Storm King Stout - Victory Brewing Company

bobtopich

Pennsylvania

4.84/5  rDev +17.8%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75

I appreciate the dedication of those that can write such detailed reviews. I will apologize up front for not going in that direction. I am simply going to say that right now, Storm King is my favorite beer.

Since the summer, I have been sampling a variety of stouts and porters. Had the pleasure of hitting up Deschutes in Portland this summer and enjoyed their Black Butte Porter and their Nitro Obsidian Stout. Can't find them here in Pittsburgh or I'm sure I'd enjoy more of them.

Some others have been Old Dominion Oak Barrel Stout, Bell's Expedition Stout, Kona Pipeline Porter, Wolaver's Oatmeal Stout, Rogue Chocolate Stout, Sam Adams Maple Pecan Porter, and more.

Storm King just tastes right for me. I'm not sure about all of the malts and hops and whathaveyous but it's just tasty. I love to pour it into a snifter and let it warm naturally. It has a great aroma and is very heavy and full-bodied. Like Lays chips, there are times that I can enjoy just one. Tomorrow watching the Final Four will not be one of those evenings!

Bell's Expedition is equal...the difference in price will keep me coming back to Storm King. If you haven't tried it I will tell you to try a six pack and hopefully enjoy it as I do. Thanks for reading...

Serving type: bottle

04-05-2013 18:08:58 | More by bobtopich

Wamesit

Massachusetts

4.41/5  rDev +7.3%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A - Pours a deep black with just a trace of ruby edging. A thick tan head gives way to very clumpy lacing.

S - Coffee. Roasted malts. Peppery hops. Rich astringent in there as well.

T - Roasted malts. Coffee malts. Dark chocolate. Hops is peppery but with almost a citrusy finish. Very clean.

M - Lush but on the lighter side. Solid carbonation for an Imperial Stout. Lively.

O - Absolutely great stout. Highly recommend. Very drinkable for the style.

Serving type: bottle

03-27-2013 02:42:08 | More by Wamesit

Sludgeman

District of Columbia

4.55/5  rDev +10.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Enjoy by date Nov 28, 2017. Poured into a DFH chalice.

A - Poured a black opaque with a one-finger tan rocky head. Slightly vicous.

A - Coffee, dark chocolate, sweetness.

T - Coffee, dark chocolate, faint licorice (don't let this turn you off if you are not a fan of licorice, it is faint), nice dry hoppy finish with some coffee/dark roast malt bitterness.

MF - Smooth with a dry finish.

O - Well balanced. Dark roast coffee flavors dominate. Slightly warming, but hides its 9.1% ABV well. Victory says you can age this one five years. Its ready now. Excellent beer.

Serving type: bottle

03-25-2013 20:11:20 | More by Sludgeman

Dave1999

Virginia

3.94/5  rDev -4.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

Pours pure black with a small white head.

Smell is dark and malty with bitter coffee.

The taste is strong roasted bitter malts.Very bitter coffee flavour which lasts a while.

The mouth is thick and smooth with medium carbonation.

Overall a very a bitter ris not bad but there are much better.

Serving type: bottle

03-23-2013 21:02:59 | More by Dave1999

screamking

Ohio

3.33/5  rDev -19%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 3

12oz bottle poured into snifter.

Appearance-pours black, with a thin khaki head that vanishes quickly, splashes of lacing on the glass. 4

Aroma-more hoppy than most RIS's out there. Dark fruits are there with plum taking over. Chocolate seems to be muted in this. 3.75

Taste-hops come out a lot stronger than I would expect for this style. Citrus right up front,roasted coffee also stands out at first. Milk chocolate brings out the sweetness. Really surprised how hoppy this is and it's not exactly a good thing. I just don't think these flavors mess well together. 3

Feel-feel is pretty standard for a RIS, although the bitterness of the hops seem to jump out, mild carbonation, coats well. 4.25

Overall-not to impressed with this. It's too bitter and just when you think you are going to get some sweetness it get muddled together with more bitterness. Maybe I just prefer my stouts with a more robust chocolate and roasted flavor. I don't think I would ever buy this again. 3

Serving type: bottle

03-23-2013 02:09:19 | More by screamking

kojevergas

California

3.66/5  rDev -10.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

9.10% ABV confirmed. 12 fl oz brown glass bottle with standard pressure cap served into a 5 oz taster glass in me gaff in low altitude Los Feliz, Los Angeles, California. Reviewed from notes taken about a month ago.

A: Pours a one finger beige-khaki colour head. Nice cream and thickness. Pretty good retention (~2-3 minutes). Body colour is a solid dark ruby-black. No yeast particles are visible. No bubble show. Nontransparent. Opaque. Right on the money for an imperial stout.

Sm: Chocolate/cacao dusting. Caramel. Dark malts. Chocolate malt. Cream. Mocha. Hazelnut. Miky. A moderate strength aroma. No yeast character or alcohol is detectable. Good for the style. Appealing. I'm excited to try it.

T: Chocolate. Some bitterness from the chocolate too. Cacao. Caramel. Mocha. Cream. Dark malts. Balanced, if imperfect. Not a whole lot of complexity here, but it's damn tasty. I like it. Milky, with light hazelnut. Burnt - a characteristic I quite like here. Not great depth of flavour, but the flavour that does come through is enjoyable.

Mf: Smooth and wet. Good thickness. Good carbonation. Suits the flavour profile well.

Dr: Drinkable and enjoyable. Hides its ABV well. I could drink another; this is tasty stuff. An impressive beer from Victory. I quite like it. I'd definitely get this again. Exceeded expectations.

B

Serving type: bottle

03-23-2013 01:05:03 | More by kojevergas

4DAloveofSTOUT

Illinois

4.08/5  rDev -0.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

poured into tulip glass.

Appearance: black bodied beer with two fingers of brown head. spotty lace. beer drops to a thin cap

Smell: roasty and bitter. Chocolate and a hop heavy stout(mostly pine and citrus hops).

Taste: roasty malts, black licorice, and milk chocolates. Pine and citrusy hops hit pretty hard in the middle of the beer pretty much knocking out the malt profile with large amounts of hoppy bitterness. Finishing with a moderate hop bitterness that all about resinous pine cone and grapefruit rind.

Mouthfeel: medium bodied beer with low end of moderate carbonation. This beer feels just a little thin for the abv, but its not too far from where it needs to be. Carbonation feel just right for this beer. The beer feels a little creamy and silky. Smooth beer with no booze noted. The hops dry the beer out just a little bit.

Overall: This is a nice beer by Victory. I think this beer would be really nice after about 2 years of cellar time to allow those aggressive hops to settle down. I think this beers' hop profile just wipes out the malts of the beer and this beer has a complex malt flavor profile that deserves more attention. I would say that this beer would taste best after the hops are faded with aging and it would allow the malts show themselves off more. I think this beer has a niche as a beer that has great "cellarability" and its an easy shelf beer to aquire. I will probably cellar a few bottles to see what happens.

Serving type: bottle

03-12-2013 12:47:12 | More by 4DAloveofSTOUT

gabedivision

New York

3.86/5  rDev -6.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

poured from a 12 oz bottle to a snifter glass best y 2016 believe its a 2011 or 2012 vintage (not really sure) in any event

A- pours midnight black, with a 3 finger fluffy and pillowy beige head

S- grassy hops, musty milk chocolate, hints of vanilla and anise, some coffee

T- citrus hops, grapefruit, sweet black licorice, sweet chocolates, sugary fruits, touches of alcohol found throughout finishes super bitter and extremely dry

M- Medium to full in body, slighty "watery" for an Imp stout, very smooth, sugary, sweet, and bitter.

O- I'm sure this beer is at least a year old and the hops are still very present, this drinks like a big boy black ipa, i like this beer more with every sip.

Serving type: bottle

03-07-2013 04:52:28 | More by gabedivision

KTCamm

New Jersey

3.76/5  rDev -8.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a bottle into a pint glass.

Pours midnight black with some tan foam. Clings around the edges. Strong dark chocolate nose. Taste is smooth and creamy, chocolate-milk like middle, closing with a firm coffee-infused bitter that lingers and takes hold. More bitter as the beer warms Residual feel a touch harsher than ideal.

Serving type: bottle

03-03-2013 17:49:42 | More by KTCamm

Beer-A-Lot

Virginia

4.14/5  rDev +0.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

Drank this from a nonic.

A - Nice pitch-black appearance, with good head, and decent lacing on the glass.

S - Nice roasted smell, some bitternenss but not overly.

T - Very easy to drink. Almost had to do a double-take on the abv while drinking, although afterward, it starts to catch up with you. Fair amount of bitterness, but it's balanced nicely with the sweet chocolately flavors. Very satisfying.

M - Good, rich, medium/medium-full body. Slight hint of chewiness.

O - As expected (from Victory), this is a fine beer. I'll drink this again.

Serving type: bottle

02-20-2013 23:06:43 | More by Beer-A-Lot

JuliusCaesar

New Hampshire

4.26/5  rDev +3.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

A: Pitch black with a light brown head.

S: Sweet malt and chocolate aroma.

T: Flavors follow the nose with sweet roasted malts, dark chocolate and alcohol. Slightly bitter finish.

M: very smooth.

Overall: Surprised at how good this beer is. A lot of deep flavors and well balanced. Excellent

Serving type: bottle

02-18-2013 18:35:38 | More by JuliusCaesar

Chaney

District of Columbia

3.99/5  rDev -2.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

Ticking the "Beers of Fame" and got to this brew that I used to drink a lot, but haven't had the pleasure in quite some time.

Served in a Port City snifter.

A: Poured an inky black color, with absolutely no light passing through whatsoever. The head was mocha-colored, webby, sticky, splotchy, and quite robust.

S: In the center of this malty, dark beverage, there is a rather aggressive fruit component. Seriously, I got some pineapple and grapefruit wrapped up inside a malted milk ball.

T: Very bitter and cocoa-like, with the citrus playing second fiddle. Here recently, I had a brew on-tap at FFFs call "Blot Out the Sun" there and this one reminds me of that one, only not quite so assertive (or good). I definitely got Victory's signature "yeasty" taste profile in there.

M: Not extremely thick, but still heavy enough, therefore the drinkability on this was through the roof once one take the ABV into consideration. Ridiculous lacing and pretty high on the carbonation ladder considering the style and octane.

O: Definitely a different take on the IS, and if I were to just try this blindly, I'd have called it an Imperial Black IPA. Nevertheless, I like this one, it makes me happy, and brings back fond memories from my early days on the craft beer scene.

Serving type: bottle

02-05-2013 04:43:41 | More by Chaney

JamesMN

Minnesota

3.51/5  rDev -14.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Appearance: Opaque black (but not as dark as the usual RIS) with a tan one finger foamy head.

Aroma: Dark roasted malts, cream, chocolate. A sort of airy hoppyness as well.

Taste: Starts with dark malt and a very light citrus bitterness. Transitions into a middle section that gives more moderate bitterness levels and then a charred coffee and chocolate finish. The roasted bitterness sticks around on the palate for a long while though the 9.1% ABV is never noticeable. As it warms a little there are notes of fig and dried apricot in the flavor. A slight sweetness also develops with the slow rise in temperature. A tad underwhelming when all is said and done.

Mouthfeel: Just above medium in body which I tend to consider a little on the thin side in terms of the style. Carbonation is a bit much at first but a few swirls of the glass make way for a smooth drinking experience. Average drinkability.

Final Thoughts: A decent RIS. Some age would probably serve it well. Would I drink it again? Maybe.

Serving type: bottle

02-03-2013 05:20:27 | More by JamesMN

HattedClassic

Virginia

4.18/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Appearance:
The beer pours a nice pitch black with limited head. The beer leaves a nice amount of lacing.

Smell:
The dark chocolate dominates the smell with bits of coco. The roasted malts also make an appearance.

Taste:
A stronger hop profile than most other stouts that I've had. The roasted malt and dark chocolate come out very well but I think the roasted malt dominate the taste and aftertaste.

Mouthfeel:
Heavy bodied with some carbonation.

Overall:
A pretty decent imperial stout that I'll probably buy again.

Serving type: bottle

02-03-2013 02:45:03 | More by HattedClassic

Treyliff

West Virginia

4.2/5  rDev +2.2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

A- poured into a snifter. Pours opaque black, like thick oil with a small tan head with short retention, leaving just a bit on top

S- noticable hops at first, stronger than in a typical stout. Chocolate, espresso, a bit woodsy, caramelized and burnt sugar, damp basement, slightly phenolic smell as well, not sure where that's coming from. Aromas become more prevalent as it warms.

T- bitter-sweet chocolate and caramel notes transition into burnt charcoal and sugar, some earthy woodsy notes and a touch of vanilla. Nice hop presence at the end provides a slightly bitter finish, combined with a somewhat dry charred linger.

M- medium-heavy body with just enough carbonation, velvety mouthfeel with a long and creamy finish. Mouthfeel is nearly perfect

O- a complex and well balanced stout. Alcohol is hidden well and has a great hop kick to balance it out. The flavors and aromas get better as they warm, nice roasted character highlights this brew.

Serving type: bottle

01-31-2013 02:03:39 | More by Treyliff

CraftBeerTastic

Pennsylvania

3.38/5  rDev -17.8%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5

Ba Review #250
Served On: 1/30/2013
Glassware: Duvel Glass
Labeled ABV: 9.1%
Date/ Code: 7/20/12

This 12oz bottle was from a sixer I found at Ye Old Spirit Shop in Frederick.

Look: Poured a super black color with some dirty brown tinges along the edges. Initial head was 2-fingers of a frothy tan foam. Some spotty lacing, but nothing too crazy. Carbonation level seemed sort of low.

Smell: I could smell the hops right after cracking open the bottle. Sweet juniper and a sharp sassafras hop note. Also a roasted coffee character was behind the hoppy bouquet.

Taste: First up was an herbal hoppiness that gave way to a coffee-like bitterness. The bitterness continued into the finish where some malt sweetness seemed to set in. The aftertaste was fairly dry with the hops returning with that sharp resin quality.

I would consider this beer more of an Imperial American Black Ale instead of a RIS. The use of hops basically dominated both the aroma and the palate. This was defiantly a Stout brewed for hop lovers.

Serving type: bottle

01-30-2013 16:24:19 | More by CraftBeerTastic

ranger7

Texas

4.05/5  rDev -1.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Poured from a bottle into a Hofbrau mug.
Picked it up from a custom 6-pack from World Market.

A - Very black with a tan finger of foam.

S - Floral, definite hop aroma. Some typical chocolate and coffee after tasting. Not toasty or roasted like some stouts.

T - Some roasted flavor, but not overpowering. A hop kick up front that quickly dissolves into a much more sweet taste. Good.

M - Fairly smooth in-mouth. A little carbonation does not disturb the sweet flavor. A little aftertaste, which is pleasant.

Summary - A pretty good stout. A little scary to start off - the hops aroma and the kick at the start of the sip had me worried, but it really balances out the more you drink it. I enjoyed not having such a roasted kick as in some other stouts. Enjoyable and powerful, I'd drink it again.

Serving type: bottle

01-28-2013 03:06:07 | More by ranger7

MickeyBeer

Illinois

4.2/5  rDev +2.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

12 oz bottle poured into a pint

A- Pours a dark black with about a finger and a half of light brown creamy head. When held up to light it is essentially opaque, only letting a little bit of light in around the edges. Left some beautiful lacing on the glass.

S-Aromas of coffee and chocolate. A sweet malty smell with a hint of alcohol.

T- A delicious chocolaty coffee flavor with roasted malts. Very sweet with some hop balance. Aftertaste is dominated by a roasted/smokey taste with a bit of coffee.

M- Full bodied and light in carbonation. Smooth all the way through. Has a decent amount of chewiness to it like a good RIS should.

O- This is a great Imperial Stout that I have been drinking for years. It is very tasty and has never disappointed me. It is full of complex flavors, has a great mouthfeel, and packs nice punch at 9.1% ABV. Grab a six pack if you get a chance.

Serving type: bottle

01-24-2013 02:08:12 | More by MickeyBeer

CloudStrife

New York

4.2/5  rDev +2.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

12oz bottle poured into a snifter. Enjoy by Apr 09 2017.

A: Pours a dark black with a 1.5 finger sort of puffy light tan head. Sticks around for a few minutes dwindling to a thin covering and leaving a spot or two of lace. Light gets through about 1/8" of the beer when held up to the light.

S: Roasted malt and a fermented dark fruit characteristic. Chocolate is also pretty strong. A fair amount of hop bitterness. Just a hint of booze.

T: Starts off with a mild stoutish flavor and a decent hop bittering kicks in. Some alcohol taste combines with a raisin/fig flavor in the middle. Real highlight in the aftertaste with a strong roasted malt. Coffee comes through pretty strong too.

M: Medium bodied stout with a good velvety or creamy mouthfeel. Fairly clean finish, isnt sticky or anything. Warming but the booze isnt too hot.

Overall a very impressive RIS. Although its no longer in the top 100 beers of fame, I am glad it was still on my list to try. Would recommend to any stout fan.

Serving type: bottle

01-24-2013 01:52:00 | More by CloudStrife

Lemke10

Wisconsin

4.29/5  rDev +4.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

This pours a dark brown color with a foamy, light brown head. The scent is very robust filled with malts, toffee, coffee, and just a touch of hops. The flavor is rich and bold beyond belief for such a reasonable 6pk price. There are lots of roasted malts and caramel malts in the mix as well a crisp bitter finish. This is the way to make a good, complex brew at a reasonable price. It’s a “Victory” to say the least!

Serving type: bottle

01-16-2013 04:03:50 | More by Lemke10

LinusBohman

Sweden

3.98/5  rDev -3.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Thank you adrock7309 for including this as an extra in our trade!

Served into a snifter at room temperature.

A: Black as the dark side of the moon. The head is very fluffy, almost a little jellyish in it's behaviour, cocao coloured it is. The king quickly loses his crown though but leaves plenty of lacing on the sides of the glass and a thin blanket of foam on top of the black liquid underneath.
No apparent bubbles.

S: Wonderful smell! I get chocalates, coffeebeans, dark bread and wort.

T: The first tastes that comes to mind are dark chocolate and coffee. The hops have nice combination of bitterness and fruityness. The aftertaste is bitter.

M: I perceive the body to be a little thin for a RIS. It's quite bubbly and dry on the palate.

O: Delightful beer that has a nice combination of dark roasted malts and generous amounts of hops. The lack of body brings down the score a bit but I would very well like to drink this one again.

Serving type: bottle

01-14-2013 15:53:33 | More by LinusBohman

KFBR392

Illinois

3.46/5  rDev -15.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5

Appearance: Poured a very dark brown stout that was pitch black when attempting to see through the glass. Carbonation was very present throughout, probably the most I've seen in this level of a stout. Appropriate amounts of lacing stuck to the glass as this beer was drank. Enjoyed out of a snifter.

Smell: The aroma gave a mysterious mask for this beer. The hops are in the front but the roasted malt character is buried. You can tell other characters of this beer are trying to burst through in the aroma but cannot overcome the hops.

Taste: An incredibly powerful hop attack out of this stout. I feel like the hop character is trying to be like that of Nightstalker from Goose Island but to me is not on the same level. The aroma leads the drinker to expect a creamy hop lacing but comes off as over the top bitter. The darkness of this beer is hidden. Very little malt or coffee/espresso presence in this beer.

Mouthfeel: The sticky hops hand around for a long time with this beer. The creamy texture is there but at the same time leaves me wanting some more. Hops create a dryness which clings to the palette

Overall: Not a memorable stout. Its direction seems lost on me. I had high expectations for this beer and it did not live up to them. Worth a try but for the price tag I would recommend many other Stouts.

Serving type: bottle

01-13-2013 22:33:34 | More by KFBR392

TheMarkE

California

4.24/5  rDev +3.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Appearance: Dark, thick, and rich.

Smell: Hoppy, followed by roasted malts.

Taste: Chocolate and espresso, with lots of hops to balance things out.

Mouthfeel: Thick, rich, and creamy.

Overall: Nice. The first impression of the first sip was “wow, that’s bitter!” After that it was “mmm chocolate and espresso!” Malty and hoppy, this is another victory from Victory.

Serving type: bottle

01-13-2013 21:22:10 | More by TheMarkE

joeseppy

Illinois

4.24/5  rDev +3.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Pours dark, thick and rich.

Huge hop aroma upfront, burnt sugar and roast malt.

Initial tastes of sweet black coffee ebbing into roast malt complexity and bitterness.

Creamy and sweet enough to get your tongue latching onto the roof of your mouth. Hop presence lingers.

A well balanced stout that demands your company to marvel at and soak it in!

Serving type: bottle

01-09-2013 04:02:49 | More by joeseppy

ribby

Michigan

4.8/5  rDev +16.8%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

This is pretty darn close to the perfect stout. The appearance is perfect, dark and impenetrable to ordinary light. The head is a creamy medium brown, one finger. The flavor is very dense, slightly on the bitter side, but very well balanced between sweet malt, charred malt, and hops. If you like stouts you have to try this.

Serving type: bottle

01-05-2013 23:32:36 | More by ribby