Sunrise Weiss - Victory Brewing Company

waboone

Colorado

2.73/5  rDev -30.5%
look: 2 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

a - dingy yellow like a good hefe weizen should be. I don't know if I got a bad batch, but the head rocketed out of the glass. I had 1/4 beer and 3/4 head in my glass and I had pour from the bottle several times to finish it.

s - the most predominate smell I got was apricot, but my smeller is not to keen.

t - a really balance of banana and wheat. It wasn't great, but it wasn't offensive.

m - okay, perhaps a bit too carbonated for my taste.

d - this beer is drinkable. I've got another in the fridge and will probably be consumed in the next week.

Serving type: bottle

06-06-2007 02:26:07 | More by waboone

maddogruss

New Jersey

2.73/5  rDev -30.5%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Got a glass of this at the Victory Fall Fest.

A: Pours a slightly hazy, yellow body with a white head with nice retention and decent lacing.

S: Kind of a sour, macro smell with some maltiness to it and not much more.

T: A decent malty taste with some banana esters evident. A slightly bitter aftertaste that was not too impressive. I was expecting a bit sweeter taste.

M: Fairly thin and pretty watery. Nothing too impressive.

D: Ok mouthfeel and taste combination, but nothing overly impressive. I definitely expected a little bit better from here.

Serving type: on-tap

10-04-2008 02:54:14 | More by maddogruss

Goldorak

Quebec (Canada)

2.85/5  rDev -27.5%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Appearance: Light yellow, with a clingy froth of head.

Smell: Heavier on the wheat than on the banana, but overall weaker than what I was expecting.

Taste: Banana peel flavor, sort of dry and too light. Okay for a hot summer day, but I'd go for Victory's other fine products before trying this one again.

Serving type: bottle

07-13-2005 00:27:02 | More by Goldorak

KajII

North Carolina

2.9/5  rDev -26.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

[Best served in a Weizen glass]

Poured a medium DEEP yellow with a small white fizzy head that was fully diminishing and had fair lacing. the aroma was heavy of wheat and grain malts, leathery yeasty with a nice hint of citrus hops and notes of banana. It tasted quite yeasty and mildly bitter from beginning to end with the finish having a nice yeasty/citrus aftertaste. Mouthfeel was light in body and watery in texture with a strong fizzy carbonation. Overall a nice refreshing brew that is very drinkable, but very light.

Serving type: bottle

03-01-2011 01:21:29 | More by KajII

InDreams

Maryland

2.93/5  rDev -25.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Poured into a Weizen straight out of the bottle.

A: Nice white head about an inch thick, stuck around for quite some time with a decent amount of lacing. Beer was a clear golden color with a good amount of bubbles from the carbonation. Not as cloudy as you might expect from a hefe weizen. Typically, I love watching a freshly poured weizen, but this is kinda boring.

S: Something's not quite right in the smell here. I'm honestly not sure what it is, but there's something wrong. Almost chemical? Definitely have a decent amount of that citrusy lemon scent, but not as much as you expect.

T: I've had better hefe weizens. It's somewhat sweet, almost creamy with a good deal of the characteristic citrus flavors. Nice bready flavor as well from the malts, but all around, it seems to be lacking something. I keep thinking about that smell that I can't quite put my finger on, because I think it's making itself felt in the taste too. Not too much of an aftertaste, but the citrusy flavor does linger for a bit.

M: Medium bodied, somewhat creamy I'd say, with minimal bite from the carbonation. Hefe weizen's uusally have more character in their mouthfeel, but this one is rather tame.

D: I haven't usually been disappointed by Victory but I'm not a huge fan. I mean, I love Hefe Weizens, as they are pretty drinkable in general, but after this six pack is through, I don't intend to get another. Rather weak hefe weizen in my book.

Serving type: bottle

06-09-2006 02:43:12 | More by InDreams

RoyalT

Ohio

3/5  rDev -23.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Appearance – This hefe poured a thick orange in color with a modest head that dissipated rather quickly.

Smell – The light yeast aroma is mixed with some strong orange and banana. There are some powdery spices here as well in the background, but it’s the fruits that dominate.

Taste – Yes, this is a fruit bomb. The orange comes first followed closely by banana with some light yeast bringing up the rear.

Mouthfeel – This Hefe Weizen is in between light and medium-bodied with some tangy carbonation.

Drinkability – This went down well enough.

Serving type: bottle

11-09-2005 01:47:45 | More by RoyalT

marcpal

New Jersey

3/5  rDev -23.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Victory usually doesnt dissapoint with the German styles, but this one falls somewhat short.

12oz bottle poured into pint glass on a warm humid night with dinner.

A: Psper thin streams of attractive bubbles. Glden clor with a creamy head that seemed to expand as time went on.

N: Barrel loads of yeast banana and bubblegum. Mildest level of sweetness behind the wheat.

T: Banana esters and an earthy tone uncommon, to me at least, for the style. Tasty crispness and if anything, a bit overly dry. Lemon all but takes over

M: Some chewy yeast but tightly cleansing. Overly spritzy and thin.

D: Not a bad effort for the hot months but still lacking. Only had one but could see this one getting pretty boring fast.

Serving type: bottle

08-29-2008 20:34:47 | More by marcpal

Philabeerphia

Pennsylvania

3/5  rDev -23.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

RE-REVIEW, 4/5/10:
12oz bottle poured into a hefe glass. Stop! Let me get this on the table - I feel like this year's batch of Sunrise is a bit off. When I first tried this beer 2 years ago I was in heaven, but this year I've been "meh". Okay, enough general bitching. Back to the review... An impressive head of medium sized creamy bubbling stacks the entire height of the glass. 8 fingers in height. My freaky 3 eyed, 8 fingered buddy measured it for me. Impressive. Orange golden hue and completely hazy. It gives a powerful, pretty visage.

On the nose it doesn't approach the lemony zip of some Hefes, instead Sunrise has full, sweet tangerine notes. Behind that we pick up a spiced rye, wheat and wild dandelions.

On the tongue there's a great orange and tangerine tinged refreshment up front. Steady through the middle, then I feel the body build towards the back. This beer almost resembles a juice at points - which isn't necessarily a ding on the beer, it is a unique approach. But I'd rather get more 'light lemony kick' instead of the full orange notes. Luckily there's plenty of bready yeast (but only hints of clove and no banana) to anchor this down towards the finish. The real problem with this sweetness is the fact that there's not nearly enough carbonation held in the beer to carry this load. I need some zip on the tongue to keep this show moving. Instead it's slow and slick... not cloying but certainly loses that refreshing edge that the best Hefe's command. Drinkability suffers. Finishes with a spicy rye kick that is welcome. And behind that the beer fades with just a hint of tart lemon... A nice finish!

I'm a huge fan of Victory. I know they are adept brewers of traditional styles (actually one of THE BEST in the US for this, IMO), but I believe Sunrise is ripe to be retooled.

ORIGINAL REVIEW:
4/19/09, 12 oz pour into a tulip. a breathing group of bubbles emerges and grows into a one finger head, sit for a minute and then dissipate almost as quickly as they came, leaving behind a cap-less brew. The head is a disappointment - a hefe should froth for many minutes IMO. It is slightly hazy, and colored an orange, golden hue - a few shades deeper than the sunshine straw color invoked by the name.

Smell starts with a biting hop, which grows into some fresh dug earth. A big dallop of banana and honey back this up. Even with that backbone, the smell is crisp with the hops up front, instead of round like many other hefes.

The mouthfeel dominates the beer - its immediately crisp as the carbonation explodes on the tongue. I really enjoy how this combines with the hops - extremely clean and refreshing. By the time I can process the tastes, the beer is halfway down my throat. It starts with just a bit of sweet corn... then brightens up quickly on the middle and back of my tongue with a towering dose of banana yeast, followed by soft, sweet honey, ending with a well packaged earthy spice. This is certainly due to the nice hop presence, which ushers this beer along. In fact this beer pulls off a great balance of "cloudy" yeast and carbonated hop crispness. Minutes later I pick up lurking sweet notes. A nice finish.

Super refreshing. Bright banana notes all wrapped up by well above average carbonation and hoppiness leave me thirsting for more.

Serving type: bottle

04-20-2009 00:26:26 | More by Philabeerphia

Higravity

Michigan

3.03/5  rDev -22.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Man this beer was well built except for one thing that I could not get fully over and that was all the corriander. Mostly a good Hefe, there was plenty of spice clove and some bannana, but man was there way too much corriander. It looked good cloudy and a pleasent white head but the smell was very lemony and I was worried form the start. One of these days I will finish of the other four, maybe I'll pawn them off on my unsuspecting friends.

Serving type: bottle

07-18-2005 19:57:33 | More by Higravity

montageman

Michigan

3.03/5  rDev -22.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Poured from a 12 oz. bottle to a Weizen glass.

Pours a bright golden yellow reminds me of the sun in the summer - very nice color. Lots of carbonation is immediately noticeable as the head disappears quickly, but bubbles continue to rush to the top of the glass. Smells like wheat, citrus, and a bit of corriander. Taste is citrusy with a bit of banana and a mildly bitter aftertaste - not the best tasting Hefe, but totally passable. Mouthfeel is interesting due to the high carbonation seems like it detracts from the flavor. Not a bad brew, but could stand to lose some of the carbonation...

Serving type: bottle

02-23-2006 21:08:50 | More by montageman

williamherbert

New York

3.13/5  rDev -20.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

A hazy, golden color. not a dull straw color, but a bright, sunny golden hue. Head goes away quickly. Looks "wet."

Serious wheat smell with a sweet -- almost sour -- orange peel smell. A hint of sweet perfume pungency. Summery.

Like a combination between a sweet, orangey Belgian white and a slighly bubbly Saison. Good balance of the two. Flavor is more harsh as it warms.

Feels fizzy and bubbly, like a Saison. Has a fizzy bite on the swallow, like ginger ale. It's a bubbly, heavily carbonated drink. Harsh.

Serving type: bottle

08-14-2007 01:30:19 | More by williamherbert

BeerImmediately

Pennsylvania

3.13/5  rDev -20.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Pours with a massive 4F full of frothy white head, over a fairly cloudy - but not opaque - dirty gold color. Tons of tiny bubbles floating up. Lacing is really nice.

Sweet spices, wheat, and citrus hop aroma. Not terribly strong, but good.

Prickly on the palate, with lemon, wheat crackers, and celery - lacked most of the clove-like spice characteristics of a good hefeweizen.

Good carbonation. Finishes dry, and pretty thin / watery for the style.

Fairly easy drinking, but again, the lack of some punch took away from the overall enjoyment.

Serving type: bottle

08-13-2010 02:26:54 | More by BeerImmediately

SchmoTerp

Alabama

3.23/5  rDev -17.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

First impressions of this beer were very very poor, but I tried it again a few months later with a light chicken salad dinner and found it very pleasant. Pours light and cloudy (as it is unfiltered) this beer is refreshing though admittedly a bit over carbonated. Citrus flavors are very evident, particulary in the after taste. All-in-all, it was a decent beer. I'm interesting in seeing how I like it in another couple months.

Serving type: bottle

05-01-2008 00:31:31 | More by SchmoTerp

malty

Michigan

3.23/5  rDev -17.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

12 oz. longneck bottle with a date stamp that I cannot read. Only '2010' is clear.

Pours a murky dark beige golden color that is a shade darker than a typical Hefe. THe bright white head stood 2" for a few seconds, then quickly dissipated to maybe 1/8". There is visible sediment that has settled onto the bottom of my glass with visible uprising carbonation.

This thing smells sweet from 2 ft. away. As it's drawn near, the sour/acidic elements are apparent. Vanilla creme frosting and fresh from the oven pastries are what come to mind. It smells a little 'heavier' than most authentic Bavarian Hefes I've tried.

The sour/tart/acidic flavors hit my tongue with a quick snap. I was expecting a malt concert from what I got out of the scent, but no way - the lemon/citrus rocked the house. As a matter of fact, I'm getting no clove but a white pepper spice. No bubblegum either. A lot of quenching tartness delivered with a crisp hit.

The mouthfeel is a little flat feeling. Between light-medium bodied with very little staying carbonation. The citrus twang is nice in the finish.

Drinkability is good. Nothing over-the-top or offensive.

Overall an okay rendition of a Bavarian style wheat beer (per the label). No lacing and a thin head. Low level of carbonation. The zesty citrus notes really sang in this beer though. I'd like to try this ultra fresh on tap to reserve final judgement. For now I'll stay away from this bottled version as there are more satisfying examples on the shelves IMHO. Glad I tried it though.

Serving type: bottle

05-16-2010 20:21:58 | More by malty

cpetrone84

Pennsylvania

3.3/5  rDev -16%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

A-very pale straw color with lots of bubbles and mostly clear. The head is thin and bubbly fizzling a lot. It actually lingers for a little as it fizzles with no lacing on the glass

S-the nose is quite big and enjoyable. A soft apple and notes of pear come to the nose right off the bat, a spicy clove with a touch of pepper come in with a nice aroma of banana in the very back

T-the taste is more bitter and lighter than the nose. A lot of clove and spice attack the tongue with just a touch of banana in the back. It is phenolic with a light hop bitterness that lingers at the finish

M-light body and rough on the palate. Too much carbonation makes this burn on the back of the throat and it doesn't go down smooth

D-par at best, the nose was a real delight but the flavor went spicy and harsh. The feel was rough and biting. Not what I was looking for in a hefe.

Serving type: bottle

03-27-2010 22:12:23 | More by cpetrone84

psinderson

Pennsylvania

3.33/5  rDev -15.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12 oz bottle poured into tall pilsner glass.

Appearance: Slightly cloudy light golden color. Thick white head that slowly recedes. Lots of tiny rising bubbles. Looks like it needs a bit more yeasty cloudiness for a true Hefe.

Smell: Some characteristic banana/clove aroma, but it is very light. Maybe some light citrus as well.

Taste: Some fruity tartness present. Not as yeasty as I'd like a Hefe to be. This is tasting more like an American Wheat rather than a Hefe. A little bit of a grainy finish.

Mouthfeel: Just about right. The carbonation is high like a Hefe should be.

Drinkability: Decently clean and smooth. Good for a summer day.

Serving type: bottle

06-04-2007 00:05:06 | More by psinderson

OtherShoe2

Massachusetts

3.43/5  rDev -12.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a cloudy yellow with a foamy white head. Some lace, tons of bubbles.

Yeast, wheat, some candied/bubblegum/tropical fruit notes. Strength is the issue. Light scented.

Sweet wheat, yeast, dusty husk, some fruity notes, some white pepper spice. Decent.

Lighter bodied and a bit thinner than I'd like. On the verge of being watery.

Decent drinkability. I liked it though there are plenty better. Mild complexity, meaning it is there, just mild form. That holds this one back. Still, very very decent.

Serving type: bottle

10-24-2010 21:03:27 | More by OtherShoe2

Knapp85

Pennsylvania

3.43/5  rDev -12.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

This wheat beer pours out as a hazy orange yellow color. The aromas have some lemon grass in there along with some fresh cut wheat and yeast. The taste isnt too bad the citrus from the hops come forward and then The wheat nellies the whole thing out in the aftertaste. This beer is great for the summer, it's light body and smooth texture on the tongue gives off some a refreshed feeling in your mouth. It's notmmymfavorite wheat beer but it could be much worse.

Serving type: bottle

04-15-2011 02:58:55 | More by Knapp85

RBorsato

Virginia

3.45/5  rDev -12.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Cloudy white-ish gold with a decent ivory head, lower carbonation than normal, and light lace. Fruity bubble-gum yeasty aroma with a light burnt plastic/rubber over time (?) sulpher (?). Tangy fruity citrusy taste but not your typical banana-clove hefe-weizen. Nice creamy but light mouthfeel.

Refreshing but not one of my picks for a hefe-weizen. I know this was fresh as it came from the brewpub; bought by a co-worker.

Label states "Unfiltered Wheat Beer"

Enjoy By: 10/05/03
Tasted: 06/20/03

Serving type: bottle

06-24-2003 12:28:21 | More by RBorsato

DavoleBomb

Ohio

3.45/5  rDev -12.2%
look: 3 | smell: 5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Poured into a weizen glass.

3.0 A: Cloudy darkish yellow color. I guess I didn't give it enough of a twirl as there is some yeast clumps at the bottom of the glass. Two fingers of frothy white head. Most of it falls quickly, but the last 1/4 inch is stalwart. Leaves behind only a touch of lacing.

5.0 S: What a lovely aroma! Pleasant throughtout with a neutral wheat backbone and spicy yeastiness. There's plenty of banana phenols and, lemon zest, and peppery yeastiness.

3.0 T: Unfortunately, the taste doesn't measure up to the nose. In fact, it's rather bland. The wheat comes through, but there's a lack of other flavors than you'd come to expect. The spicy peppery yeast is gone. No hints of banana, straw, or lemon zest. Too bad.

3.5 M: Light body. Good full carbonation. No flaws, but just average.

3.0 D: I want more flavor in a hefe.

Serving type: bottle

02-07-2010 00:36:07 | More by DavoleBomb

NEhophead

Massachusetts

3.48/5  rDev -11.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

12 fl oz brown bottle; poured into a pilsener glass.

Pours a cloudy white-banana in color beneath a dense, frothy foam of a head that stands about a finger's length high. Patchy lacing with adequate strength.

Bright fruity esters: banana, apricot, orange, and lemon. Moderately must-filled malted wheat; but clean, in comparison to other Hefeweizens. A pleasant sweetness aided by tropical fruit and rum make for a rounded aroma.

Bright; somewhat artificial, citrus flavors up front: lemon, orange, green apple. The clove and pepper array of spices are intense and a little overpowering to the delicate, mild citrus flavors. Bland, malted wheat with phenolic flavors blend at mid-sip, prior to a robust, cutting carbonation. The finish is dry leading to a spicy aftertaste.

Light bodied; dry, with a bit of film on the palate. The carbonation is overwhelming; quite frankly, the flavors lose out as a result of the mouth-drying carbonation.

Pleasant appearance and aroma that are not backed by flavor or body. I know that I'm drinking this one out of season, but even in the summer heat I doubt that I could get past the carbonation or bland flavors to actually enjoy. I'll sample a different Hefeweizen next summer instead.

Serving type: bottle

12-11-2008 02:50:17 | More by NEhophead

DrDemento456

Pennsylvania

3.48/5  rDev -11.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A - Looks like a good hefeweizen with a nice hazy bright yellow and at least two inches of foamy white head.

S - Smell was a bit discouraging like a blast of lemon and yeast on my nose with little hops or spice to balance. Hope it tastes ok.

T - Well I hated it at first. Lemon like biting into one and abrasive yeast finish had me wondering how this is even to style. Got no banana flavors or even spice from clove it was just yeasty lemon beer. After a while it balanced a bit but I still couldn't love it.

M - Light to medium easy drinking if you like it.

Overall I would say more of a Weissbier if anything and since I found this listed as a Hefeweizen I was kind of insulted. It even says it on the bottle!

Terrible Hefe but a fairly drinkable Berliner Weissbier.

Serving type: bottle

06-05-2011 01:51:00 | More by DrDemento456

macpapi

Maryland

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

Victory Sunrise Weiss pours a yellor or light-orange color. It has a large and fizzy, white head that quickly dissipates. There are a ton of bubbles at the top of this beer.

Smells of wheat and oranges. A nice, fresh aroma.

Taste is light and dominated by citrus fruits. A bit of a hop bite at the back of the swallow. Not terribly balanced.

In the mouth V.S.W. is crisp and somewhat bitter. Highly carbonated.

This is a pretty drinkable and refreshing summer-type beer. Not spectacular but would be thirst quenching.

Serving type: bottle

02-21-2007 23:05:31 | More by macpapi

tempest

Pennsylvania

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

Meh, I don't know, it's very clean, but there doesn't seem to be much personality here. The aroma is mild with sweet wheat malt with a touch of banana cream. The flavor has a touch of lemon zest and white pepper, but the flavors are all too mellow. This is a 5.7% beer, the flavors need to be bigger.

Serving type: bottle

09-29-2007 03:13:16 | More by tempest

flagmantho

Washington

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

Had this beer on tap in a pint glass at the Hooverville in Seattle.

Appearance: a nice yellow orange hue with a touch of haze and a finger of creamy white foam. Nice, but frankly it could be hazier -- a definitive quality in a weissbier.

Smell: slightly banana-ey and citrusy wheat aroma. Better than most pale wheat ales, but not quite on the order of a good German weiss.

Taste: decent flavor with some authentic weissbier notes. Citrus and wheat character are well-represented. Not quite an authentic hefeweizen, but not bad.

Mouthfeel: medium light body with a somewhat disappointing level of carbonation. Not insipid or anything, just nothing interesting happening here.

Overall: not a bad beer. Closer to an authentic weissbier than most pale wheat ales, I still don't know if I'd really classify this as an authentic German-style hefeweizen. Still, it's pretty tasty.

Serving type: on-tap

07-08-2011 04:08:11 | More by flagmantho