Festbier - Victory Brewing Company

ZAP

Minnesota

4.13/5  rDev +10.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A malty, clean tasting 'fest that is highly drinkable....looks great in the glass....orangish...lace coats glass nicely...nose is of sweet malts...the body rates about medium....tastes of sweet malt and toasted grains...finishes on a dry, spicy note....very drinkable...very tasty....one of the better O'fests I've had this year...

Serving type: bottle

11-20-2002 21:12:55 | More by ZAP

Scoats

Pennsylvania

3/5  rDev -19.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Unlike several American takes on o-fests, like Flying Fish and Brooklyn, which have a great hoppy finish, this beer beer seems to be very true to what I recall of real German o-fests. Very malty, somewhat sweet and not very hoppy. The result is a beer that is very well made, very true to the style, but to my tastes not very satisfying. Not by any means dumbed down, but not smarted up either.

Heaven knows Victory has more than enough great beers to keep us beer geeks more than happy.This one though is probably made to keep their less adventurous brewpub patrons content.

Serving type: bottle

11-14-2002 06:19:10 | More by Scoats

Thrasher

Oregon

3/5  rDev -19.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Clear amber with full head that completely vanished. Aroma mostly of caramel malts. Victory has put forth a big sturdy malt base for this beer... and leaves it at that. No appetizing hop dryness, no traditional spiciness. Just a sweet syrup of a beer, hints of butter but cloying. Well-made but ho-hum, esp. for Victory. Drinkability low for a Fest, since the hops do not pull their weight in creating a dry tasty finish or spiciness. Not bad by any means, in fact those who don't warm to O'Fests might actually enjoy this especially if they roam around the dopplebock end of the spectrum. May also be good for cooking.

Serving type: bottle

11-05-2002 19:52:11 | More by Thrasher

Jason

Massachusetts

3.68/5  rDev -1.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Presentation: 12 oz brown long neck bottle with no freshness date.

Appearance: Big bubbly and frothy head, good retention at that. Light orangey copper hue that shows bright to the light. An appetizing brew.

Smell: Aromas of doughy bread, herbal hop and a clean alcohol in the rear. Clean to the nose yet still quite aromatic.

Taste: Sturdy medium body laying down a slick and crisp mouth feel. Big twang of toasted malt and soft herbal hop runs across the palate. Chewy hit of caramel in the middle, a tasty hit I might say. Maltiness is clean yet flamboyant with an icing of nutty toasted grain. Herbal hop is very noticeable with an ample bitterness and long lingering flavour. Finishes semi-dry with faint toasted grain.

Notes: Next time I have this beer I’m going to pair it up with a big fat juicy Ruben … extra kraut please. I think Victory tackled the style quite well with this one, a must try for any beer geek that makes their round of Oktoberfest Beers.

Serving type: bottle

10-24-2002 18:34:06 | More by Jason

RBorsato

Virginia

4.5/5  rDev +20.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Dark gold, light amber color with a low head. Light spicy malt aroma and an awesome candy-like sweet flavor (reminiscent of smarties?). There was a nutty character as time went on. A medium bodied and creamy brew. One of the best American style Oktoberfests in my tasting.

Serving type: bottle

10-24-2002 07:49:05 | More by RBorsato

Bighuge

Minnesota

4.08/5  rDev +9.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

This beer is a clear amber, but lacks a head. Only a slight collar is present. Aroma is full of a deep maltiness. A bit of a candied like aroma is also present. Has a medium full body. And unlike many ofest, this one has a taste I can get in to. I think it's got a little bit more of a munich and vienna characteristic than a lot of the other ofests. The hebal hops accent very nicely as well. This is a nicely put together oktoberfest. Very clean tasting and highly drinkable. Nice effort from the gang at Victory.

Serving type: bottle

10-16-2002 21:14:16 | More by Bighuge

garymuchow

Minnesota

3.73/5  rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Looks very much like an Am. version of style, in that greater attention to amber-orange color (it seems many German ones aren't so dark). Big to huge full head. Light toast, yet pleasantly sweet malt aroma. Flavor is adequate for style, maltiness with roasty quality, yet non-distinct for many I've sampled this autumn. Very nice creaminess to mouthfeel, with nice richness without being heavy, and not excessive in carbonation. Finish is fairly long lasting with pleasing dryness of the malt and not bitter.

Serving type: bottle

10-16-2002 18:04:51 | More by garymuchow

Bierman9

New Hampshire

3.45/5  rDev -7.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Had this on tap at the Sunset Grille. Poured a tawny, brown color, and it was quite cloudy. What's up with that? Had a creamy, tan head, which faded quickly, and left no lacing. Verrry mild malt nose...where is it? Mouthfeel was quite nice, though; good body and smooth. Flavor had some ok malt, a smooth flavor but mild. Even a hint of some fruitiness present. Not bad, but not really fest-like. Perhaps it's the tap lines? I'll try it again elsewhere, and keep an open mind.

overall: 3.45
appearance: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | mouthfeel: 4 | drinkability: 3.5

352

Serving type: on-tap

10-13-2002 14:34:50 | More by Bierman9

ADR

Pennsylvania

3.88/5  rDev +4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Deep orangey color, 1/2 inch foam settles to a skim in about a minute. Malty aroma, but a little tang in there. Malty while not being overly sweet, good body early. Proper sense of a good toast and a clean finish. A little more hops than some, while lacking some nutty qualities. There seems to be a variety of opinions on this beer, I found this suitable for style while a little hoppy and quite drinkable. Aged properly, according to Marzen style.

Serving type: bottle

10-02-2002 10:45:21 | More by ADR

John

New York

2.6/5  rDev -30.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

The color and head look promising. After that I'd have to agree with previous reviewers that this is sub-par for Victory. Not as clean as a Marzen should be IMHO. Some diacetyl is detected and I thought while drinking that it might be an ale. Just verified via the Victory site that it's indeed a lager. Not bad, but very unVictory like.

Serving type: on-tap

09-24-2002 10:01:00 | More by John

WilliamPhilaPa

Pennsylvania

4.33/5  rDev +16.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Pours a smooth amber color as a O’fest should be. With a decent lasting, pillow like, off-white colored head. The aroma is mostly of Barvarian malts, slightly nutty, and caramel . On the palate more of the malts, caramel, german hops make a slight bite, toasty, slight graininess, not really complex but it has nice full flavor with depth, nice sweetness, smooth mouthfeel. This is a very good O’fest IMO…

Serving type: bottle

09-18-2002 17:56:39 | More by WilliamPhilaPa

Suds

Pennsylvania

3.6/5  rDev -3.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

This is basically a solid, well made Marzen style beer, but not up to Victory's usual standards. Carmel and mildly toasty sweetness dominate the brew. At times the sweetness boarders on syrupy. Not much of a head, and the aroma is understated. Still, it's a good beer, but not typical of Victory.

Serving type: bottle

09-15-2002 12:57:49 | More by Suds

bmills1608

Pennsylvania

4.08/5  rDev +9.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Easy, smooth, clean and quick. - That's the short review

Poured a sizable head that started to dissipate right away. Crystal-clear copper with a touch of orange. Nose - a bit of spice, malt and caramel, very fresh nose.

Taste is somewhat light, fresh and quick, basically sweet caramel-malt with a touch of very light hop bitterness to balance. Very clean soft mouthfeel, fades fast. A real good session beer.

Serving type: bottle

09-12-2002 08:09:02 | More by bmills1608