St. Victorious - Victory Brewing Company

smakawhat

Maryland

3.78/5  rDev -7.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Poured from the bottle into a pilsner short style glass at Roscoe's Pizza Takoma Park.

A sticky caramel and toffee like head is presented with tiny uniform bubbles and succinct. Body is a cloudy brown and orange, sort of dull. While drinking the beer gives a good solid puck. There is no lacing on this whatsoever.

Nose has a malt stickiness and toffee classic to the style, some mild hints of chocolate and banana, but sort of clean and wet smelling. There is also a faint anise smell here too.

Taste brings a light bodied and very wet malt. Light toffee aromas in the mid palate which also mix with a sort of wodden like character, almost teak like. Texture though is very wet for such a doppelbock which I expect to be bolder and thicker.

Overall pretty solid and enjoyable, but lacking in body and fullness in the feel otherwise.

Serving type: bottle

09-28-2011 01:15:05 | More by smakawhat

blackie

Virginia

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

a: deep brown-amber colored lager with orange coming out around the edges, small wisps of carbonation produced upon pouring soon disappear to leave only a thin ring around my glass

s: rich with malty doppelbock aromas - dark tree fruits and toasty munich malt dominant with a sweet/sour thing going on, apple, hardwood and an interestingly smoky peat aroma, root spice, mild herbal hops, the malt depth makes it

m: carbonation on the low side, body full without being thick

t: a slight letdown after the aroma, with much of the complexity found on the nose not coming through, still, there's a nice toasty munich malt body, notes of dark tree fruit and apple, a brushing of butter on the tongue after swallowing, and a mild, pleasant herbal bitterness in the finish

d: lager-easy, especially for an 8.5 percent beer

single from Norm's, Vienna, VA - best by Dec 02, 2009

Serving type: bottle

04-23-2009 03:35:02 | More by blackie

GClarkage

California

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

12/08/05- Received via trade with Santoslhalper.

Presentation- 12oz bottle with a best by date stamped on the bottle. Poured into my dimpled mug.

Appearance- Off brown chocolaty colored pour. Small 1/4 inch head with specks of light lace here and there.

Smell- Sweet toffee malt with maybe some dates and raisins as well.

Taste- Very nice sweet and maybe a bit tangy roasted malt with a touch of brown sugar for that sticky taste. Dates and maybe some prune action going on as well.

Mouthfeel- A bit thick and definitely sticky. Heavier mouthfeel.

Drinkability- Quite a nice doppelbock. Right up there with my two favorites (Celebrator and Weltenburger). Would have again if it was out here. Thanks for the sample Santos!

Serving type: bottle

12-09-2005 04:50:41 | More by GClarkage

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

Vancer

Illinois

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

Awesome DB – weakest part was the pour, a nice clear mahogany brown – but a frail head that died easily.

Good aroma of chocolate and hints of coffee, rich malt notes. The quaff confirmed the malty backbone of the deep roasted barley, great hints of chocolate throughout the glass.

Initial hoppy fizz in the mouth, moves towards the malt, then back to a carbonated hop finish. Very robust and tangy. Oh, the 8.5% is well hidden, and not noticeable until after the bottle, when you stand to go get another!

Cheers to BeerBeing for the chance.

Serving type: bottle

06-23-2006 12:27:32 | More by Vancer

tgbljb

Pennsylvania

3.85/5  rDev -5.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Enjoyed from bottle with use by date of Aug 1, 2005. I am glad to see Victory bottling this beer this year. Poured a beautiful deep copper color with large head. Was not initially impressed with first taste, but it began to grow on me as the glass disappeared. Nice finish. will definitely enjoy again

Serving type: bottle

03-05-2005 02:27:18 | More by tgbljb

Bierman9

New Hampshire

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

Swung by Victory on 26JAN10 en-route to Lancaster. Had myself a pint of this to wash away the dregs of driving 6+ hours. Ahhhh...

St Vic was a clear, deep mahogany bier, with some carbo rising up. Head was beige, creamy and lasting, though thin. Good lace lined the Stange. Nose was fairly malty and sweet, with some toasty notes and caramel. Solid body - medium all the way, with a fairly smooth feel.

Flavor was more malt - caramel and some toffee, hints of brown sugar, lightly sweetened - with a minimal of floral hopping going on. A tasty bier, flavorful and almost in the solid category. Prosit!

3.7
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | drink: 4

1208

Serving type: on-tap

02-02-2010 19:46:48 | More by Bierman9

GCBrewingCo

North Carolina

3.63/5  rDev -11%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

The beer poured into the glass crystal clear deep amber with a tannish head which rose tall and fell slowly to lace the glass.

The aroma was strongly malty with a moderate alcohol presence. Some chocolate malt character was notable and dark fruits, prunes mostly, but some raisins, existed in the aroma. The aroma also contained a light smoky presence and complexity.

The flavor was malty with a smoky character (can this be right?). The flavor was dark caramel and fairly strong smoked sausage character as if the beer contained some rauchmalt. The smoke was not high enough to be a rauchbier, but was strong enough to really detract from the character of a dopplebock. Some dark fruits, again, more prunes than raisins, were present and in the background.

The finish was dry with a lasting dry smoke character coupled with an underlying chocolate into the aftertaste. The body was medium with a fairly low carbonation. The warming after consumption was only slight. I expected this to be a much different beer and the smoke was completely not what was expected and did not contribute complexity to anything other than the aroma.

12 ounce bottle. Enjoy by Jul 27, 06. Thanks BeerBeing!

Serving type: bottle

07-14-2006 23:18:11 | More by GCBrewingCo

Metalmonk

North Carolina

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

Label says "Enjoy by Dec 2 09" and boy, did I squeak right in under the deadline. Pours a deep garnet color with dense, slow-moving bubbles and a small off-white head. Looks pretty viscous; tilting the glass creates long snaky splashes of lace. Looks pretty damn magical from here.

Aroma is one very, very marvelous thing: malty, and on the very sweet side of malty, with Twizzlers, Slo-Poke (or, if you prefer, "caramel"), toffee, various dark berries and Concord grape all intertwined.

Flavor is also rather sweet, fruity and candy-like, pretty much all malt up front...and luckily never cloying, unless you can't stand even a smidgen of sweetness in your beer. Big juicy dark berries and grape/raisin, dark bread (pumpernickel), milk chocolate or watery chocolate milk, and just the right amount of alcohol warmth pushing it all through.

Body is just a little thin, although the carbonation is dialed down, just present enough to keep a smooth, gliding, slick texture caressing the tongue.

Super-enjoyable, very much on the desserty side of things. Chalk St. Victorious up as another victory for Victory.

Serving type: bottle

12-02-2009 23:30:17 | More by Metalmonk

brewdlyhooked13

Ohio

4.03/5  rDev -1.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Appearance - pours a hazed reddish brown. some energetic head formation but it is short-lived. The light mocha foam falls back quickly, leaving no traces of its presence.

Aroma - good heavy, bready smell, some sweetness and roast enhancing nicely.

Taste - chewy malts, bready and a bit boozy. Comes off slightly hot. The swallow has a noticeable little hop bite. No real flavor development, but a definite bitterness. The aftertaste is warm, malty, and vapory with alcohol. Doppelbocks are potent but they don't necessarily have to be so bold about it.

Mouthfeel - appropriately weighty, the beer hangs in the mouth a bit, a real rib-sticker. Carbonation has a little kick to it.

Drinkability - an easy beer to sip and enjoy, and will definitely warm the spirit tonight.

Serving type: bottle

02-22-2008 04:11:24 | More by brewdlyhooked13

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

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

NJpadreFan

New Jersey

3.25/5  rDev -20.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Victory- St Victorious

Served up at the 10 year anniversary party.

Appearance- dark mahogany brown with a decent fluffy head.
Smell- sweet molasses, sugary syrup, and malt.
Taste- sweet syrupy malt with hints of molasses and cherry.
Mouthfeel- a little to thick and sweet for me. Although smooth and warm on a cold evening.

Overall- a decent doppelbock, just too sweet.

Serving type: on-tap

02-19-2006 18:38:27 | More by NJpadreFan

kmpitz2

Tennessee

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

Pours into a Celabrator glass a very solid amber ot ruby color with a 2 finger light tan head that falls quickly to a coat of about a quater inch over top. A moderate carbonation bubbles from the bottom of the glass. Nose is nice and toasty, with deep sweet caramel and lighter figy fruityness in there. Definately dominated by melanoidans, but with good sweetness in there to balance. I like the aroma. Flavor is very full and hits the aroma pretty well. It starts out as a caramel and fig sweetness, but moves very quickly to a light grainey toastyness. There is the lightest of bitters hanging on the finish. This is tasty. Feel is very thick, with a light to moderate carbonation. Its very chewy and almost a touch slick. As far as things go, I don't detect any of the alcohol that is in this brew. I really like that light bitterness that hangs on, as I think it works very well with the other flavors. This one is a winner in my book. I'd have it again any day.

Serving type: bottle

03-28-2006 01:16:35 | More by kmpitz2

rfgetz

New Jersey

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

Pours a ruby, purply brown color, very clear, minimal head and lacing. Somewhat true to style, the nose is rich malt, yet not as sweet as some doppelbocks. Taste follows scent, pretty much rich bready and nutty malts (but not as rich as it could be), but a dark berry taste lingers in the the background. Nice medium body on this, decent carbonation level after the lack of head. A good beer with some nice flavors to it but lacks complexity and punch i get from other beers of the style.

Serving type: on-tap

12-28-2009 14:16:27 | More by rfgetz

grub

Ontario (Canada)

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

got this one from Aprilluvsbeer as part of BC2. thanks april!

12oz bottle. that says to enjoy by Jan 22/08.

pours a beautiful deep ruby red, not quite brown, with a small dense off-white head. no lace.

aroma is delightful. lots of great caramel. hints of toffee. multi-grain bread. hint of alcohol.

taste is good. bit of roast. toasted multi-grain bread. biscuit. nice light caramel sweetness. low bitterness level. hint of dark chocolate. bit of alcohol, but it's pretty well hidden. hints of dark fruit too. maybe a touch of smoke.

mouthfeel is good. nice big body. medium-low carbonation level.

drinkability is great. excellent balance. great malty base. really nice doppel.

Serving type: bottle

11-23-2007 01:49:23 | More by grub

dsa7783

New Jersey

3.6/5  rDev -11.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

After trying just about every Victory beer on the market (sans on tap at the brewery), this is the latest offering I've had the pleasure to sample... A crisp, sweet-tasting, spritzy depiction of the style with a noticeable pepperish bite... Alcohol was difficult to detect despite the 8.5% ABV...
Good stuff but certainly not the brewery's best offering...

Serving type: bottle

11-27-2009 17:43:05 | More by dsa7783

ADR

Pennsylvania

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

Transparent brown color with a decided red cast to it. Yellowish head is flat, medium in duration. Leaves very little lace on the glass. Deep malty aroma, slight cinnamon and coffee, ripe pears. Mouthfeel is lighter than some, carbonation is lively and the texture overall comes out at about medium. Starts out with spicey flavor qualities, molasses and elements of tangy mincemeat. The malt component is certainly adequate. What stands out as different is the considerable hop bittering on this one, German in style, very dry with elements of asphalt. Interesting in its balance. Alcohol is moderately well-hidden but noticeable by the end of the glass, and the ashy hop is ever-present in the aftertaste. Maybe what's missing for me is a bit more of a sturdy mouthfeel, and I tend to like the overall impression to be sweeter in a Doppelbock.

Serving type: bottle

03-29-2006 00:46:34 | More by ADR

msubulldog25

Oregon

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

A pour to a pint glass from a 12 oz bottle. "Enjoy by" date is smeared but reads "XXX 22 08" - at least the 08 tells me it's fresh...thanks to RoyMunson & todd1 for both sending a bottle.

A: Amber/mahogany, clear with tons of carbonation. About 1/2 finger of dusty tan head which is constantly replenished by the fizzing streams of tiny bubbles. Very fizzy head at first, which dwindles towards athin film.

S: Malty and full of "lager-smelling" yeast - grainy and slightly metallic. Has a twang of sourness melded with some caramel sweetness, along with a hint of fruit and raisins and a mild toasted nuttiness.

T: Sweet malty grain, molten caramel, butterscotch and toasted nuts. Just enough bittering hops to round off the sugary malts. There's also a not-so-subtle smoky malt flavor that I seemed to find in just about every other sip - odd.

M: A considerable carbonated fizz which holds a warmth and velvety quality in its ample ABV. Some sticky sweetness on the lips with a clinging toasted nut, mild hop bitterness on the tongue. Very nice medium/full body.

D: In a word: tasty. This doppelbock is drinkable and well-balanced, certainly would be welcome again.

Serving type: bottle

03-25-2007 21:58:03 | More by msubulldog25

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

flexabull

California

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

Pours a dark amber/brown color, clear, and with a nice sturdy looking head.

Beer smells, bright, bread like, and a bit dusty.

Flavors are full and quite tasty. Nutty, creamy, and cereal like. Finish is crisp, with a nice bit of zip from the alcohol and carbonation.

Mouthfeel is very good. This beer really sits well in your mouth, and coats your taste buds with nice full flavors.

Drinkability is good. A very nicel, and well done Doppelbock.

Thanks for the bottle nlmartin!

Serving type: bottle

04-19-2007 03:12:52 | More by flexabull

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

illidurit

California

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

Poured into a nonic, this dark amber beer is cloudy and forms a modest 1 finger head of tan suds. Dissipates quickly into nothingness, no lacing.

Smells of toffee and booze primarily.

Lots of toastiness in this one. Brown sugar, toffee, and caramel provide the sweetness, roasty malt evens it out a bit. No alcohol in the taste.

Kinda low on carbonation and a tad thin bodied for the style. Kinda sticky in the mouth.

Pretty sweet and rich drink, perfect for winter. Easy to drink.

Serving type: bottle

07-15-2007 23:03:25 | More by illidurit

argock

Virginia

3.95/5  rDev -3.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Poured from 12oz brown bottle into a clear pint glass. Enjoy by Dec 2009 date on label. Single purchased from Wine Warehouse (Charlottesville, VA) for $2.15.

A: Solid deep mahogany hue with 1-2 finger, dense off-white/tangerine head with good retention and lacing.

S: Mild but enjoyable with leather, musty maltiness, and herbal hops aromas

T: Full-flavored without being overly sweet. Spicy hops play a big role in the interesting flavor. Bigtime caramel maltiness with a touch of cocoa and yeastiness adds to a good flavor profile. Alcohol is there but not overbearing.

M: Very sneaky smooth with medium-full body and medium carbonation and semi-sweet malty and herbal hops aftertaste

D: A highly drinkable dopplebock which is widely available and great quality as everything Victory produces.

Serving type: bottle

04-10-2009 04:49:03 | More by argock

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