Festbier - Victory Brewing Company

Celtics76

Rhode Island

4/5  rDev +7.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I decided to have one of these before heading out to Thayer St. to meet up with my fiance. I had it last year and thought it was a nice alternative to the usual, that being Sam Adams Octoberfest. Time to re-visit.

Well, it looks like a Marzen and smells like one too. The profound malty aroma definitely has me thinking of Patriots football and Halloween. Really flavorful - strong malt base with some caramel undertones. Has a "roasty" aftertaste. There is some mild carbonation and a medium-bodied feel to it. Quite drinkable - not a "slow sipper" for me by any stretch.

I have yet to dislike a beer from this brewery. This is no exception. Will buy more if I come across it again.

Serving type: bottle

09-14-2012 22:01:07 | More by Celtics76

BEERMILER12

Maine

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

A: Pours a golden amber color with a fingers worth of head that quickly fades to nothing

S: Lager yeast, malts, and a bit of husk. Fairly simple, but definitely to style

T: Follows the nose, tastes a lot like a dark pils. Yeast brings forward grains and very light fruitiness. Husky. Leafy hops

M: Medium bodied with moderate carbonation

O: A nice O-Fest that displays a bunch of the characteristics of the style. Easy to drink too. Solid

Serving type: bottle

09-06-2012 22:31:13 | More by BEERMILER12

claspada

New Jersey

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

Pours a light reddish-brown with a sturdy tan head which recedes to leave some minimal lacing.

Aromas begin with doughy bread with some yeasty light fruit and caramel malty notes.

The tastes begin with a rich caramel maltiness with subtle hints of toffee. There is a slight doughy, toasty, grainy maltiness that joins as well. As it warms the grainy aspect is joined by surprising amount of earthy and spicy hops.

The mouthfeel is medium bodied with medium carbonation. Finish is fairly clean and crisp as the style would call for.

Overall this is one of the better American interpretations of a Marzen/Oktoberfest that exist in today's market. The caramel, sweet maltiness is probably overstated for the style but I enjoy that more than one that is heavy on grainy, pilsnery flavors. Good, not great, worth a go amongst others.

Serving type: bottle

09-05-2012 17:10:23 | More by claspada

AdamBear

Pennsylvania

3.08/5  rDev -17.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.5

A-dark amber with a thin cream colored head

S-honey nut cheerios. Roasted cocoa malts. Good strength. A bit off for the style.

T-comes in with a bitter roasted flavor of honey grains. It's an odd and lightly watery flavor. Doesn't quite fit right. After-taste is oddly bitter.

M-creamy medium carbonation with a semidry finish.

O-this isn't a good Oktoberfest beer. The flavors just don't mesh well and it's not drinkable as the style is supposed to be. 

Serving type: bottle

09-04-2012 02:27:12 | More by AdamBear

jimmah120

Minnesota

3.4/5  rDev -8.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

12oz bottle 2 months past expiration

Look is an amber-orange with a khaki head. Smell is hay, wheat, yeast, caramel rolls, pumpkin spice, and clove. Taste is wheat, spice, yeast, pumpkin, and roasted malts. Feel is medium, medium carbonation, slightly syrupy and thick.

Solid fest beer, but nothing special. At the high price point, it's not especially desirable.

Serving type: bottle

08-29-2012 02:33:24 | More by jimmah120

TTAmod

Michigan

3.43/5  rDev -8%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

12 oz. bottle poured into pint (although this begs to be poured into a mug.)

A: Deep, clear amber with a one finger white head. Dissipates kind of fast.

S: Slightly roasty malts and caramel make up the smell.

T: Lots of malt present....it has the slight roast flavor giving it a distinct taste. Also a nice, clean grain flavor, as well. There's a nice dose of leafy hops to balance the malt out a little bit. Finishes with a very slight bittenessr and roastiness.

M: Dangerously drinkable. Smooth, creamy, medium-bodied.

O: A highly drinkable, flavorful marzen. It's pretty standard for the style and doesn't really bring anything too new to the table. It's easy to appreciate the simplicity of this beer, though. A perfect fall party beer.

Serving type: bottle

08-28-2012 01:17:00 | More by TTAmod

VelvetExtract

Massachusetts

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

A-Pours a dark color nearing copper. Decent glow. Head is minimal. Little bubbly clusters. Also, mild lacing.

S-Standarn Oktoberfest aromas. Caramel, dark baked bread, barley and an elegant Noble hop whiff. The hops are fairly noticeable which is definitely a plus.

T-You getting all the toast and caramel and grains, but you are also awarded with a significant grassy hop finish that lingers respectably. One of the better overall Oktoberfest beer flavors I have stumbled upon.

M-Medium bodied with zippy carbonation and a creamy feel. Light bitterness and dryness. Sessionable.

O/D-One of the better takes on a style I don't love. Enjoyed the hop intensity. Another solid Victory brew.

Serving type: bottle

08-27-2012 23:46:20 | More by VelvetExtract

Luigi

North Carolina

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

Pours out a clear and rich amber color, almost caramel like. Nice two finger off white head with great retention, with plenty of lacing going around the glass till the last drop.

The aroma is rich with toasted malt! Big caramel hints but roasted enough to give some smoky characteristics. Keeping with the style of lager the hops a well blended a bit leafy, but the toasted malt is the focus of this lager.

The taste is rich with toasted caramel and smoky malt. Nothing fancy, just rich toasted malt with a bit of earthy/ medicinal hop lingering at the end.

Rich, almost full bodied and slick on the palate. Yet, easy going down the hatchet.

This was the first time I have ever seen and Oktoberfest lager from Victory, so I had to pick it up. Probably one of the best American made versions of this style of beer.

Serving type: bottle

08-23-2012 06:48:05 | More by Luigi

rdacey

Connecticut

3.85/5  rDev +3.2%
look: 5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Aroma: sweet, toasty malts, slightly vegetal in aroma which fades to a complex malt/medicinal, solvently aroma

Appearance: Amber/red color; thin/off-white head dissipates quickly,

Flavor: complex, but balanced more towards bitterness than malts for the style. Tastes slightly woody/toasty with german noble hop presence

Mouthfeel: Smooth, medium bodied, medium to low carbonation. Although a decotion mash is used, I don't pick up on the rich complex malt character, but finish is slightly sweet

Overall: very smooth and drinkable, but for a decotion mash being used would have liked to see a more assertive malt background and less bitterness

Serving type: bottle

08-23-2012 03:02:44 | More by rdacey

DeltaGolfSierra

Tennessee

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

Appearance is a dark amber color, with an initially generous head that fades pretty quickly. The smell is strong, with bread and biscuit scents standing out. Toasted bready malts are dominant in the taste, reminding me of sourdough bread. There is a bit of nutty flavor, and a floral bitterness in the finish. Just average mouthfeel. Nothing really remarkable about this beer, but nothing bad either.

Serving type: bottle

08-21-2012 23:17:24 | More by DeltaGolfSierra

BeerLover99

New Jersey

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

A: orange/copper body, finger beige head,
light lacing

S: caramel, bread, malt, grain

T: caramel, nutty, big malt/sweet bread, mild
bitter/earthy finish

M: med body, solid carbonation/smooth mouth

O: Very flavorful American Marzen brew, Love
the style and brewery. Would get again + recommend.

QUITE NICE, WORTH TRYING!

Serving type: bottle

08-16-2012 16:54:54 | More by BeerLover99

Hopdaemon39

Massachusetts

4.13/5  rDev +10.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a 12 oz bottle into a 12 oz mug- pours a clear dark orange with one finger of light beige head, decent retention, minimal lacing.

Smell is pretty grainy- munich barley, a hint of caramel. Good, but a little faint.

Taste is very nice and certainly a rousing oktoberfest. Lots of good solid barley flavor, some caramel, a little toffee, BARELY noticeable hops that just sort of tend the edges of the malt sweetness.

Mouthfeel is good as well- medium bodied, light carbonation on the tip of the tongue. Very drinkable. I love this style but haven't had the opportunity to try too many- this one is good but perhaps in a month I might say differently.

Serving type: bottle

08-15-2012 23:29:19 | More by Hopdaemon39

LiquidAmber

Washington

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

Review from 11/2010 notes. Poured into a Nostradamus flute glass. Pours a medium orange amber. Slight head dissipated slowly leaving light lacing. Grainy, light malt aroma. Caramel, malt, slightly sweet. A pleasant light malty ale. A straightforward, but unremarkable Marzen.

Serving type: bottle

07-12-2012 03:36:39 | More by LiquidAmber

MrKennedy

Australia

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

12oz bottle from Warners at the bay, poured into a Mikkeller tulip.

Light amber appearance with an off white foam that laces sporadically.

Smell is of sweet malt, not honey sweet, but just sweet malt in general with some small herbal note there as well early on.

Tastes clean, decisive and as you are led to expect with sweet malt the cornerstone. Some toffee as well.

Good medium body, nice oilyness to start with and then smooth out with a slight herbal bitterness at the end stops it becoming cloying.

Really nice, well executed. Not an overload of the senses, but what is there serves a good purpose. Hard to fault what Victory do, one of the more consistent breweries across styles.

Serving type: bottle

05-13-2012 10:48:41 | More by MrKennedy

Offa

California

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

Copper amber, medium pale tan head soon thins to thin ring.

Aroma is toasty, caramelized barley, peppery resiny hop, hint of brown whole wheat bread dough, wood stain – a nice, full, but not complex Vienna style.

Taste is nice caramelly barley, toasty bread crust, woody-peppery hint, light bitterness. It’s very slightly on the sweet side. It is very good, enjoyable, solid, but simple and 2-dimensional .

Serving type: bottle

04-26-2012 05:03:03 | More by Offa

danieelol

Australia

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

Pours a golden amber with OK head and lacing.

Nose is quite enjoyable. Yeast, earthy hops and sweet malt. Gritty, earthy toffee.

Taste is yeast dominated with a bit of the amber malt sweetness coming through, and gritty earthy toffee. Fruity, hoppy qualitites.

Mouthfeel is thin but appropriate for the style.

Overall quite a good beer, interesting somewhat Americanised take on an Oktoberfest.

Serving type: bottle

03-18-2012 12:52:00 | More by danieelol

Fcip78

Pennsylvania

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

Victory's Festbeer is one of the better Marzen style beer available. Nice amount of malt, mouthfeel is pretty good. Marzens can be a little too light or way too much malt, but Festbeer is a perfect balance. Nice hop bitterness to cut some of maltyness.

Serving type: bottle

03-03-2012 20:06:03 | More by Fcip78

WastingFreetime

Wisconsin

3.28/5  rDev -12.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Reviewed from session notes.

A. Another orange-tinted amber beer, with a minutes worth of sand-colored foam head and mediocre lacing.

S. Very light on the nose, just a faint caramel malt with a dash of floral and citric peel hopping. Could benefit from about 20% strength amplification.

T. Kind of generic compared to other marzens. Malty sweetness and a kiss of noble hopping, nothing particularly memorable stands out as special or unique in the flavor here.

M. Pleasant enough medium body but somewhat undercarbonated in texture again...

Serving type: bottle

03-03-2012 00:51:09 | More by WastingFreetime

jeffjeff1

California

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

I picked this up the other day at Travis AFB.

Appearance- amber color, thin head that goes away quickly

Smell- malt

Taste- big malt flavor up front

Mouthfeel- medium bodied

Drinkability- A pretty good beer, kinda average, nothing spectacular about it.

Serving type: bottle

02-07-2012 00:46:41 | More by jeffjeff1

thekevlarkid

Maryland

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

Out of a bottle this beer was a clear amber color with some nice tangerine highlights. The tan head displayed decent lacing and moderate lacing as well. The aroma was of caramel, bread, butter and a bit of toasted malt. The flavors were an interesting balance of very sweet caramel malt and dry but floral hops. The bready malt and dry yeast also came through in the middle and I also got some toast and pine nuts as it warmed up. The sweetness seemed a little too much for a Marzen to me and I wasn’t exactly ‘wowed’ but I suppose this could just be my impression of the Victory interpretation. The mouthfeel was good, the body medium and the carbonation moderate.

Serving type: bottle

01-29-2012 22:10:00 | More by thekevlarkid

chefhatt

Pennsylvania

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

The beer when i poured it into a pint glass, it has a nice amber color body with not a lot of head that thins down to a thin lace. The smell is of carmel and malty. The malt hits you up front, first thing i taste. Then some earthy hops comes along, but not strong. The mouth feel is nice and crisp. Overall this is a average marzen.

Serving type: bottle

01-04-2012 21:14:13 | More by chefhatt

dexterk1

Illinois

3.75/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

appearance is a nice copper and head is small and light.
Odor is light. Doesn't really have much. A little malty, but still pretty light.
Mouth feel is pretty good. It is a nice beer that is in the middle ground(not too heavy, not too light).
Taste is good. It is the best thing about this beer. It is very malty and low on hops. Taste is pretty balanced and has a hint of sweet or nutty. Finish is a little plain.

Serving type: bottle

12-23-2011 23:54:30 | More by dexterk1

curasowa

New York

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

Appearance: Copper color with one finger of head that fades quickly to a ring with little lacing.

Aroma: Pretty clean; mostly toasted malt with a little tobacco in the background.

Taste: Big malt flavor upfront, then some mildly earthy hop bitterness starts to creep in and build towards the end. The finish is lingering and somewhat metallic and with a touch of tobacco.

The Rest: A decent, medium bodied Marzen, nothing spectacular, though.

Serving type: bottle

11-27-2011 02:43:45 | More by curasowa

rebelthrower

Massachusetts

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

A - Pours light orange/copper, a hint of brown and a slightly hazy. Head is a almost white. About a half thumb thick and a little bit of lacing.

S - Sweet and citrus, and bready, Malty and a bit of caramel.

T - Malts and a lot of sweetness. Lights hops and a bit bready.

M - Medium bodied, good carbonation, well balanced. A slight watery taste at end. Hint of caramel.

D - Very drinkable and smooth.

Serving type: bottle

11-24-2011 04:11:03 | More by rebelthrower

aubuc1

Florida

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

12 oz bottle

Pours a clear, light brownish orange with an almost white head that is not quite as steady as i like

Smell is bready sweet with a hint of citrus

Taste is a very good, wheat bread that isn't too much.

Mouthfeel is a little thin, but makes it very drinkable. Slightly dry finish that leaves me wanting more.

Serving type: bottle

11-18-2011 22:18:53 | More by aubuc1