in the smell, this tastes just as hearty as it smells and it's solid and a great spring beer that is solid, not overly complex.

Mouthfeel: Body is actually a touch heavier than I would have expected, and is close to medium bodied; the carbonation is quite strong, though, and it really keeps the heavier body lively; a thin and and cottony dry coating is left on the roof of the mouth and it helps hold the cereal graininess well into the aftertaste; due to the carbonation, the gums are left tingly and the belly is left warm -- you know you're drinking this one.

Overall: This is a solid and filling beer, but the weight and the higher ABV would help me limit it a little bit, and I likely wouldn't drink more than 2 of these on any given night; a simple beer that has been done very well.

Serving type: bottle

04-18-2011 02:05:54 | More by bamadog

JizackFH

New York

3.73/5  rDev -8.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A - This beer pours a clear deep mahogany brown color. It has a small 1-finger light tan head that falls quickly. The leaves just a few specs of lacing behind on the glass.

S - It smells of rich caramel malts and dark fruits. There are also some notes of cherry, chocolate, and a touch of alcohol.

T - It starts of sweet and malty, and then intensifies. There are some big dark fruit flavors here like plum, raisin, cherry, grape, and even some notes of apple. There are also some notes of caramel, chocolate, brown sugar, and a hint of hops. The finish is pretty clean, there is just a touch of bitterness and alcohol presence.

M - This has a medium body and moderate carbonation. It is rich and smooth. There is a bit of a chewy quality here as well. The finish is crisp and pretty clean.

O - This has pretty good drinkability. It goes down smooth and has nice flavor. I could drink a few of these in a sitting. Overall, I thought this was a good beer, but not one of the best of the style that I've had so far. I enjoyed it though, and I'd drink it again.

Serving type: bottle

04-15-2011 12:19:59 | More by JizackFH

axeman9182

New Jersey

3.18/5  rDev -22.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

12oz bottle, best before date of January 10, 2012, allowed to warm some before being poured into my Duvel tulip.

St.Victorious pours a deep, clear maroon. Plentiful cherry highlights shine through when the beer is backlit though. The ivory head rises to about 2.5 fingers in height, before slowing collapsing down the side of the glass. Not much is left in the way of lacing though. The nose doesn't quite hit all the marks of a great doppel, but it's still pretty good. It's an almost even blend of milk chocolate and plummy dark fruits. On my palate the beer gains a slight nuttiness, but at the expense of that creamy milk chocolate from the nose morphing into a more bitter, roasted dark chocolate (which doesn't really work for me int he context of the style). The flavor's also a touch weak and watered down. The carbonation is spot on, enough to cut through the malt, while simultaneously remaining in the background and letting those malts take center stage. The body though is way thin for the style. When I'm expecting a big malt bomb of a beer, there's a certain richness to the body that should come along here, and this beer doesn't even come close to that. I've enjoyed most of the other offerings from Victory that I've had, but St. Victorious ranks as a fairly disappointing doppelbock for me.

Serving type: bottle

04-14-2011 05:18:57 | More by axeman9182

beerdown77

North Carolina

3.68/5  rDev -9.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This pours crystal clear brown, very slight lacing, the smell is brown sugar, but a lot of malt in the smell and flavor as well. It is a nice German style flavor, great malt flavor, really good. There is a lot of sweetness, but for the ABV, there is a decent balance to this. It is maybe a little syrupy, but the medium-heavy body is actually pretty tolerable.

Serving type: bottle

04-08-2011 06:32:14 | More by beerdown77

daliandragon

North Carolina

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

Been searching for this one for a while and have been on a bit of a Doppler kick anyway. Handsome amber color with scarlet highlights and thick wisy head leaving rings of lace frost, Nose has a strong malt backbone tempered with chocolate, alcohol, dark fruit, and a yeasty tang. Overall, quite strong out of the gate.

Big, chewy, crunchy malts with great staying power through to the finish. Baker's chocolate and plums make landfall, as does St. Booze. The carbonation is strong initially but backs off nicely and becomes an advantage in the aftertaste, which is terrific. Mild hopping adds to the dry character.

This one seems different from the authentic Dopplers you see from Deutchland but I think they've done a great job of keeping the flavor but giving it a unique twist. Well made and very enjoyable for me. Among my favorites of the style.

Serving type: bottle

04-07-2011 01:23:51 | More by daliandragon

DrinkingDrake

Massachusetts

3.8/5  rDev -6.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A dark amber/golden red. No head with minimal lacing. A lot of booze and caramel. Dark fruits some dates. A faint hint of bakers chocolate. Roasted malts a lot of toasted caramel malts/roasted and dried out fruits raisins and dates. A sweet and smooth caramel finish.Dry and faintly tangy but it has a sweet backing.

Serving type: bottle

04-03-2011 22:07:55 | More by DrinkingDrake

DrStiffington

New Jersey

4.22/5  rDev +3.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

St. Victorious pours with a dark golden color, with little head. The smell is of roasted malts and bread. The taste follows suit, with a slightly sweet, malty flavor. Maybe a little tartness folowing the sweetness. This beer has a pleasantly heavy, bready feel. There's a nice warming feeling as it goes down, no doubt the alcohol. I really like this seasonal from Victory. Good stuff.

Serving type: bottle

04-02-2011 00:03:21 | More by DrStiffington

Bung

North Carolina

4/5  rDev -2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

12 oz. Brownish amber pour, just a thin layer of white head. Does retain pretty well.

Aroma has the malt and caramel, some herbal notes, more tea than hops.

Taste also has a nice prominent malt backbone. Toffee and a toasty earthy peat. Large cocoa midway. There is a little tea and leather like quality, but it fades into a dry herbal hop and lighter roast/cocoa finish.

Well carbonated and medium bodied. A little warming, but normal for the style. I thought this was a rock solid American take on the style.

Serving type: bottle

03-20-2011 01:35:26 | More by Bung

Ryan011235

Ohio

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

Poured into an E&J Cask & Cream glass on 3/1/11

Enjoy by Dec 17, 2011

Really nice-looking color. Rusty, copper-brown; depth of color but still clear. One thumb of foam dissipates quickly to patchy bubbles and a small amount of lace.

Smells of dark bread; toasty and grainy. Seems rather dry. Earthy hops round out the aroma with a touch of spice. Overtones of nuts. Swirling brings out some yeast and a bit of doughiness. The aromas comes across as subtle; the flavor is anything but. Heavy handed, malty goodness throughout. Dark bread and toasted grains. It has a reasonable hop kick but doesn't over take the malts. Mostly dry with a mild, sweet notions on the peripheries. Probably a bit closer to full than medium; the feel is thick, grainy and wont to hang around. Carbonation seemed high on the first sip but it shaped up right quick.

Overall impression: this one really hit me out of the blue. Sometimes buying a single is a good idea; this is not one of those times - wish I had another.

Serving type: bottle

03-15-2011 04:37:13 | More by Ryan011235

AleWatcher

Illinois

3.35/5  rDev -17.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Grabbed a blind beer from the fridge.... This one came courtesy of nlmartin in the Blind Beers #4 BIF... The beer is consumed and reviewed blind-- without any knowledge of the style or brewery.

Poured into my New Belgium Globe glass.

Pours a rusty brownish red... Light beige head of less than 1 finger settled quickly and left little lacing... I'm totally unsure of the style from the looks of it-- but I'm guessing over 8% ABV due to the poor head and retention...

Smells like swiss miss hot cocoa... and some fruits? Hard to pinpoint what it is exactly... A hint of roasty, almost-but-not-quite coffee comes into play. The fruit note reminds me slightly of Nyquil-- but like a mix of the red and the green together. I suppose "medicinal" is probably a flaw in most cases, but it isn't a complete turn-off... Still having a hard time figuring out the style-- perhaps a Scotch Ale of some sort?

Ok.... Taste says this is a lager. Actually, the finish says lager. It is crisp and clean, no hints of esters or other "yeasty" notes... So I'll cross off Scottish Ale from the would-be suspects... Well, if my guess on the ABV is correct, and it is a lager, then I don't have too many options, right?
The taste is dry. Really dry. Bitter, dry, powdery cocoa... No notes of dark fruit, but there is a roasty quality that I would compare to cheap coffee. The finish is crisp and clean-- and VERY dry. No real hop notes-- unless they are responsible for a VERY slight earthy quality I seem to find just before the swallow.

Think of the most cloyingly sweet beer you've ever had-- this beer is that beer's polar opposite. This is so dry I feel like I need water.

In any case, I'm betting this is some sort of bock. Probably an American attempt at the style. The body is medium/full with low carbonation... Not bad. It has a little gritty character that keeps it from scoring really high for me.

Overall-- this isn't bad, but it isn't really one I'd pick up again. It drinks pretty easily.

Reveals bottle to be... Victory- St. Victorious Dopplebock...

Hmmm... Ok. So this is another in the long line of Victory beers that haven't "wowed" me. This is decent though, so it definitely deserves a C+/B-, which is respectable. I have another bottle of this kicking around somewhere-- so I suppose I'll revisit this one and edit the review if I deem fitting.

A-3.5, S-3, T-3.5, M-3, D-3.5

Serving type: bottle

03-09-2011 03:07:54 | More by AleWatcher

billab914

Virginia

3.88/5  rDev -4.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a 12oz bottle into my brand new Three Floyd's glass. It poured a very nice looking, deep mahogany color. It started with a full and fizzy half inch head to it, but settled to a thin and spotty layer shortly after.

The aroma is not surprisingly very malty with toffee and caramel playing a prominent roll. Just a hint of a roasty, coffee like flavor comes through, as well as some fruity, cherry notes.

The toffee and caramel flavors are there throughout the flavor as well. It starts with more of the sweet, malty flavors to it, and as it finishes I get some balancing bitterness to it. Like the aroma, I get just a bit of a roasty, coffee like flavor to it as well.

The mouthfeel is medium bodied and carbonation is moderate, but sharp. It's crisp and clean in the finish, making for a pretty easy drinking beer. Drinkability was good, I enjoyed the flavors a lot. A good version of the style, and a good beer overall.

Serving type: bottle

03-04-2011 21:50:13 | More by billab914

gamanley

Connecticut

3.98/5  rDev -2.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A 12 ounce bottle poured in to a pint glass. The color is a nice clear, deep reddish brown with a yellowish head. Smells of sweet caramel malt, brown sugar, and some a bit bready. There is a sweet caramel light chocolate flavor that mixes with a tart cherry flavor. The flavor isn't exactly what I expected, but it's quite nice. The mouthfeel is full with nice velvety carbonation. I didn't get much booziness in the taste, but this beer is a little warm. I'm pretty surprised by this beer. I'll be picking it up in the future when I'm looking for something malty.

Serving type: bottle

03-04-2011 02:29:40 | More by gamanley

TheSupremeAJ

Pennsylvania

4.43/5  rDev +8.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

A- Dark hue with nice head. Clean and opulent.
S- Boozey, sweet, acidic, citrus, bready malt.
T- Fantastic melange of rich malts and german hops! Cherry tartness, chocolate notes. Bready, Rich and complex!
M- Very nice mouthfeel and the best carbonation I've ever had! Fireworks I tell you...
D- 8.5%? Where?

Serving type: bottle

03-03-2011 22:40:50 | More by TheSupremeAJ

Eldalonde

Ohio

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

Pours a deep ruby red with a beautiful creamy head. The head is dense and doesn't diminish. Smells a bit rich and malty, booze, sweet and yet tart cherries. Chocolate is predominately upfront and is the first notable flavor. This is followed by some sweet and tart cherries. Hops are barely noticeable, but the finish is a bit dry. Thick rich chewy malts, chocolate, and a light tart cherry are the most notable flavors.

Serving type: bottle

02-27-2011 21:16:14 | More by Eldalonde

prototypic

Ohio

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

St. Victorious pours a very deep copper color. It's clear and has gorgeous crimson highlights when held to light. It's topped with an off-white head that rises to a finger or so in depth. It recedes quickly, leaving very little lace in its wake.

I like the nose. It's relatively simple and straight forward. It's a little malty up front, but doesn't smell sweet. Chocolate malts have a nice cocoa aroma throughout. It has an herbal quality to it that I can't quite put my finger on. Perhaps it stems from hops, which are much more apparent than I expected. They smell like noble hops and have an earthy scent to them. Alcohol is blended extremely well.

The flavor is very impressive. The malt base consists of cocoa and light caramel. The caramel seems to add just a touch of sweetness. Noble hops are in the mix and have an herbal and grassy flavor. They have a lively flavor and really do spruce things up. Yeast has a surprisingly strong presence, and a nice flavor. It has an interesting, very positive effect. I like it a lot. Alcohol is masked extremely well. I wouldn't have guessed this is anywhere near 8% territory. Finishes earthy and dry, with just a hint of cocoa.

St. Victorious has a body that's on the lighter side of medium. Carbonation is relatively light, but a little more body wouldn't be a bad thing. Feels smooth nonetheless. Drinkability is excellent. This is one tasty Doppelbock that goes down so easily. A 12 oz. is honestly not enough.

St. Victorious is a really impressive release from Victory Brewing Company. It's an excellent take on the Doppelbock style, and could easily be confused with an authentic German Doppelbock. It has a ton of flavor and really delivers in just about every way. I wouldn't mind a little more body, but I can't complain. Excellent stuff! Seek it out.

Serving type: bottle

02-27-2011 02:54:40 | More by prototypic

TMoney2591

Illinois

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

Served in a Chicago Bears shaker pint glass.

Revisiting this one due to pleasant memories from back East. It pours a clear ruby garnet topped by a half-finger of light ecru foam. The nose comprises rye bread, wheat, light cocoa, and light maple syrup. The rye really brings a good amount of breadiness to the aroma. The taste follows the nose pretty closely, with a mild touch of roasted malts thrown in to compliment the aforementioned rye breadiness. The cocoa has morphed into some slightly bitter dark chocolate as well, creating a light coffee flavor in the back. It all comes together rather nicely. The body is a svelte medium, with a very light moderate carbonation and a smooth feel. Overall, a very nice d-bock. 'Nuff said.

Serving type: bottle

02-23-2011 01:02:00 | More by TMoney2591

ColdPoncho

Ohio

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

Enjoy by Jan 10 2012, the label says.

A - Deep crimson mahogany body with a small tan head. The two don't seem compatible, but the beer is a lovely color.

S - toffee, dark fruits, earthy notes. hints of lemon.

T - Tart fruit sweetness up front, vanilla and toffee malt on the back with a dry finish. Interesting and complex.

M - fairly robust, but not heavy. dry.

D - Quite drinkable. Tasty, and interesting, and not preventative in any way.

Serving type: bottle

02-20-2011 23:08:39 | More by ColdPoncho

stingrayvr6

New Jersey

4.47/5  rDev +9.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Poured from a bottle into a pilsner. Caramel brow, creamy head with great retention. Smell burned caramel, roasted barley and some floral notes from hops. Taste sweet and malty up front, caramel, vanilla, the roasted barley showing through and merging with a nice bitterness in the finish. Incredibly drinkable for the alcohol, a great beer.

Serving type: bottle

02-19-2011 05:39:12 | More by stingrayvr6