Donnybrook Stout - Victory Brewing Company

treehugger02010

Pennsylvania

3.5/5  rDev -5.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

I had this on-tap at the Victory Brewery and Restaurant in Downingtown, PA.
Appearance: The body is a deep black color. The head is milky, tan, a finger or so tall, great retention and thin lacing.
Smell: The aromas are coffee and chocolate.
Taste: The flavors are chocolate and coffee, shots of expresso and a bit watery.
Mouthfeel: This mouthfeel is silky smooth.
Drinkability: This is a very good beer.
Don't drink and review.

Serving type: on-tap

04-03-2009 01:49:23 | More by treehugger02010

kimcgolf

Georgia

3.45/5  rDev -6.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 4

This one didn't do much for me. Poured from the tap to a dark brown with medium tan head that lingered awhile and left okay lacing. Nose and taste were botrh a faint chocolate malt and the mouthfeel was fairly flat and watery. At only 3.7% abv, there was no noticeable alcohol, and the finish was short and non-descript.

Serving type: on-tap

03-29-2009 02:13:34 | More by kimcgolf

HoppyInfidel

Virginia

3.73/5  rDev +0.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Had on tap at Rustico, in Alexandria, VA. Poured into a pint glass. Opaque and black, with an inch of creamy tan head. A fair bit of lacing remained through the course of the pint. Didn't get much in the way of aromas, but the taste was pleasant enough - dry and roasty. Reminiscent of Guinness, but a tad drier. I'd drink it again.

Serving type: nitro-tap

02-24-2009 22:31:23 | More by HoppyInfidel

gford217

Georgia

3.48/5  rDev -5.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Nitro at Leon's Full Service served in a Donnybrook pint glass.

Pours dark, dark chocolate brown with a massive creamy nitro head that lingers for the duration and leaves good lacing. It's like a lighter version of Guinness.

The aroma is very sedate on this one with some dark chocolate malts and little else.

The taste is a slight step up from the aroma with a more noticeable chocolate presence and more sweetness overall. The finish is dry and roasty.

The mouthfeel is thin and slightly watery with soft carbonation.

This is a decent dry stout but it's nothing to write home about.

Serving type: nitro-tap

02-11-2009 03:28:53 | More by gford217

Kolsch

Pennsylvania

2.9/5  rDev -21.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

On tap at Jean Bonnett Tavern in Bedford, PA.

Appearance is very much like Guinness. Dark ruby highlights with cascading head. Though not as bubbly as Guinness.

Smell is lacking and devoid of anything in particular.

Taste is really thin and watery. For a Dry Stout, this was lacking any the depth of malt flavor or bitterness. I was not expecting a malt bomb given the low abv but was expecting something with a little more heft to it.

Overall, a disappointing Dry Stout. Ready to move on to something else.

Serving type: nitro-tap

02-09-2009 12:17:54 | More by Kolsch

gtlaw

Newfoundland (Canada)

2.38/5  rDev -35.7%
look: 4 | smell: 1.5 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Guiness is the first thing that comes to mind.. It may be a good representation of the style, but its a style that is a waste of time IMHO. I was dissapointed, and chugged this one down very quickly so I could move on to beers that have 3 times the flavor, and alcohol

Serving type: nitro-tap

02-08-2009 18:18:12 | More by gtlaw

Cyberkedi

Georgia

3.6/5  rDev -2.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Comes out of the tap a nearly opaque reddish sable with a thick, fairly persistent tan head. Aroma is richly of roast coffee and has just a hint of cinnamon. Flavor is surprisingly spicy and has a strong hoppy component, rather different from other stouts I have tasted. It has firm coffee and smoke components as well, plus a tiny metallic tinge - but the last may come from this particular batch. Texture is tingly and sharp, and just a teeny bit thin.

Serving type: on-tap

01-31-2009 23:31:42 | More by Cyberkedi

ChainGangGuy

Georgia

3.18/5  rDev -14.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Appearance: Black, creamy-looking body with an off-white and equally creamy-looking head. Leaves a wall of lacing along the glass on the way down.

Smell: Meek aroma of washed out roasted grains with ultra minor hints of chocolate.

Taste: Dry, mildly flavored roasted malt taste with an almost imperceptible dark caramel and chocolate sweetness. Faint roasty bitterness. Finishes dry and roasty.

Mouthfeel: Medium-thin body. Smooth carbonation. The nitro tap offers a boost in creaminess, but, man, it's still very, very thin.

Drinkability: The drinkability is fine from a low ABV, session-type standpoint, but being so devoid of flavor, I doubt it'd hold my interest beyond the one pint.

Serving type: nitro-tap

01-31-2009 17:30:43 | More by ChainGangGuy

BitterLover

North Carolina

4/5  rDev +8.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Just had this one at Tyler's Taproom in Durham, NC on a rainy, blustery night. It was the featured beer at Pint Night, so I got to keep the glass. It was pre-poured because of the high demand, so I didn't get to see it settle out.

Appearance: A thick, one finger head that had the appearance of light brown neoprene sat on top of the inky black liquid. The bubbles in the head were so fine that I'm thinking it was poured from a nitrogen tap. There wasn't enough light for me to see any carbonation.

Smell: Very faint roasted coffee aroma to my nose, with maybe a little cocoa thrown in.

Taste: I was expecting something more like Guinness, but it was milder than most of the stouts I've had. I think this is truer to this particular style. It was not bitter, which allowed the subtle roasted malt character to shine through. Not even a hint of alcohol.

Mouthfeel: Somewhat chewy, with a little bit of carbonation, and oh-so-smooth as it rolls across the tongue.

Drinkability: With the low alcohol and the low bitterness, this could definitely be a session beer, especially on a rainy, blustery evening!

Serving type: nitro-tap

01-29-2009 03:51:48 | More by BitterLover

glid02

Georgia

3.6/5  rDev -2.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Had this on-tap at the Porter in Atlanta.

Pours what looks to be black until it's held up to the light and it's actually a very dark ruby color. Head is one-finger of foam that's not quite as nice as Guinness, though this is not from a nitro-tap. Lacing is solid.

Smells lightly of roasted malts and nondescript sweet fruits. Not a whole lot going on here.

Tastes similar to how it smells. Mild roasted malt flavors up front followed by some sweet fruit flavors as the beer warms. Nice bitter ending.

Mouthfeel is what really sets this apart from Guinness - it's got a lot more carbonation and it's a bit thicker. Very smooth.

Drinkability is good, especially at under 4%. I could drink a few of these on a rainy day.

Overall this is a good Irish Stout. I'm still not 100% sure if it was a normal tap or if nitrogen was used, but judging from the carbonation it seemed like a normal tap. This is worth a shot if you see it around.

Serving type: on-tap

01-23-2009 15:43:41 | More by glid02

jimsimply

Georgia

4.33/5  rDev +17%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

Arrived black as pitch with a full, creamy summit. Some solid lacing remained as the beer disappeared rather quickly.

Not a ton to smell here, definitely the roasted character of the malt.

Tastes like a dry stout should: full but dry. None of the chewiness you'd expect in the big stouts, but again, that's as it should be.

This is a solid session stout. Good enough to stand up on its own but easy to enjoy with anything.

I liked it.

Serving type: nitro-tap

01-23-2009 01:28:07 | More by jimsimply

atsprings

North Carolina

3.8/5  rDev +2.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Keep the glass night at Flying Saucer, served a typical jet-black with the usual foamy nitro head. Because it was keep the glass night, mine and many others had been poured in advance, so I was not able to enjoy the waterfall effect. As the head slowly diminished, only spotty lacing was left on the glass. Aroma was the usual roasted malts, just not quite as abundant as I hoped for. Taste was pretty much textbook for the style, as was the mouthfeel; crisp carbonation and a smooth dryness. This is what it is, a good American made alternative to Guinness.

Serving type: nitro-tap

01-22-2009 16:31:35 | More by atsprings

CrellMoset

Virginia

3.93/5  rDev +6.2%
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

MerkinMan

Georgia

3.98/5  rDev +7.6%
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

Nickls

District of Columbia

3.95/5  rDev +6.8%
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

AltBock

Ohio

3.4/5  rDev -8.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

This was on nitro tap at Teresa's Next Door on 12/6/2008. They served it to me in a standard Victory Hop Devil pint glass.

Teresa's little info sheet said that it poured a pitch black color, but if you hold this beer into the light, it was actually more of a really dark crimson red color. Since it was a nitro tap, the head of foam on this beer was very creamy, at least 1 1/2 inches in height, and tan in color. This creamy head had nice retention that left behind a string of foamy tan rings and a tan film around the glass. Great appearance!

The aroma was mildly roasted with dark roasted malts, a hint of roasted nuts, a quick splash of sweet caramel, and a hint of roasted coffee beans at the end. It had almost everything that I look for in a Irish Dry Stout, but it was a bit on the mild side.

The taste was dry and roasted like it should be, but it was also lightly sour too. I should probably chalk that up to all the dark roasted malts in here. Behind the dark roasted malts was a hint of roasted coffee beans, a subtle touch of sweet caramel, and some roasted nuts here and there.

This was clearly a dry roasted light bodied beer with a dry roasted aftertaste of dark roasted malts, and roasted coffee beans. I couldn't get any of the sweetness in the aftertaste. It could have helped out a little bit. This dry roasted aftertaste will stick around for a few seconds.

In the end, it was another nice light, dry, and roasted Irish Dry stout. It wasn't too dry or too roasted. It was just good. If I saw this again on nitro tap, I might order it again.

Serving type: nitro-tap

12-07-2008 18:42:51 | More by AltBock

Patrick

Massachusetts

4.2/5  rDev +13.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

A: Poured a jet black with a nice creamy mocha head. Not too much lacing but none was expected.

S: not a whole lot but burnt grain notes and some herbal hop notes.

T: Lots of chocolate and coffee in front of the burnt, acrid graininess. Great taste for the style.

M: Smooth, creamy, well carbonated.

D: Awesome at 3 is percent.

Serving type: on-tap

11-27-2008 00:06:22 | More by Patrick

ffejherb

Pennsylvania

3.83/5  rDev +3.5%
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

WesWes

New York

4.33/5  rDev +17%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

The beer pours a dark black color with a thick frothy tan head that slowly fades to lacing. The aroma is good. It has a dry, earthy black malt aroma. It's light and creamy; a nice Irish Stout. The taste is great. It has a very smooth black malt flavor with a dry earthy finish that's a bit thin and creamy. It's very easy drinking. The mouthfeel is awesome. It is a medium bodied beer with adequate carbonation. This is a damn good Irish stout. It's true to style and loaded with flavor; another winner from Victory.

Serving type: on-tap

09-18-2008 21:39:07 | More by WesWes

SIRIUS2

North Carolina

3.98/5  rDev +7.6%
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

DefenCorps

Oregon

4.22/5  rDev +14.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

On tap at Maxs tonight. Listed at 5% ABV (someone?)

A: Black with dark brown highlights. Solid one-finger head with excellent retention (well, it lasted longer than my beer did) that leaves patchy foam and lace as I drink. Very pretty

S: Simple - heavily roasted barley, chocolate and coffee, each light and in balance, present at a level that's delicious, light and refreshing

T: Starts off with a moderate bitterness from the roasted barley before a mild chocolate flavor kicks in. Like Guinness, but only far superior

M: Excellent carbonation, light in body, long, bitter finish. Excellent, despite being a tad watery?

D: This lasted maybe 8 minutes in my glass

Serving type: on-tap

09-02-2008 04:50:58 | More by DefenCorps

jwhawkins81

Ohio

4/5  rDev +8.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

On Nitro-Tap at Blind Tiger Ale House

Poured extremely dark with just a light reddish tone near the bottom of the glass also had a good three quarters inch cream colored head. This was a very drinkable smooth stout which had hints of bitter, smoke, and coffee at the finish.

A stout I really enjoyed mainly due to the drinkability.

Serving type: nitro-tap

08-18-2008 03:04:03 | More by jwhawkins81

Georgiabeer

Georgia

4.4/5  rDev +18.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

I had this on nitro-tap at Deep Ellum back in early June. Nitro-taps are not usually my thing, but occasionally it will work really well with a stout. This stout is perfect for that treatment- light and very creamy, the nitro just accentuates what makes this beer so drinkable in the first place. Pours black with a creamy, thick head and great lacing. Smells creamy and a bit nutty. The taste is quite nutty with a rich creaminess and subdued cocoa notes. Delicious and so easy to drink you almost want to chug it- which I would never do, of course. One of the reasons I score this so high is that it is so sessionable. Such low alcohol beers are hard to find in the U.S. and this one sacrifices not a whit of flavor.

Serving type: nitro-tap

08-08-2008 05:05:19 | More by Georgiabeer

Kegatron

Pennsylvania

3.88/5  rDev +4.9%
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

SurlyDuff

Oregon

3.88/5  rDev +4.9%
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