Festbier - Victory Brewing Company

Phyl21ca

Quebec (Canada)

3.5/5  rDev -6.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Bottle: Poured a clear amber color beer with a large foamy head with good retention and some lacing. Aroma of grainy notes with light dry caramel malt notes. Taste is mostly dominated by grainy cereal notes with a dryer then expected caramel malt finish. Body is about average with good carbonation. Easily drinkable though finish is not as clean as I would have expected.

Serving type: bottle

12-12-2012 20:03:54 | More by Phyl21ca

Dave1999

Virginia

3.98/5  rDev +6.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a clear amber colour with a small white head.

The smell is sweet malts and caramel.

The taste follows the smell caramel and malts.

The mouthfeel is light to medium bodied with medium carbonation.

Overall, pretty much what you would expect from an Octoberfest, definately one of the better ones.

Serving type: bottle

11-19-2012 17:18:05 | More by Dave1999

rlee1390

Indiana

3.65/5  rDev -2.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A-Translucent ruby orange, some carbonation, one finger head

S-Caramel malt, some spice, nuts and butter.

T-Caramel malt, tad bit of grass, some butter. Bland and boring.

M-Medium bodied, some carbonation and crisp.

O-I wonder why I drink Oktoberfests. This beer didn't bring much to the table, at least it wasn't awful. But boring at the end of the day.

Serving type: bottle

11-17-2012 16:55:03 | More by rlee1390

UnderPressure

South Carolina

4.3/5  rDev +15.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4

Copper colored. Clear, with a nice off-white head. Retention is not great though.

Very sweet aroma. Almost like honey, with some roasted malt.

Grainy flavor comes right away. Then comes some bread/biscuit along with that honey. Reminiscent of a breakfast cereal with honey (Honeycomb, Smacks, etc). The malts blend together nicely. Enough hop bitterness to give balance.

Mouthfeel is very satisfying. Medium bodied, smooth, with tickling carbonation.

This is an awesome Oktoberfest style beer. Right up my alley. Much bolder with more to offer than any of the big name German Marzens I've tried.

Serving type: bottle

11-13-2012 21:08:50 | More by UnderPressure

KTCamm

New Jersey

3.55/5  rDev -4.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a twelve ounce bottle into a pint glass.

Pours medium amber, some orange, light layer of white foam that splits apart. Malty nose, some cinammon/nutmeg spice. Taste is a rich chewy caramel malt. Hearty malt. There is a barely noticeable hop at the close. Real flavorful marzen, maybe a touch short on bite.

Serving type: bottle

11-10-2012 13:36:37 | More by KTCamm

tony223366

California

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

A: Beautiful, rich caramel color. Perfect clarity and a 2+ finger off-white colored head. Lots of action from the carbonation. Head retention leaves much to be desired though. It pretty much quickly disappeared.

S: Rich, spicy lager aroma. I get some spiciness from the hops along with some light caramelly malt aroma. Smells exceedingly clean.

T: Taste is really complex and changes throughout the beginning, middle and end. The beginning is all the caramel, bready malts. That leads to a spicy hop flavor that more herbal than anything. The finish is surprisingly toasty. Like toasted nuts. Delicious and interesting!

M: Slick feeling to this beer with a light/medium body. Lots of carbonation which I feel like this beer needs.

O: This beer is surprisingly complex and has a nice bitter finish. Better than I thought it'd be!

Serving type: bottle

11-05-2012 05:30:09 | More by tony223366

puboflyons

New Hampshire

3.48/5  rDev -6.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

From the 12 fl. oz. bottle. Sampled on October 29, 2012.

The pour is a slightly hazy medium amber with little to no head.

The aroma is clearly malty and biscuit-like but there is a nutty sensation as well as a vague floral hop hint.

The body is medium and smooth.

The taste is as malty as the aroma and significantly sweeter than what I got on the nose. A modest lingering finish ties it all together. It isn't all that bad and is entirely drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

10-29-2012 19:02:11 | More by puboflyons

tophers

Michigan

3.15/5  rDev -15.5%
look: 1.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2

This beer was too dry for me without the malt backbone that I was expecting. The bitterness didn't seem to blend with the malt very well. I really enjoy Victory beers so I was a little disappointed with this one.

a: Deep amber in color and mostly transparent but a little hazy. Head is not very long lasting and is white in appearance. Ring of head around the glass.

s: Malt aroma consists of a raisin and Munich. Some earthy hop aroma detected. No esters.

t: Dominant malt flavor that is toasty and bready in nature. Some floral hop flavor. Moderate amount of hop bitterness that seems to be more noticeable in the aftertaste.

m: Moderately high carbonation with a moderately light body. Fairly dry finish that may be due to a bit of astringency.

Serving type: bottle

10-25-2012 23:00:02 | More by tophers

Durge

Connecticut

3.93/5  rDev +5.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A deep copper brown color with a modest white cover that dissipates quickly to random swirls. Lacing is fair. The aroma is no doubt cabbage malt with a hint of chocolate and herbal hop. Pretty neat. The flavor is absolutely in keeping with the nose hit. A beautiful malt bath with an herbal hop edge that makes for a lucid, dry feel in a medium bodied brew with modest carbonation. A very satisfying Octoberfest beer that I would easily recommend autumnal malt fans.

Serving type: bottle

10-23-2012 05:36:21 | More by Durge

sommersb

Tennessee

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

Tasted On: 10-22-2012
Freshness: Not indicated
Packaging: 12 oz. brown bottle, pry-cap
Glassware: Mug
Purchased: Single from Midtown, Nashville

Clear and bright copper beer topped by a healthy off-white head. Very good retention and a fair level of lacing. Lots of carbonation is seen streaming in the glass.

Aromas are rich and malty, with sweet caramel and bready notes. The taste starts off with the malty sweet flavors as noted in the nose, and then features earthy hop bitterness and roasted grains. The bitterness seems a bit high to me for the style.

Medium bodied and a feel of medium to high carbonation. The finish is balanced between the caramel malts and hop bitterness. Overall I liked this Oktoberfest, but would prefer a bit less hop profile.

Serving type: bottle

10-23-2012 02:46:38 | More by sommersb

BuckeyeSlim

Ohio

3.63/5  rDev -2.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

12 oz. bottle poured into an English pint glass.

A - Pours a rich, light copper color. Two-finger head of dense, pillowy, eggnog-white foam falls at a moderate pace, leaving a bit of lace around the glass and islands of small bubbles on the surface. Beer is a vibrant orange-red and clear when held to a full-spectrum light.

S - Nicely toasted malts; rich, darker caramels; hints of orange/soft spice. Touches of floral hops come through. Nose is light, but present and defined.

T - More hop-forward than usually found in the style. Roasted (but not burnt) malts, well-toasted whole wheat bread, cereals, and caramel sugars seem to serve as the opening acts for a finale of bitter herb-style hops. Taste is a straight-forward presentation of these flavors, without complexity.

M - Somewhat foamy, full carbonation. On the lighter side without being thin. Finish lingers longer than expected and is focused on the bitterness of the hops rather than traditional Oktoberfest sugars. Simple structure.

O - An American NW take on the style that respects the traditional foundation of toasted malts and caramels, but still has the need to make sure the hops are noticed. If you're expecting a Marzen, you'll probably find the overall effort out-of-balance. Probably better paired with food, where the hops can find more to balance with, than drunk alone.

Serving type: bottle

10-21-2012 18:27:53 | More by BuckeyeSlim

Chickenhawk9932

Pennsylvania

3.75/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a rich amber with an off white head.

Smells of yeasty bread, bitter herb, roasted malt and caramel.

Roasted malt and caramel up front followed by bitter herb. It has a nice balance and a full body. It has a chewy, nutty, bread like mouth feel. This is a real good Octoberfest. This one gets better as it warms.

Serving type: bottle

10-21-2012 17:09:24 | More by Chickenhawk9932

kangarooAdam59

Pennsylvania

3.7/5  rDev -0.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Into a pint glass:

A: copper colored body that yields a soapy half inch white head, concave clingy lacing is along the sides of the pint glass. Though the body is extremely clear, no carbonation is seen rising.

S: roasted malt with some super light spice and herbal notes with a bit of hay or rye even lighter and perhaps the faintest of all smells of this beer.

T: sweet with a decent dose of caramel presence backed up nicely by some toffee and the roasted malts, super light spice and herbal notes. That hay/rye thing I guess was only in the smell, no worries.

M: medium and slightly sticky with nothing harsh on the tongue. I would say this is a fairly drinkable beer

O: this is a decent brew that I would probably have again, perhaps not one I'd purposely seek out, but maybe the next time I'd have this, I'd have it on tap.

Serving type: bottle

10-20-2012 00:18:06 | More by kangarooAdam59

Darkmagus82

Montana

3.93/5  rDev +5.4%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from bottle into pint glass

Appearance – Pours a copper-orange color with a two finger off white head. The head fades over about 3 minutes to leave a lighter amount of lacing.

Smell – Roasted malt are the heaviest of the aromas, although overall the aroma is rather light. With the roast are some lighter notes spice and herbal hop with some hay-like aromas mixed within.

Taste – The taste begins very bready with a good deal of caramel sweetness up front. Some flavors of a sweeter toffee nature come to the tongue with some lighter fruit flavors which create a sweet taste. At the end a nice roast and light herbal flavor come and round out the sweeter flavors; leaving a pleasant sweeter herbal spiced flavor to linger on the tongue. Rather nice.

Mouthfeel – For the abv. and style, the body of the beer is on the slightly creamier side with a carbonation level that is rather average. The creamier body if very nice for the sweet yet spicy and roasty flavors with the carbonation level making it very drinkable.

Overall – Other than the lack luster aroma, this is one really fantastic and tasty beer. It is one I will definitely go to again. It has great flavors and a very nice feel.

Serving type: bottle

10-14-2012 01:39:16 | More by Darkmagus82

Bowdoinbeerboy

Maine

3.35/5  rDev -10.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Pours with no head at all and very little apparent carbonation. Smell is of fresh baked bread a hint of warm spices.

Taste is malty and slightly sweet, the carbonation doesn't add much pop on the tongue. The beer is very balanced and ever so slightly peppery, a very subtle and malty beer.

Serving type: bottle

10-13-2012 23:02:04 | More by Bowdoinbeerboy

superspak

Michigan

3.8/5  rDev +1.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

12 ounce bottle into pint glass, best before 12/11/2012. Pours lightly hazy orange copper color with a 1-2 finger fairly dense off white head with good retention, that reduces to a small cap that lingers. Light spotty lacing clings to the glass. Aromas of pear, apple, caramel, biscuit, toast, toffee, earth, and herbal. Nice aromas with good balance and decent strength. Taste of big pear, toast, caramel, biscuit, toffee, apple, earth, herbal, and light nuttiness. Lingering notes of caramel, toast, toffee, biscuit, light fruit, earth, and herbal on the finish for a short bit. Nice balance and robustness of flavors; with no cloying sweetness at all. Medium carbonation and body; with a nice creamy and lightly slick mouthfeel. Alcohol is well hidden with only a slight warming noticed after the finish. Overall this is a very good Oktoberfest lager. Nicely robust with good flavor balance; extremely smooth to drink. Enjoyed this.

Serving type: bottle

10-08-2012 03:44:24 | More by superspak

Kooz

New York

2.4/5  rDev -35.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

Poured to an amber color; good head.

Malty nose. Some spice. Nothing terribly special...

Spices in taste, and flavorful but too bitter. Not much about this I really like. It's flavors are robust but bitter, and the spices taste off.

Good body, but the spices linger too long and don't taste fresh--that's the best way to describe them. It's like Victory used expired dry spices.

Overall, I'm not impressed.

Serving type: bottle

10-06-2012 01:54:52 | More by Kooz

smakawhat

Maryland

3.9/5  rDev +4.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from the bottle into a nonic pint glass.

A two finger off white somewhat yellow head is produced. with a real nice orange almost deep red amber body. No lacing and a simple puck, but the body color is very impressive.

Nose has a slight sticky banana and brown sugar, but some strange sticky yeast rankness. Small but noticeable, fairly alright but nothing too mind bending or heavily impressive.

Palate hits with a good richness and body. Malt sweetness balances with some nice warm caramel, and sticky toffee. Finish almost light coffee roast bitter, with lots of caramel coating action. Some banana estery qualities really seem to come out also on the aftertaste, with some warming tobacco like notes.

Overall pretty impressed and a solid Marzen to be had, with a lot of flavor.

Serving type: bottle

10-05-2012 02:42:30 | More by smakawhat

BeerFMAndy

Wisconsin

4.73/5  rDev +26.8%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

12 oz bottle poured into a Sierra Nevada imperial pint.
5.6% ABV, Enjoy by Dec 31 2012 etched lightly into shoulder.

A - Festbier pours a fire-y clear amber that parallels the trees' changing leaves; a stunning color. Dense ivory foam settles to a thin skim pretty quickly but leaves some spotty lacing left on the glass.

S - Right off the bat, Victory's Festbier is very reminiscent of the classic German lager but it is much toastier than any I've experienced. Deep and dense bready aromas stem from the Vienna malts which impart biscuit and toasted wheat bread. Munich malts add a drizzle of honey-like sweetness which nicely blankets the "bread" but this beer isn't all malt. Plenty of German noble hops finish with a follow-up of light spice and herbal notes, completing the ensemble very nicely!

T - Hefty malt really ups the ante in the flavor as it loads on the bread characteristics. Imagine for a moment, a warm loaf broken, gooey on the inside but complete with a crispy shell; that's Festbier for ya'. Chunky dense biscuit, Munich sweetness with just a touch of earthy nuttiness, and the perfect balance of hops on the finish which not only keep the beer's sweetness in check, they add a lingering herbal note which compliments while delicately contrasting the beer.

M - Full-bodied while remaining extremely drinkable, Victory's Festbier has a lush, smooth malt feel but a nice carbonation presence that livens it up. Finishing dry from toasted malt and hops alike, this perfectly balanced beer goes down incredibly well.

O - Victory Festbier might just be the ultimate Oktoberfest. Crisp and clean, it adheres to it's strict lager standards and showcases deep malt complexity while adding a simplistic but oh-so-important kiss of hops, all while remaining exceptionally drinkable, especially for it's robust body! A moment of pause to consider the skill required to brew such a balanced and immaculate beer is rewarding but equally as rewarding is losing one's self in the festivities and enjoying pint after pint of such a beer.

Serving type: bottle

10-04-2012 22:49:01 | More by BeerFMAndy

MattyG85

Minnesota

4.1/5  rDev +9.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured from 12 oz. bottle into a Sam Adams "Perfect Pint" glass.

Appearance: Pours a deep and slightly hazy copper amber orange with lots of rising bubbles. Solid three finger off white head with good retention. Leaves a decent amount of lacing on the glass.

Smell: Very bready and malt forward aroma. Toasted bready malts with good hints of biscuit, caramel, toffee, yeast, nuts, and crackers. Some nice subtle hints of dark roast with a little hint of chocolate. Hints of apple and a little dark fruit. Also some hints of balancing earthy and grassy hops in the background. Very forward on the bready biscuit and caramel smell. Pretty solid aroma.

Taste: Like it smells, a nicely full and bready malt driven taste. Toasted malts with big notes of bready biscuit, caramel, toffee, yeast, nuts, and crackers. A roast taste is quite noticeable with some nice notes of nutty chocolate. Subtle fruit taste with some apple and dark fig. The bready sweetness is well balanced by some earthy hops that dry out the finish. The bready burnt caramel taste is quite full. Really nice taste.

Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with a moderate amount of carbonation. Creamy, somewhat nutty, and pretty smooth. Starts sweet and finishes fairly dry.

Overall: A very good American take on a Marzen. Full bready malt flavor with some nice subtle roast notes. Nicely balanced sweetness.

Serving type: bottle

10-03-2012 05:29:38 | More by MattyG85

scootny

New York

3.65/5  rDev -2.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A nice orangey amber with a decent head of an off white hue and touches of lace here and there. A bit of haze as I gaze, no carbonation in the glass. Smell has lots of toasted grains and light sweet malt with yeasty bread and herbal hops. Taste is malty and smooth with a grainy quality that flows to a well integrated hop component that balances the caramel sweetness and gives a somewhat longish dry finish. Well developed nuttines shows towards the swallow, gives a nice platform for the bitterness to blossom. Feel is medium with a light tingley carbonationan and a crisp overall character. High notes for drinkability and sessioning this one is easy. A good solid effort from one of my favorite breweries.

Serving type: bottle

10-03-2012 00:32:26 | More by scootny

BeerBuckeye

Ohio

3.53/5  rDev -5.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A - Pours a reddish amber color with one finger, off-white head.

S - Lots of caramel malts, burnt sugar, bready. A tinge of dark fruit almost.

T - Quite sweet, again, some burn sugar, but also a tinge of darker fruit. Bready and and caramel malt backbone.

M - Very smooth, full tasting, almost syrupy.

Overall - Pretty good Marzen here, it was a little sweet, but good blend of tastes. Almost a 'complex' Marzen.

Serving type: bottle

10-01-2012 00:40:59 | More by BeerBuckeye

secondtooth

Indiana

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

Pours a nice, rich amber, with a thick and attractive off-white head. I didn't get any lace, though...

Nose is grainy and malty. I get caramel/toffee, with a tinge of fruitiness. Points for complexity with aroma!

Flavor is rich and malty, with a hint of toasty grain malts and a light, fruity hop finish. This is a subtle, well-crafted, and complex, but easy-drinking beer. Impressive!

Serving type: bottle

09-29-2012 00:29:09 | More by secondtooth

GarthDanielson

New Hampshire

3.95/5  rDev +5.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Poured from a bottle into a tumbler pint, the beer is a bright, slightly hazed, orange-amber coloring with a slow cadence of carbonation bubbling and a thin, sparse, off-white filmy coating on the surface. Aromas of roasted malt, both nutty and richly sweet, with a bready backbone and some old world fruit highlights. Flavors are rich and thick, with a roasted backbone supporting fresh and sweet flavors of pumpkin, nuts, and a spice blend of nutmeg, cumin, and cinnamon. Very forward and bold on the palate. Sweetness has a touch of brown sugar going into the aftertaste, which is tangy sweet and only lightly roasty/toasty. Good transition of the flavors as you drink. The finish is rich and smooth, with a tangy, slightly lingering sweetness. Very flavorful and very easy to drink. The light body keeps the sweet, rich flavors from overpowering.

Serving type: bottle

09-27-2012 01:57:33 | More by GarthDanielson

dbrauneis

New Jersey

3.9/5  rDev +4.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Pours a crystal clear very dark copper in color with light amounts of visible carbonation. The beer has a finger tall dense beige head that reduces to a medium sized thin patch and a very thin ring around the edges of the glass. Light amounts of lacing are observed.

S: Moderate to strong aromas of caramel and toasted malts.

T: Lots of real malty flavors to the taste of this beer - toasted and caramel malts with a fair amount of sweetness. There is a touch of grassy hop bitterness in the finish and just a touch of spices.

M: Medium bodied with moderate amounts of carbonation. Smooth and clean with some very light amounts of dryness in the finish.

O: Enjoyable and very easy to drink - there is a nice balance between the malty sweetness and hop bitterness.

Serving type: bottle

09-26-2012 23:23:48 | More by dbrauneis