Storm King Stout - Victory Brewing Company

RBorsato

Virginia

5/5  rDev +21.7%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Black (with ruby red edges) color and a low dark brown head. Decent carbonation and lace for a style with high alcohol content. Intense roasty and chocolately aroma with a light alcohol scent. Light hop aroma initially but dissappears quickly in older versions. Burnt malt character with a big chocolate flavor. Rich and roasty with a bittersweet chocolate finish. Full bodied with a noticeable alcohol presence. The warming sensation lingers...

Note: I did a linear tasting of 3 years (98-99, 99-00, and 00-01). Tasted: 01/15/03. I found the beer to be better (more rounded) as it gets older. The hop presence mellows as it gets older but is fairly prevalent when enjoyed within 2 years.

Serving type: bottle

01-16-2003 13:44:29 | More by RBorsato

Morris729

Texas

5/5  rDev +21.7%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Saved for my 300th Review.
Wow. Pours pitch black in color with what appears to be only an average sized tan colored head at first that continues to grow long after you’ve finished pouring and develops into a mountainous thick and creamy head. Several minutes after the head was fully formed, it still showed almost no signs of receding, and it coats the walls of the glass with heavy sheets of lace as you drink. The presence of hops is very apparent in the aroma along with notes of fresh espresso and chocolate liqueur. Very full-bodied with a thick and creamy mouthfeel. Flavors of roasted malts and bitter-sweet chocolate are present up front followed by notes of buttery toffee, dark coffee, and a bit of liquorish. Some tastes of dark fruits also come along towards the end along with some bitter hop leaf flavors. The bitter hop oils and tannins remain in a lasting aftertaste. Very delicious. An absolutely incredible beer. Thanks to paceyourself for sending me this brew!

Serving type: bottle

03-21-2003 18:08:20 | More by Morris729

taez555

Massachusetts

5/5  rDev +21.7%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

I poured this beer, labeled 10/15/02, into a snifter. It poured a dark black body with a beautiful white/tan, almost purplish in the right light, head. It definitely could be mistaken for the foam of a mocha or cappuccino.

The nose to this beer was breathtaking. Hoppy, malty, chocolatly, slight coffee smells. just layer upon layer of aromas.

The initial taste is actually very subdued and mellow. Followed by a rush of intense stout flavors. Waves of chocolate, freshly roasted malts, toffee, subtle coffee, balanced hop bitterness, and even an earthy hop flavor that hints that this beer might be dry hopped.

The flavor takes it time to disappear. It lingers off into an even more impressive finish. This is when a lot of the coffee/espresso flavors come to the forefront and linger.

Overall this beer is quite amazing. It really reminds me of a combination of an imperial stout and barely wine. But, in my opinion, why this beer deserves an all 5 rating, is how perfectly balanced, and well crafted it is. All of the flavors are in your face, but none overpower the others. All of the tastes are so REAL; you can almost taste the coffee, the chocolate, or the roasted barley. Victory has really outdone themselves with this beer.

Serving type: bottle

04-15-2003 03:10:20 | More by taez555

SheepNutz

Kentucky

5/5  rDev +21.7%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

This is the first perfect score that I have given out. I had this perfect beer in a 12oz. bottle poured into a tulip-style glass. It pours a thick deep black with one finger of gorgeous caramel head. The head hsa a fair retention, and there is some lacing left on the glass. The smell is rich in roasted malt, coffee, and caramel with a bit of hops. The taste is a great blend of roasted coffee, molasses, and chocolate, and there are plenty of hops to balance it perfectly. The mouthfeel is very heavy, yet this brew is still very smooth. The drinkability is the best I've ever had in a stout, even at 9.1%. This is really the king of stouts!

Serving type: bottle

06-24-2003 21:05:26 | More by SheepNutz

Scooter77

Ohio

5/5  rDev +21.7%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Upon the first drink of this delectable brew, there was only one phrase that came to my mind…Yabba-Dabba-Doo, Yoo-Hoo, Scooby Doo! This is one absolutely amazing beer. It pours a thick, black color topped off by a fluffy tan, almost brown head. For an Imperial Stout, the head retention was very impressive. It faded down slowly and remained fully intact until the last drink. The aromas of sweet malts and dark roasted coffee beans forces it’s way straight up your nose directly into your brain…I have honestly never smelled something all the way up in my brain! It was amazing! The alcohol was totally masked by that sweet, sweet aroma. Then came the tasting…ahh, there’s that masked alcohol forcing itself on the taste buds. The sweet, maltiness of the aroma represents itself very well in the taste. I also detected a hint of nuttiness in the finish. This brew is exceptionally balance, very smooth and easy to drink. I think I could drink this all day and night, or at least until the 9.1% ABV knocks me on my ass. This is the only beer that I have every given a total rating of 5 on and it is very well deserved. I can’t wait to taste this one in a few months after it ages for a while.

Serving type: bottle

10-25-2003 00:37:33 | More by Scooter77

Beervis

Ontario (Canada)

5/5  rDev +21.7%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

This beer is amazing!

After taking one sip I knew I was in for a treat. It pours very dark with a nice thick brown head leaving great lace on the glass as you drink it.

The taste explodes in your mouth and never seems to stop. Chocolatey/Coffee notes on the palate, and a generous hopping add to a very complex mouthfeel. Even as the beer goes down your throat, with it's warming feel, the aftertaste keeps kicking with hops.

The complexity of this beer is amazing, and it's incredible drinkability makes it a little dangerous (quite the potent alcohol kick!)...as I can see myself drinking a lot of it!!

This beer is definitely my favourite Winter beer so far.

Serving type: bottle

01-07-2004 19:00:19 | More by Beervis

kegerator

Maryland

5/5  rDev +21.7%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Probably the best stout i have had to date.
Had on tap at the Gingerman in NYC.
poured out a nice rich dark brown, almost black typical of a stout
smelled very nice, coffe, a little chocolate perhaps
taste: very rich taste, and surprisingly i got very little or almost no bitterness from this one.
very smooth in the mouth and coated my toungue very nicely
I am not a huge stout fan so i need to be in the mood to drink one, but if i am i will reach for this one for sure.

Serving type: on-tap

05-05-2004 18:02:22 | More by kegerator

tweeder263

Pennsylvania

5/5  rDev +21.7%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

on a scale of 1-10 this is a 12 , truely my favorite beer.black in color with a dark tan head no light escapes.this bottle is dated nov 4 2003 so its had some time to mellow. nice caramel /coffee smell taste that turns into nice hoppyness then comes the alcohol warmth.alcohol hides beautifully, but i must say storm king isn`t a session type beer,, i enjoy one or 2 a week

Serving type: bottle

10-28-2004 01:23:19 | More by tweeder263

asabreed

New York

5/5  rDev +21.7%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Wow. I can't say that enough. Had my first Imperial pint at the Capital Ale House in Richmond, and I was thrilled to see that they still had it in stock. Being a huge Storm King fan from bottle or draft already, I was more than excited to try this.

Appearance: What you'd expect. Opaque and beautifully black, with a mocha-colored tan had that slowly dissipates as you sip on it.

Smell: The smells seem to much different from the "regular" Storm King and have gained amazing texture and complexity. Yeast. Bread. Dark, unsweetened chocolate. Dark berries. Slight coffee / mocha. Complex malts. Faint hops. Dark cherries, but it doesn't smell syrupy at all. Amazing.

Taste: All the flavors come together amazingly well. Berries up front, rather than the espresso like flavors of the bottle or regular tap. Some chocolate and malts, lingering and slight hop finish. Aftertaste of dark cherries and a faint hop bitterness. Also amazing.

Mouthfeel: Medium body, but not chewy. Light and perfectly balanced carbonation.

Drinkability: I paired this with raspberry white chocolate cheesecake, and it only enhanced the flavors of both. I don't see how a cask-conditioned beer can get better than this, as Storm King by itself is amazing enough.

Please try this if you see it, especially if they still have it at the Capital Ale House when you go. It's way beyond well worth it.

Serving type: cask

03-24-2005 16:23:38 | More by asabreed

nickss

Texas

5/5  rDev +21.7%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Ok... So I'm reticent to give a 5.
But as I'm sure most people know who have had this wonderful brew, this is miraculous. Liquid perfection.

Appearance: Black... as dark as night. Pours with a huge foamy head, which very slowly subsides to a light brown cap on top of this black brew.

Smell: Huge toffee smell.... I could smell this all day long... but then I wouldnt be able to drink it =P

Taste: Chocolate, Toffee, with a bit of alcohol in the back of the tongue.

Mouthfeel: Thick, chunky, mmmm.

Drinability: .... do I actually need to answer this?

I will just say.... probably my favorite beer... I simply cannot think of anything wrong with it.... flawless.

Serving type: bottle

07-17-2005 00:26:46 | More by nickss

TheDeuce

New York

5/5  rDev +21.7%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

STORM KING...my bottle was brewed and bottled in Oct. 2005

Appearance-thick as oil and black as night, pours lazily into the glass, slow carbonation but eventually big aromatic bubbles form, this looks menacing.

Smell-not much at first, a minute to let it rest and a little stirring reveals alcohol and chocolate in massive amounts along with a substantial hop aroma

Taste-WOW, incredibly smooth, chocolate rises up along with coffee and hides the alcohol incredibly well, the alcohol does show itself but for a beer of this strengh it is well hidden, wow. Goes down nicely, aftertaste is dry and of alcoholic fumes.

Mouthfeel-light for such a thick stout, alcohol at the end mostly, a little chocolate on my next sip, great stuff.

Drinkability-Deviously drinkable but this will knock you on your ass if you have too many, still it is so good, so chocolately.

Overall-hands down the best stout I've ever had, so chocolaty and flavorful masking its uglier alcholic side while keeping all the strength this beer has aged well and lived up to its reputation, what a brew!

Serving type: bottle

04-17-2006 06:00:07 | More by TheDeuce

beercat11

New York

5/5  rDev +21.7%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Just happened to see this on the shelf at a local beverage supply outlet. I have always enjoyed the Imperial Stouts out there although there are not many. The first thing I noticed upon popping off the cap was the unbelievable aroma coming from the bottle. If I had to smell this blind folded I would have guessed it was some sort of coffee/chocolate (mocha) style ice cream soda. The beer poured thick and black with a very dark head. The first sip of this brew floored me. It did not taste like I had anticipated. My long description would be a Hopped Chocolate malted coffee espresso deluxe with the essence of roasted almonds served in a chestnut wooden mug!! WOW!! The finish is smooth with a hint of bitterness that disappears very quickly from the tip of your tongue to the back of the throat. Carbonation is perfectly balanced because of the initial hoppyness experienced upon contact. I think this beer would even be enjoyed by those who typically don't drink this style. If you ever see this, try it. I could drink this every day if it wasn't so potent at 9.2% abvr. I Love this one and will try out the remaining four bottles during this years Holiday season. I am sure it will age very well.

Serving type: bottle

05-05-2006 16:16:13 | More by beercat11

Avagadro

New Jersey

5/5  rDev +21.7%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

A: Beautiful appearance. This brew has a black velvety body in which no light can pass though, and a mocha colored, two fingers of foam that stick to the sides of my tulip. Very creamy looking. Good head retention for a RIS. Drink by sep. 27, 2011. That's 4 years from now.

S: Very strong aroma. Sweet with dried fruit, vanilla, toffee, and caramel. This smells great.

T: Wow! Fruitiness, hoppiness, spiciness. This beer has it all. Sweet caramel malt followed by dried fruits, then hops, nice roastiness, and finishes with a spicy alcohol note. This is definitely a must try brew.

M: Thick chewy mouthfeel. Low carbonation, with a nice velvety mouthfeel. Slips off of your tongue and leave an excellent feel.

D: This is a must try if you're a fan of any kind of stout. I could drink these all night. Another great brew by Victory.

Serving type: bottle

02-04-2007 02:45:55 | More by Avagadro

stevegamburg

Illinois

5/5  rDev +21.7%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Pours black with a semi-thick head. Smells of black malt and dark fruit with a noticeable hop aroma. The taste is huge and complex with a larger hop presence than most Imperial Stouts but it is very well balanced. The finish has a nice hint of espresso.

I can't understand some of the low ratings.

Take it from someone who drinks stouts almost exclusively:
This is a spectacular Imperial Stout - One of the best that I have ever had.

Serving type: bottle

02-21-2007 17:15:27 | More by stevegamburg

athensbeermaster

Georgia

5/5  rDev +21.7%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

This stout commands respect from start to finish. Huge tan head
that has a mind of it's own. It keeps growing after your done pouring! The lacing never let's go. The aroma of expreso and fresh hops and bakers chocolate is just a sneek preview of what to expect. Then the mouthfeel is so creamy and tingly at the same time. This stout is so well balanced. No one flavor over takes another. The roasted malts, The coffee. the hops, chocolate, caramel, licorice, and dark black rasberries. And even with all these lush flavors the finish still is dry and dusty!! I just had a bells
expedition stout last week and this beer is in the same league. Cheers!

Serving type: bottle

05-12-2007 15:38:17 | More by athensbeermaster

wanker

Texas

5/5  rDev +21.7%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

[my review is updated for the 2007 release]

I rated this beer 4.1 when I tried the 2006 release. The 2007 release deserves a new review and my first 5 rating.

For 2007, the hops have been toned down a bit and the chocolate has been turned WAY up. I love chocolate stout, so this is a good thing.

This beer deserves a new category, "imperial chocolate stout."

The hops are there and come through in the smell. But the taste is so perfectly balanced that no one component dominates. There is something in here for every stout lover: some hops, some malt, lots of chocolate, just a hint of vanilla - a bit of everything.

This would be a great beer to drink with dessert.

The mouthfeel is perfect, not syrupy at all. Velvety.

Run, don't walk, to get some of this beer!

Serving type: bottle

09-29-2007 12:51:11 | More by wanker

allergictomacros

Ontario (Canada)

5/5  rDev +21.7%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

A - Pours out a thick, opaque liquid with a thick brown foam. Excellent stickiness and retention.

S - Smells incredibly hoppy for a stout - grapefruit first and foremost, followed by some fruitiness. After a while lots of chocolate start coming through as well.

T - Very bitter, some molasses sweetness up front, big juicy citrus/grapefruit in the middle and finishes quite dry and bitter with a distinct cocoa flavour. 2nd sip is bittersweet chocolate up front, citrus middle again, and a hoppy finish. Take 3, more roastiness coming through but still as hoppy. Alcohol is showing more now as well.

M - Chewy but with a fresh menthol character that lightens it somewhat (I think it's something to do with the hoppiness).

D - This is really <any expletive> good. Apparently this is my 401st review, and the first full "5" rating for me.

Serving type: bottle

01-29-2008 02:33:32 | More by allergictomacros

kw24ever

New Hampshire

5/5  rDev +21.7%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Was down in Philly visiting the brother-in-law and family and he took me to a local beer distributer. Was completly overwellmed by the selection of beers I've never heard of but with some persuasion decieded on this one and WOW. Poured DARK with a thick dark creamy head smelled wonderful and tasted even better. Had my first one and decided I had to eat something to sober up a little. CRAZY off of one beer!!!

Serving type: bottle

01-03-2009 03:28:51 | More by kw24ever

Bouleboubier

Pennsylvania

5/5  rDev +21.7%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

I've been drinking and adoring this stout for countless years now. One of the best moves Victory made was moving this from a seasonal offering to a year-round celebration. Storm King has so much going for it - a striking display, a bold aroma, a dynamic, complex flavor, and highly competitive "drinkability" (can we come up with a synonym for "drinkability"?...considering it's mainstream reference point)

What a perfect beer to enjoy from my favorite serving type - the growler (on-tap/cask, I love you, but I can take growler home, it looks hot, and I can have my way with it - without peeeeople around). This might pour one of the most gorgeous, busty heads I've laid eyes on - uber-full, chocolate(-colored) mousse-creamy, filthy-thick stains of lacing spattering the middle-man (pint glass) - stark-dark onyx. Ultra-smooth, lightly bitter cocoa/roasty, blue-green fresh-pungent hop aroma - pounds the sinuses with sultry loveliness. Other notes in the scent - black licorice and booze - carry over into and explode in the taste, which, with all said descriptors combined, plus a soft coffee undertone and a silken cream liqueur feel and Irish dry finish...(pause)...make quite possibly the most all-quality-encompassing strong stout in existence. I've gushed over this on-tap, on cask, from growler (3 times), from bottle, and siphoned from the belly of the storm king bird itself. Stellar.

Serving type: growler

11-11-2010 05:26:10 | More by Bouleboubier

ChuckGeramita

Pennsylvania

5/5  rDev +21.7%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Bar none this should be the stout that all other stouts strive to be. This beer changed my life...

I was your typical Miller Lite 12 pack a sitting guy until I had this. If you are in an all day drinkfest this IS NOT your beer or you will be stone cold pie whacked.

Warning, it is hard to go back to the typical selections after having this.

Serving type: bottle

04-13-2013 11:44:30 | More by ChuckGeramita