Donnybrook Stout - Victory Brewing Company

kylehay2004

Florida

4/5  rDev +7.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

1.5 finger head with tons of circumferential lacing On a deep clear amber body.

S: roasted malt and dark chocolate.

T: roasted malt and very mild hops. Light chocolate note in the finish. Very good beer but not memorable for any one quality. Very drinkable and a good example of what I think an Irish dry stout should be.

M: full body and moderate carbonation. Relatively moist finish

Serving type: on-tap

01-28-2012 03:16:12 | More by kylehay2004

HugoGrim

Pennsylvania

3.98/5  rDev +7.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Served on tap at the Victory Brewery in Downingtown, PA.

Jet black body with a creamy smooth khaki head. Amazing lace. Head retention is excellent, almost lasting the duration.

Aroma is muted as one would expect from the style. Bit of roasted grain.

Flavor of toasted malts, bitter chocolate, and some very faint coffee. Very smooth.

Serving type: on-tap

11-15-2007 00:25:47 | More by HugoGrim

SIRIUS2

North Carolina

3.98/5  rDev +7.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Served on tap at the Victory Brewery.

Deep dark to black in color with a creamy dense foam head of light brown. Head retention seemed indefinite and left fantastic lacing all the way down to the end.

Aromas of chocolate & coffee. Nothing elaborate, just a straight forward heavily roasted barley nose.

A little bitterness in the beginning, but not from hops - it seemed to be that coffee bitterness. The intensity falls after a few moments and mellows to match the creamy texture with flavors of mocha. Fantastic mix of creamy texture and dry palate. Finish is nice and long with more of that coffee bittering that tends to linger for a while.

Creamy and easy to drink. Nice heavy full mouthfeel makes this brew incredibly satisfying. Very good.

Serving type: nitro-tap

09-15-2008 17:44:32 | More by SIRIUS2

MerkinMan

Georgia

3.98/5  rDev +7.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Served on draft at Trappeze in Athens as part of a promotional event. Got a cool glass to take home too.

A: Jet black with creamy thick head. Remiscent of another Irish drought stout (in appearance).

S: Smoky scent with a small bit of hop aroma.

T: Smoky taste as well, along with a dry malty finish. A very nice dry stout that tastes like that other one would if it were a bit more fresh.

MF: A little thin, but not bad at all.

D: Very. A very sesisonal stout in a world of over-imperialization.

Serving type: on-tap

01-17-2009 21:00:19 | More by MerkinMan

cdizinno

South Carolina

3.98/5  rDev +7.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A: Dark chocolate brown, almost black with a light tan head.

S: Chocolate, cream, and roasted malt smell. Some caramel and coffee as well.

T&M: Very creamy. It tastes dry and roasted just like it should. Dark coffee beans and a subtle touch of sweet caramel. Light to medium bodied but watery, if that is even possible. Creamy, but thin.

Much better than I had expected as I am not a typical stout drinker. This one's good.

Serving type: nitro-tap

06-25-2010 12:25:03 | More by cdizinno

kingcrowing

Vermont

3.98/5  rDev +7.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Nitro tap poure into a pint glass.

Pours a very dark black with a nice big super fine and creamy light brown head. Nose is tame and mellow, the nitro subdues it.

Taste is very creamy and smooth, the mouthfeel is phenomenal. Very toasty and a bit grainy. No hoppiness but perfect for the style. Surprising good.

Serving type: nitro-tap

04-07-2011 00:27:22 | More by kingcrowing

plaid75

New York

3.95/5  rDev +6.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured a deep black hue with a one finger off white head. There was very good retention and lacing.

The smell featured a light burnt grain with some coffee elements.

The taste featured a light burnt grain with a suprising citrus hop presence.

The mouthfeel was a bit thin for the style.

Overall a nice dry stout. Good drinkability.

Serving type: nitro-tap

09-06-2007 17:01:32 | More by plaid75

Deuane

Pennsylvania

3.95/5  rDev +6.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

From a firkin at the Zeno's Real Ale Festival

A - Black....with the slightest hint of ruby tint at the edges. Now head...but it was from a firkin, not expected.

S - Nice full roasty malt scent.

T - Chocolate malt and more chocolate malt. This is a very nicely flavored Irish Dry Stout....not your fathers stout!

M - Nice and light without giving up body; Slight bitterness in the aftertaste and a lovely chocolate malt backbone.

D - A wonderful beer from Victory. Fantastic that it is only 3.7% ABV! This makes Donnybrook a wonderful session beer, the anti Storm King in ABV but not in flavor. Well done in making an Irish Dry Stout with flavor and not just another lame attempt at duplicating Guinness, which isnt that great to begin with!

Serving type: cask

11-13-2007 13:51:09 | More by Deuane

Nickls

District of Columbia

3.95/5  rDev +6.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

(From notes)

A - Jet black color, with a great creamy tan head

S - Very muted maltiness, and not the roasted characteristics that I was looking for

T - Pretty basic, but very good nonetheless. Well-rounded maltiness, some muted roastiness

M - Creamy MF, and very filling. This is one of the better dry stouts I've had in this category.

D - Solid on the drinkability side. Very well-balanced and just enough to be interesting. At such a low ABV, this would be superbly sessionable IMO.

Overall, this was a nice basic dry stout and hit the spot on a cold night. I would check this out again if for nothing else that the MF was superb on top of a pretty decent flavor.

Serving type: on-tap

12-08-2008 01:09:41 | More by Nickls

oberon

North Carolina

3.95/5  rDev +6.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

On tap at Milltown in Carrboro.Poured from the nitro tap jet black with a cascading beige head that settled into a creamy froth after awhile.Some dark roast coffee,unsweetened chocolate,and metallic aromas,pretty much spot on for the style.Creamy as suspected from the pour,flavors seem a bit light with dark roast flavors dominating,a tinge of iron in the finish.An easy quaffing nitrogen dispensed dry stout,creamy and good.

Serving type: nitro-tap

03-06-2011 01:18:23 | More by oberon

sinistrsam

Maryland

3.93/5  rDev +5.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Had on nitro-tap at the Frisco Grille, Columbia, MD.
I have to admit, I was skeptical due to the low ABV and somewhat watery appreaance, but I'll be the first to admit I was wrong (no need to rub it in, Wayne)

As I said before, it poured a rather watery brown/black with very little head or noticeable carbonation.
The roasted malt, coffee and chocolate come out in the nose, especially as it warms and really doesn't lose any of the aroma of the big boys just because its a lower ABV. Impressive.
The taste was much of the same, with roasted malts, coffee and mild chocolate.
The feel was as I said, a bit watery and not much sweet to balance the somewaht bitter burnt-coffee taste, but not bad at all.
Overall I was very impressed and must give another hats off to victory for pushing the envelope (even if in the otehr direction...)

Serving type: on-tap

03-13-2008 16:27:22 | More by sinistrsam

CrellMoset

Virginia

3.93/5  rDev +5.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Victory Donnybrook Stout, on tap at Rustico, Alexandria, VA. Served in a 6 oz. nonic.

Appearance: Served on nitro tap, best I could tell, and arrives a dark brown-bodied beer with ruby peripherals, complete with a two-finger, creamy, tan-colored head with impressive retention and nice lacing. Very nice lacing, in fact ... though I have to assume it's nitro-influenced.

Aroma: A little faint and mild, but what really comes through is the sweet, milky cocoa, backed up by other toasty malts. There are also, in true American fashion, a few hints of something hoppy, lightly spicy and grassy.

Taste: Similar to the nose, milky, sweet chocolate is the dominant notes here. It's surprisingly flavorful for the style but still mild and well blended. Hints of coffee and toast make themselves known, as well.

Mouthfeel: Creamy and even, though thin-to-medium bodied with faint carbonation.

Drinkability: Beats the pants off Guinness, low in abv%, and unusually flavorful for the style, a style I normally don't care too much for. This one's pretty dark sessionable though, mild and tasty. Not quite as "dry" as most IDSs, but that's alright with me - gives it character, I say.

Serving type: nitro-tap

01-19-2009 21:27:06 | More by CrellMoset

garuda

Pennsylvania

3.93/5  rDev +5.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A - Mostly black with ruby highlights, a tightly packed white head that has great retention and good lacing down the glass.

S/T - Nice combination of the typical roasted malt with touches of chocolate and coffee found in the style, with even some nuttiness to it.

M - Light body, nitro carbonation giving it a good creamy mouthfeel. Even though its light, it feels a bit more substantial to some of its counterparts, and never feels watery. Clean, dry finish.

D - Easily drinkable. A true session beer that I wish was more commonly found in area bars.

Serving type: nitro-tap

11-19-2010 20:40:04 | More by garuda

DIM

Pennsylvania

3.93/5  rDev +5.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

a: Pretty close to black with a thick, sticky, typically nitro head.

s: Fairly mild overall, I found some faintly bitter roast and little else.

t: This is a very satisfying small stout. My experience with these is limited, but this might be my favorite. Dry roast that is somewhat chocolatey and some fairly strong bitterness at the end.

m: Creamy and delicious.

d: Very drinkable and quite flavorful.

Serving type: nitro-tap

02-14-2011 11:44:53 | More by DIM

Chickenhawk9932

Pennsylvania

3.93/5  rDev +5.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Pours black with red highlights. It has a creamy cream colored head with good retention that clings to the glass.

Not a lot in the nose, some licorice, but subdued.

Taste is smooth with some very nice tobacco and licorice notes. A very creamy mouthfeel somewhat watery and light, but true to the style.

Serving type: on-tap

05-20-2012 02:00:27 | More by Chickenhawk9932

metter98

New York

3.9/5  rDev +5.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A: It is very dark black with a thin layer of mocha-colored head.
S: There's a faint smell of dark malts with hints of chocolate.
T: The taste follows the aroma but is much stronger with flavors of dark roasted malts and chocolate. There is a slight amount of sweetness in the overall taste.
M: It feels smooth and light-bodied on the palate and a bit thin. There is some dryness in the finish.
D: Drinking this beer is a breeze. It is a good beer to session if you are looking for a stout with a lot of flavor.

Serving type: on-tap

04-21-2010 21:57:08 | More by metter98

Knapp85

Pennsylvania

3.9/5  rDev +5.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This beer poured out like a Guinness. The surge took a little while to finish. The head is creamy and thick, the color of the beer is a deep brown. The smell is light, not much on the nose just a slight roasted aroma. The taste is very smooth and has a nice light chocolatey flavor to it. The mouthfeel is light and slick, nitro makes this brew very smooth. Oveall it's a good Dry Stout, typical for the style, really nice.

Serving type: nitro-tap

07-12-2011 03:55:32 | More by Knapp85

SurlyDuff

Oregon

3.88/5  rDev +4.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Ontap at the Victory brewpub in Downingtown.

Appears black, with mahogony highlights when being held upto the light. Thin tan head.

Bitter roasted coffee beans in the aroma.

Roasty malt, bittering hops, tobacco at first, then rich flavors of coffee, cocoa, and earthy hops take over to finish it. Nice complexity, and certainly not one-dimensional like many recent stouts have been for me.

A super easy drinker, and if the BA listing is true and it's less than 4%, a fine session drinker is what we've got here!

Serving type: on-tap

05-26-2008 23:55:13 | More by SurlyDuff

Kegatron

Pennsylvania

3.88/5  rDev +4.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

On tap at the VBC.

Pours black (with some ruby highlights along with bottom) with a finger of rich, creamy off-white head. An excellent retention yields a huge cascade of creamy lace down the sides of the glass. The aroma is roast, cocoa, coffee, and a bit of lactic sweetness.

The taste is tingling light roasted notes and coffee (that imparts some dryness), and chocolate notes to balance things out fairly well. None of the character is hugely assertive but it stills packs in enough to be heard. The mouthfeel is a light medium with a creamy and easygoing feel.

The its overall character may not be hugely pronounced or anything I still find it very impressive that you get as much as you do for a sub 4% beer. I was also happy to find that the body packed a bit more beef than a lot of other crappy Irish Stouts on the market. And with that easygoing feel, I could session this all night. Definitely a great lower ABV alternative form Victory.

Serving type: nitro-tap

06-30-2008 21:49:21 | More by Kegatron

mdfb79

New York

3.88/5  rDev +4.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

From 09/14/10 notes. Had on nitro-tap at FireWorks in Arlington, VA.

a - Pours a dark brown color with one finger of cream colored head with great retention, and low carbonation.

s - Smells of coffee, roasted malts, vanilla, chocolate, and cream.

t - Tastes of light coffee, vanilla, roasted malts, and chocolate.

m - Medium body. Very smooth and creamy and insanely easy to drink. I know it's only 3.7% but it's one of the easiest to drink stouts I've ever had.

d - I enjoyed this irish dry stout a lot. I agree that it's a bit of a Guinness clone, though a little watered down version. Either way, I enjoy Guinness and I enjoyed this beer. Very easy to drink and I would definitely drink this again if I was looking for a session beer.

Serving type: nitro-tap

09-18-2010 15:08:08 | More by mdfb79

bonkers

New Jersey

3.88/5  rDev +4.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

I had this on nitro at the brew pub today. The pour is jet black with a full fluffy, tan head. The aroma had some chocolate and roasted notes. The flavor is roasted malts and has a light dry finish. The body is medium/light and well carbonated. Very easy drinking, I had no idea it was so low in ABV. I prefer other Irish stouts, but this is not bad.

Serving type: nitro-tap

11-25-2010 01:36:41 | More by bonkers

Bung

North Carolina

3.85/5  rDev +3.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

On tap at Revolution Pizza. Almost black creamy pour. Excessively foamy pour due to the nitro, unless the intention was to present this like Guiness. After settling down it is a deep brown. Light roast malt, cocoa and peat aroma. Just a hint of lactose. Flavor was also mild roast, malt, some chocolate. Creamy mouthfeel, but light bodied. Not nearly as dry as say Guiness, clean finishing though. This goes down nearly like water and went great with the pizza. Not filling with drinkability through the roof.
I actually thought the nitro hurt this one, being so mild to begin with it would have been more flavorful on standard co2. An OUTSTANDING session beer, but not all that outstanding otherwise.

Serving type: nitro-tap

09-20-2009 18:32:52 | More by Bung

ffejherb

Pennsylvania

3.83/5  rDev +3.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

On nitro-tap at Victory on 10/13/08.

A - Extremely dark chestnut color, bordering black, with burgundy highlights around the edges. The thin tan, sandy-looking head retained quite well and left some nice foamy lacing around the glass.

S - Dry roasted malt with hints of mild coffee and chocolate as well as a touch of vanilla and some nuttiness to the aroma. Faint earthy hops creep out, but are way in the back.

T - Much like the aroma, the dry roasted malt comes out in the flavor with hints of very mild coffee and some chocolate notes. Also, a tinge of earthy bitterness emerges in the finish.

M - Very thin body for a nitro pour, resulting in a watery texture with soft carbonation. Finish is on the dry side with only a touch of bitterness. Body is a bit lacking, unfortunately.

D - This easy drinking, low ABV Irish stout is pretty tasty, but falls a little short in the mouthfeel department. I like my stouts a little more full-bodied and robust. Still, this is a solid Irish-style stout, no doubt about it.

Brewslut's Quote of the Day:
"It smells like suede... tastes like if you licked my purse."

Serving type: nitro-tap

10-14-2008 17:04:53 | More by ffejherb

TheFightfan1

Pennsylvania

3.83/5  rDev +3.2%
look: 5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

This has to be nitro-tap. Poured a opague black with a extremly creamy off white colored heading. Left amazing lacing throughout the tasting and all the way to the bottom with a thick creamy heading finish looked amazing.

Smell is very basic roasted malt with the slightest touch of dark bitter chocolate.

Taste is all the same as the aroma. Roasted malts with a slight chocolatey touch and finishes a little sweeter than I would have expected.

Mouth is medium to full bodied with an amazing creamy mouthfeel that settles on the palate very quickly.A little thin and watery.

Drink is excellent I would recommend if you are a stout lover and love to drink it in session. Then this is your beer.

Serving type: nitro-tap

11-15-2009 18:30:03 | More by TheFightfan1

Boto

Connecticut

3.8/5  rDev +2.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Draught @ Victory: This one pours a very dark brown with a dense tan head. There was some cascading of the head: very Guinness-like. It leaves some lacing down the glass. The aroma was very mild. There were some roasted malts and a hint of chocolate. The taste is much better than the aroma and ABV would imply. Lighter body, but a good bit of chocolate and a hint of roasted malt. Very easy to drink.

Serving type: nitro-tap

08-03-2007 18:28:01 | More by Boto