Festbier - Victory Brewing Company

falloutsnow

Illinois

3.3/5  rDev -11.5%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

From: Bad Apple, Chicago, IL
Date: None noticed, but released in mid-2012
Glass: US pint glass

Victory's Festbier is a fairly typical American expression of the style, fairly mild caramel and toasted malt flavors combined with a low hop profile, rounding the flavor out with a mild, brown bread quality. While not unappetizing, the beer does not distinguish itself from its brethren, and is somewhat lacking in flavor and robustness compared to the German imports.

Pours a 1.5cm head of slightly off-white foam with below-average retention, lasting less than a minute in its quick fade to oblivion. The declining head leaves little to no lacing along the sides of the glass. The body of the beer is a transparent amber color, with light bringing out reddish-orange tints. Carbonation is visible and fairly active.

Aroma is primarily of grainy, slightly sweet caramel and toasted malts, bread, minerals, and yeast. In general, the scents seemed underwhelming when compared to some of the bolder German varieties out there.

The primary flavors of the beer are grainy, slightly sweet malts with slight breadiness and caramel lurking in the background. Tasting opens with slightly sweet, grainy and modestly mineral-flavored malts on the front of the palate. Mid-palate continues the sweet grains, adds some bread, and very slight bittering German hops. Back of palate finds caramel malt flavors, slight breadiness, and continued modest bitterness from German hops. Aftertaste is similar to the initial taste: grainy, slightly sweet malts with slight breadiness and caramel lurking in the background.

Beer has a medium to medium-light body with carbonation of medium intensity, creating a beer that slightly fizzes across the palate, ultimately coming across as crisp and smooth. Closes semi-dry, with moderate stickiness lingering across the palate.

Serving type: bottle

01-10-2013 01:47:08 | More by falloutsnow

StoutHunter

Michigan

3.03/5  rDev -18.8%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

I picked up a bottle of Victory's Festbier last week for $1,89 at The Lager Mill. I know it's a little late for Oktoberfest beers, but I just now so this beer on the shelf and I'm going to take a chance on it, so lets see how it goes. No visible bottling date. Poured from a brown 12oz bottle into an imperial pint glass.

A- The label on this beer is pretty simple, but I like it and I think it's well done. It poured a hazy amber color that took on a nice caramel color when held to the light with a finger and a half of slightly off white head that quickly died down to a thin ring that faded to nothing and it didn't leave any lacing. This beer didn't look that great, the color was good, but the head and lacing were disappointing.

S- The aroma starts off with a high amount of sweetness that's followed by the malts that impart some caramel, brown bread, grains, and a biscuit like aroma. After that comes a slight nutty aroma followed by some yeasty spices. The aroma was pretty average, it could have been cleaner for the style.

T- The taste seemed to be fairly similar to the aroma and it started off with a higher amount of medium sweetness and lots of malts which imparted a grainy, brown bread, caramel, and biscuit like flavor. After that came a slight nutty flavor and an even lighter amount of spicy yeast. On the finish there was basically no bitterness and it had a very malty and slightly sweet aftertaste, This was a pretty average tasting Marzen, there was nothing to set this beer apart from all the other Marzen's.

M- Pretty smooth, crisp, on the lighter side of being medium bodied with a higher amount of medium carbonation that was a little prickly. The mouthfeel was a little above average for the style but the pricklyness held it back a little.

All in all I thought this beer was just ok and I thought it was a pretty average example of the style, I didn't pick up any hops, just lots of malts that seemed a little too dull for the style. This beer had ok drinkability, it was smooth, but the flavors didn't hold my attention, I could drink a couple of these but I would rather have something with a little more flavor. What I liked the most about this beer was the mouthfeel, it was the truest to style and it worked well with this beer. What I liked the least about this beer was how boring this beer was, a little hops would have helped this beer out and impart a little bit of complexity. I don't think I would buy this again, there's many other Marzen's that I would much rather have and would buy instead, it's worth trying if you really like the style, but I don't think it will make the top of anybody's list of great Marzen's. All in all this beer was pretty middle of the road and not that memorable. I have yet to be really impressed by Victory, most of their beers seem to be pretty average, better luck next time guys.

Serving type: bottle

12-19-2012 04:40:38 | More by StoutHunter

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

brystmar

New York

3.3/5  rDev -11.5%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

On tap at Top Hops.

Average looking pour, minimal head atop the amber body. Aroma is the strongest part of this beer: spicy, fruity, floral, slightly hoppy, malts. Mmmmm.

Taste disappoints. Watery with sweet malt as the dominant flavor. Hoppy backbone shows itself at the end before fading. Not bad, not very good either.

Verdict: skip.

Serving type: on-tap

10-23-2012 00:38:17 | More by brystmar

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

Maine

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

johnnnniee

New Hampshire

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

On tap at the river road tavern.
Pours a deep golden amber color with a smallish off white head with minimal retention and lace. Smells of caramel and bread and a bit of toast with an earthy floral hop component to it. The flavor is bready pilsner malt with a bit of caramel and sweet sugary malt. A bit heavy on the hops for the style, lots of earthy herbal hops compete with an inadequate malt base. Medium body with a moderate level of carbonation and an earthy slick mouthfeel. Decent enough beer, but like a lot of American interpretations it just doesn't measure up to the German brewed versions.

Serving type: on-tap

10-08-2012 18:41:55 | More by johnnnniee

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