Festbier - Victory Brewing Company

seesnow3

Connecticut

2.6/5  rDev -30.3%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 1.5 | overall: 2.5

Heavy Seas pint glass, no freshness date, $1.90/bottle in NH

Pour-Pours a small head that quickly fades to a washy film with a thin ring of bubbles. Deep copper with a little less of an orange color. A faint stream of large effervescence bubbles here and there. Essentially no lacing that sticks.

Nose-Caramel malt for sure with just a hint of skunky musty aroma. There seems to be just a touch of dark fruit. The spice aroma is a little bit subdued.

Palate-Sweet right away followed by a hint of sour and some noticeable bitterness. The taste is predominantly rich caramel malts. The lingering qualities are fairly short. The sweetness is a little bit fruity and off. Alcohol, despite the low percentage is slightly warming and noticeable.

Body-Medium to heavy, very little effervescence renders this one a tad closer to syrupy in texture. It is sort of creamy but has a slightly drying finish.

Final-I’m not really sure what to make of this. Out of all of the Marzen’s I’ve tried this probably has the least amount of bubbles in it. I’m not sure I personally like it, due to the odd sweetness, but there is nothing in there to severely offend anyone. It’s fairly balanced though a little bit off kilter on the sweetness, but overall worth a go for the price if you don’t mind a fairly “flat” Marzen. Maybe this bottle wasn’t any good, because I know it wasn’t old and my review seems quite contrary to the others.

Serving type: bottle

11-09-2011 00:53:45 | More by seesnow3

mgironta

New Jersey

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

This brew was a clear amber color with minimal head and active carbonation. There was no real lacing to speak of. The first thing that I noticed was that this brew was a little thin and not what I would consider for the body of an Oktoberfest. On the nose, I got…nothing. No joke. Not a thing. It was like sniffing water. Maybe if I thought really hard about it, I could get some sort of earthiness and a hint of sweetness. But, it would be a reach. The taste is primarily watery, just how it looked. I didn’t get a lot of taste on it. Maybe some sweet malt on the taste and a hint of earthiness? I’m surprised about the lack of flavor in this brew. I didn’t really like it and would not get it again. Definitely underflavored.

Serving type: on-tap

09-17-2012 01:36:33 | More by mgironta

xcrunner78

Ohio

2.58/5  rDev -30.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Presentation: 12 oz brown bottle

Appearance: Orange-Copper in pour, with a good size head. Good amount of carbonation in the glass.

Smell: A bit of dough and very malty. Cannot smell any hop addition.

Taste: Definitely a lager. Malts are toasted, a little carmel and a grassy hop on the palate. Finishes dry and would have been good with some bready food.

Serving type: bottle

12-22-2009 15:44:20 | More by xcrunner78

DownDaHatch

Illinois

2.55/5  rDev -31.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 2 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

I have loved the Victory label, so I was excited to give this beer a whirl. The best I can say of this beer is that it is unremarkable. It certainly lacks complexity. I am certain it's intent is a munich-like style Octoberfest, but falls a bit flat. It looks wonderful, pours great, but generally stops there. The slightly malty nose is also a nice compliment. The taste seems hopless with some floral and fruit (Pear/apples?) undertones. It is medium bodied and copper colored and has a bit of a dry finish. I love Octoberfest beers, but this one left me a bit flat.

Serving type: bottle

08-18-2008 16:40:44 | More by DownDaHatch

Winter

Wisconsin

2.5/5  rDev -33%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2

Pours amber with a thin, off-white head. The aroma seems slight skunked. If it's the hops, they're rather musky and not welcomed. Can't really detect any maltiness in the aroma. The mouthfeel is a little on the thin side. Festbier is a malty lager with a touch of hop bitterness. An ale fruitiness is introduced in the middle and lingers into and almost unnoticeable finish. Overall, I was not impressed by this example of an Oktoberfest.

Serving type: bottle

10-18-2007 03:51:14 | More by Winter

RussBecker1

2.5/5  rDev -33%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

A- Pours a somewhat cloudy orange. Much more colorful than a number of other marzens I have had. It is also a good deal lighter, and reflects light in a pretty fashion. Maybe a 1-2 finger white head that was decently thicker than I expected. Little to no lacing to be had however.

S-Not the most appealing smell. The malts are the most apparent, but they appear to be roasted slightly too much, as the caramel and toffee flavorings are too burnt for my taste. There are hints of light fruit (something muted like a banana although that is not quite it).

M-Nothing too special. Carbonated enough to make it easy to drink, but it neither enhances nor detracts from the experience.

T-Very bland for a marzen. As to be expected, European marzens have ten time the flavor (German/Austrian), but even for an American style marzen, this fest beer did not make much of an impression. The tastes did not mix, and it was surprisingly bitter for a beer of this style. As expected, the malts were too smokey which left an undesirable taste.

O-Had it not been described as an oktoberfest then I may have seen this beer differently, but overall I will avoid festbeer in the future

Serving type: bottle

09-20-2012 15:30:36 | More by RussBecker1

frank4sail

New Jersey

2.45/5  rDev -34.3%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

Musty malt/old sneaker smell. Crystal amber color. No lasting head at all. Sweet chewy malt flavor with a smidge of hops. Very dissapointing effort for one of my favorite breweries. The label says victory but the taste is not one of a victory product. Overly sweet, unbalenced, and no head retention at all. Like sweet syrup.

Serving type: bottle

12-06-2002 08:56:32 | More by frank4sail

musicjustintime

Pennsylvania

2.45/5  rDev -34.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 2 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

I'm actually disappointed. I LOVE Victory's offerings...but this one is just WEIRD! Maybe I got a "bad bottle?!" (Don't think so though) Tastes kinda like dirt, with a little bit of old hops added. Not sure what this beer is... The worst Octoberfest I've ever had...so far, and I really hate to say it. Again, Victory is a wonderful brewery, and this is THE FIRST of theirs that I've had that I don't like. Maybe it's not me, 'cause my buddy DID say he's tried it, and hated it as well?!.... Sorry friends. I don't recommend this....unless you like a "dirty"-tasting Oct-fest. Sorry Victory friends. Cheers and SAAAALUTE my BA friends!!!

Serving type: bottle

10-01-2007 23:13:53 | More by musicjustintime

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

Knapp85

Pennsylvania

2.35/5  rDev -37%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

I like that fact that they wanted to create something for the Oktoberfest season but, I don't know if this beer really fits that perspective or not. It's more along the lines of a Pilsner than a Marzen. The flavors that Victory came up with her are most definitely German but I don't think that it was the best way to go in making this brew. It was also a little too weak for a beer in the fall season.

Serving type: bottle

03-27-2011 22:49:22 | More by Knapp85

rushpatrick

Virginia

2.13/5  rDev -42.9%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

having enjoyed many victory beers in the past and many more oktoberfests, this beer proved to be a great dissapointment. The taste reminds me of a skunky cheap domestic lager. i would recomend not drinking this beer. I wrote the manufacturer an email as i was so offended by the taste and quality of this product.
it contained very to little head in a pour from bottle to tulip glass, color was a slight copper-amber tone. little to no taste but that of skunk. not much aftertaste, allowing for the posibilty to finish a glass; give a six-pack a few days. not recommended.

Serving type: bottle

10-14-2008 03:13:43 | More by rushpatrick

ibashmuck

Wisconsin

2.1/5  rDev -43.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 1.5 | overall: 2

Purchased as part of "build-your-own-six-pack" at local grocer. Poured little to no head on an amber body. Smells were very sweet, malty, maple syrup, caramel and a touch of floral. Sadly, those did not translate over to taste, which was dominated by a distinct unappealing dusty and skunkiness. Overpowers anything else in there. Also remarkably flat for the style.

I'm guessing that I got a bad bottle. I hope I did, as otherwise this is big disappointment.

Serving type: bottle

10-08-2008 04:55:49 | More by ibashmuck

jstilwell

Massachusetts

1.83/5  rDev -50.9%
look: 2 | smell: 2 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 1.5 | overall: 2.5

Let me first say that I am a fan of the Victory offerings...Not this one. Tasted like a nice Paulaner ruined by adding Water and corn syrup.

A: Medium Brown, Amber, very small quickly disappearing head, no lacing.

B: Not overwhelming, mild roasted malt, hazelnut

T: Blah, boring watery, not much flavor followed by slight bitterness. The aftertaste reminded me of diet Coke.

M: Water! Might quench thirst on a summer day, but this is an Octoberfest brew, right?

D: The highlight perhaps is they are drinkable, but who'd want to?, certainly not I.

Serving type: bottle

01-03-2009 00:57:22 | More by jstilwell