Ten Years Alt - Victory Brewing Company

weeare138

Pennsylvania

3.9/5  rDev -1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appears a transparent dark amber with a lush white head. Lots of sticky lacing is left around the glass.
Smell is of toffee, hard candy, molasses, a touch of cocoa, roasted nuts, along with a super blast of hops. There was a mild amount of grassyness that seemed to be buried in the background that wasn't overly appealing but didn't detract from the beer too much.
Taste is of the same aromas with a bitter hop blast running along the malty taste.
Mouthfeel is medium bodied, malty with a molasses sweetness, cocoa, and green hops with a touch of grass.

Serving type: on-tap

02-26-2006 03:32:11 | More by weeare138

ithinkimasofa

Washington

3.5/5  rDev -11.2%

02-13-2012 07:40:09 | More by ithinkimasofa

JAHMUR

Connecticut

3.5/5  rDev -11.2%

02-11-2012 15:30:24 | More by JAHMUR

bonbini26

New Jersey

4.5/5  rDev +14.2%

01-11-2012 21:05:35 | More by bonbini26

alamode

Massachusetts

4/5  rDev +1.5%

12-14-2011 23:41:35 | More by alamode

rab53

Massachusetts

5/5  rDev +26.9%

12-10-2011 03:24:10 | More by rab53

tubbnik

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev +1.5%

12-08-2011 16:26:14 | More by tubbnik

JohneHoodlum

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev +1.5%

12-05-2011 23:44:00 | More by JohneHoodlum

djrn2

New Jersey

4/5  rDev +1.5%

11-26-2011 19:02:32 | More by djrn2

jmdrpi

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev +1.5%

11-19-2011 04:16:50 | More by jmdrpi

ithacabaron

California

3.53/5  rDev -10.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

2006 vintage, sampled in 2010.

Pours an orange hue, with distinctly drawn yellow highlights. Starts cloudy, but clears as it warms.

Aroma is that of candied orange peel, very sweet, very simple. Not particularly inspiring, but fine, all the same.

Taste certainly has a bit of the cellar in it, a touch musty, decidedly mellow, with a just-barely rough finish from the hops. There is the honeyed suggestion of a stronger, and frankly, more British style of strong ale than that of a traditional sticke alt. A kind of roasted meat flavor creeps up here and there.

Mouthfeel is fine and well. Could stand to be a hair firmer to off-set the sweetness, but that may be the result of a half-decade of age.

Drinkability is fairly low; one is fine -- even a half glass would work for me. Split a bottle with someone, as this is more of a curio than anything else.

Serving type: bottle

08-09-2010 04:58:24 | More by ithacabaron

Phyl21ca

Quebec (Canada)

4/5  rDev +1.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bottle: Poured a deep hazy brown color alt with a large foamy head with good retention and some lacing. Aroma of deep caramel malt is very nice with some subtle toffee notes also noticeable. Taste is very refreshing with some rich caramel malt notes and some balance sweetness. Hops are very hard to distinguish which is a good thing since the malt bill is generous enough and need no complement. Full body with good carbonation and no apparent alcohol. Interesting take on the style and easily drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

05-14-2010 18:06:28 | More by Phyl21ca

rye726

Colorado

4.22/5  rDev +7.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

Pours a hazy brown with a tan head. Light lace and good retention. Nose has raw malts, caramel, toffee, peppery yeast and faded floral hops. Taste is nice and malty with herbal spices and sweet candy. Medium body is well carbonated and drinks well. Nice example of the style. Has aged well.

Serving type: bottle

04-27-2010 05:43:25 | More by rye726

ckeegan04

Texas

3.83/5  rDev -2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

A - Murky dark chesnut brown. Head is about a finger thick and light brown. Quickly fades to a very thin cap of foam. Leaves rings of lace down the glass.

S - Rich malty aroma with lots of fresh baked bread and a hint of caramel. Light hint of alcohol in the nose as well. Earthiness underneath begins to come through stronger as the beer warms.

T - Malty sweet up front with lots of caramel and breadiness mixed together nicely. Earthy spiciness as well but domintaed by the maltiness. Surpisingly strong booziness given that it is under 9%.

M/D - Medium to full bodied and very chewy. Very malty is that is your thing. Booziness brings the drinkability down a notch.

Serving type: bottle

11-30-2009 17:23:06 | More by ckeegan04

scottyshades

Florida

4.05/5  rDev +2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

2006 Vintage

A: Pours an unfiltered cloudy brown color that is completely opaque. The head is pretty frothy and retains fairly well.

S: Definitely malt dominant. Lots of wheat and bready notes as well. Also picking up some sweet caramel, brown sugar, and the classic German yeast. Slightly fruity as well.

T: Same as the nose. Malt dominant, wheat is big, yeast is unique and plays a big part in the flavor profile. Sweet caramel, sugars, and fruits.

MF/D: Medium/heavy mouthfeel, wheaty lingering finish.

Overall not too bad, just not terribly complex or delicious. Worth a try though.

Serving type: bottle

11-24-2009 21:24:15 | More by scottyshades

jrallen34

Illinois

3.53/5  rDev -10.4%
look: 5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

I drank this from the bottle into a chalice.

I pop the cap and come back after writing an email and thier is 2 inch growth hanging from the bottle. There is huge carbonation that is chunky and heavy and puffy. When its poured into the glass the beer is very dark brillant amber color with a huge 5 finger light tan head that lasts several minutes. The peak of the head is awesome with big bublles and creaminess that makes you want to let your lips sleep on it. The lacing is great. As that huge head falls it coats the whole glass, like a film falling all the way to the body.

The aroma is very malty, lots of sweetness and spice.

The taste is almost very malty, reminds me of a lighter quad. There is light hops and a very nutmeg spice finish that lasts a little to long.

The mouthfeel is very heavy and sticky

Serving type: bottle

11-12-2009 03:51:03 | More by jrallen34

indiapaleale

Massachusetts

4/5  rDev +1.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a very nice looking ruby red/amber color that is practically opaque in appearance with a super rich inch+ of thick fluffy off white head.

I get a huge whiff of brown sugar/caramel as I am pouring this, wow, that is a very sweet/saccharine-y smell emanating from this pour. Once it settles the extremely sweet smell remains as does a bit of a lemony citrus smell but mainly its rich, sweet malt, brown sugar and just a hint of dark unfiltered apple cider.

Taste is a lot of that rich sweet malt, some bitterness in the finish but a lot of those smells come out in the taste, definitely the apple cider, some tart and tangy cherry and a bit of lemon peel. Very rich and sweet but very drinkable and delicious.

Great stuff, this one is on the way out (but still excellent) so I can imagine some of the fresh stuff is amazing.

Serving type: bottle

06-30-2009 04:16:37 | More by indiapaleale

ClockworkOrange

Pennsylvania

3.5/5  rDev -11.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a 12 ounce bottle into a dimpled mug. Appears a hazed rich amber color with about a finger of light tan foam. The head leaves no lace to speak of. Smell and tastes is sweet and malty, with notes of toasted bread, toffee, caramel, and a touch of bitter earthy hops. medium in both body and carbonation. Worthy of at least a try.

Serving type: bottle

05-13-2009 05:25:44 | More by ClockworkOrange

biegaman

Ontario (Canada)

4.18/5  rDev +6.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A bright amber with shreds of banana and cherry smeared across. The head was initially prominent, it's now desisted mostly to the belt line. Some spots are darker and miry while others shine against the light. Indeed, the beer offers a painter's palate worth of amber toned colours. Let's hope it offers just as much from the gourmand's palate as well!

There isn't much left out for the nose except copious amounts of buttery caramel but that's more than enough to quickly fix it in close in a magnet-like fashion. Worth mentioning also are tangy herbals, fragrant flowers and over-ripening, alcohol drenched fruits.

The beer's virtues are much more vividly tasted. The dry, bready flavour of various grains - rye, most distinctively - make up the breadth and body of the beer. Each sip lathers the palate in a light spice, an herbal hop bitterness, almonds, a drop of molasses and a few heaping tablespoons of thick caramel. This is tremendously (deliciously) malty.

The Düsseldorf board of tourism might as well set up shop in Downingtown Pennsylvania. If there was ever one good reason to travel to North Rhine-Westphalia then Victory quite clearly makes the case. I can't speak with confidence to the historical accuracy of the style but I can certainly attest to the tastiness and craftsmanship of this rendition.

It may be a Doppelsticke but this is as rich as a Doppelbock. Although the alcohol is noticed, there's enough sticky sweet maltiness to bury it from memory by the conclusion of each sip. It persists still to leave a bit of a buzz in the mouth, aided surely by the spicy tang of the hops. Despite its warming element, the beer is still incessantly refreshing.

Apparently Victory believes their Doppelsticke might have been the first of its kind brewed in the US. Although I doubt that claim, I wouldn't at all dispute that it's the best of its kind in the US. It's a very good thing the brewery decided to continue to brew this long after their tenth anniversary - not to would have been nothing short of cruel. Thanks DrJay!

Serving type: bottle

04-17-2009 02:22:24 | More by biegaman

Reagan1984

Massachusetts

2.4/5  rDev -39.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2

3 Finger + beige head. Big bubbles. Good Structure Deep amber color with mostly brown tones. Good clarity.

Huge Earthy/Musty aroma. Some minerals as well. A bit stinky to be honest. (doesn't smell "bad")

Tastes dirty to me... Interesting... Dark berries, thick malt... Big bitterness or roasted flavor. Slight sweetness underneath this all.

Big Mouth feel and almost puckering...

Not very drinkable or enjoyable. Sorry, Victory, I usually love your stuff

Serving type: bottle

04-03-2009 21:34:21 | More by Reagan1984

Thorpe429

Illinois

4.4/5  rDev +11.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

G: Poured into a Tom Collins glass. Bottle has an enjoy by date of May 7, 2009.

A: Reddish brown with a beautiful, crisp rust-colored head. Plenty of visible carbonation. Great lacing.

S: Sweet with some fruit notes. Very inviting. Caramel notes and some hops. Maybe some candied sugars.

T: Absolutely lovely. All of the aroma definitely comes through and there is a good amount of complexity to this one. Excellent malt backbone with some hops coming through. Similar to many of the darker American Strong Ales that I've had. There are some slightly spicy notes in addition to the aforementioned aromas.

M: Medium-to-full body with a moderate amount of carbonation. Very nice. Some slight alcohol presence.

D: Could definitely drink this all day.

Serving type: bottle

03-31-2009 02:08:09 | More by Thorpe429

Viggo

Ontario (Canada)

4.25/5  rDev +7.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12 oz bottle, DrJay let me have one to myself when I was down visiting.

Pours a cloudy dark reddish brown, some orange highlights, thick off white head forms, drops a pretty tight lace sheet on the glass, great retention as it forms a solid layer, looks nice. Smell is very malty, caramel and biscuit, toast, raisins, sherry, iron, very clean and very rich if lacking a bit of complexity, some dark fruit and earth. Taste is similar, rich malty caramel and biscuit, raisin, iron, toast, some dark fruit, dates, very rich and balanced, very clean finish. Mouthfeel is medium bodied with low carbonation, very smooth. Thought this was a regular altbier until Jay told me its 8.5%. WTF! Alcohol is superbly hidden, excellent beer. Thanks Jay!

Serving type: bottle

03-20-2009 15:40:41 | More by Viggo

claytri

Maryland

3.58/5  rDev -9.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

The beer poured a good brown with a nice tan head. The aroma is of sweetish malt. The taste is malty with a sweetness on the back and hop bite in the finish. The feel is smooth, medium, and wet. This is a pretty good alt, a nice enjoyable beer, maybe too enjoyable give the abv.

Serving type: bottle

03-16-2009 01:51:36 | More by claytri

eberkman

Massachusetts

4/5  rDev +1.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Hazy, garnet-colored beer with a nice beige head that sticks around. The nose is dominated by malty sweetness -- honey, molasses, toffee, butterscotch. Tastes like it smells, but with a substantial hoppy bite in the finish to balance things out. Oddly, this made me think of Fuller's ESB going down. Not a bad thing -- totally different style but one of my favorites. Smooth and drinkable -- actually gulpable -- a dangerous thing for a beer of its gravity. Session beer drinkability with extreme beer alcohol presence. A dangerous combination indeed.

I liked this and will be looking for more.

Serving type: bottle

03-13-2009 01:01:03 | More by eberkman

KOPBeerDrinker

North Carolina

4.13/5  rDev +4.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Poured from bottle into pint glass. The beer is hazy and the color of a dark apple cider. A 1 inch tan head was present and left a small amount of lacing.

Smells very sweet and fruity with a hint of caramel.

Taste is of sweet malt up front, with some caramel and bready flavors. Lots of hops in the finish.

Mouthfeel is thick and syrupy with prickly carbonation. A nice beer. Would be difficult to drink more than a couple at a sitting.

Serving type: bottle

03-09-2009 02:26:08 | More by KOPBeerDrinker