Donnybrook Stout - Victory Brewing Company

Halcyondays

California

3.48/5  rDev -6.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On nitro-tap at Beachwood BBQ, good to try another true session beer,

A: Pours black with a medium off-white to tan head, good lace and head retention. Has the great nitro look.

S: Roasted malt with a hint of smoke, intriguing.

T: Some roasted malt and coffee, dark chocolate, but a very light flavour overall. Tastes good but nothing to grab your attention.

M: Medium-bodied, still has a decent carbonation in the nitro serving type, frothy.

O: In the old drinkability category this would get a solid 4.5. Overall it's a good beer, I think the serving style is hampering the impact of the flavours, give me this on cask or even regular draft and allow the flavours to come out more. That being said it's still a very easy drinking pint, but there's not a lot to differentiate it from Guinness at this point.

Serving type: nitro-tap

03-25-2011 00:12:35 | More by Halcyondays

Gavage

New Jersey

4.35/5  rDev +17.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

Appearance: nice black color with a light tan colored head that lasts quite a while.

Smell: roasted malts and light bitter coffee aroma is pleasant.

Taste: roasted malts, bitter coffee, hints of bitter chocolate, and soft bitterness makes up a nice stout. Very dry too. Simple and straightforward, and the low alcohol levels make this a nice options to some of the higher alcohol beers at the brewpub.

Mouthfeel: medium bodied beer. Crisp and dry from start to finish. Aftertaste is very brief.

Drinkability: as good as it gets for a sessionable beer. Not heavy, easy to quaff, and low alcohol make this a great beer to drink all day long.

Serving type: on-tap

03-24-2008 15:36:08 | More by Gavage

tempest

Pennsylvania

3.53/5  rDev -4.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

On-tap at the brewery.

Interesting, it tastes like Storm King-light. It's very drinkable, but not your average Irish dry stout. The flavor is smooth and sweet chocolate liquor without any alcohol. It's just a little sweet and smooth, flavorful for the abv, but like a I said, but expect a normal dry stout.

Serving type: on-tap

10-22-2007 01:53:07 | More by tempest

akorsak

Pennsylvania

4.1/5  rDev +10.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A pint glass served at Capone's.

A: The stout is a midnight black color with a starkly contrasting white head that is thick and billowy.

S: The nose is dry maltiness that is punctuated with a burnt toast scent.

T: The ale is distinctly dry, very much like a Guinness in that sense. The dryness does not hide the roasted malts, thick and chocolatey, that make up the body. Surprisingly, the thick head provides a sweetness that counters the dry malts in a nice manner.

M: An easy drink, this ale is not too big despite the pleasing roasted body.

D: Under 4%, are you kidding me. This is the kind of beer that you can belly up to all day long.

Serving type: on-tap

05-20-2007 00:43:46 | More by akorsak

WVbeergeek

Ohio

4.05/5  rDev +9.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

After trying Uncle Teddy's Bitter for the first time at Fathead's we wandered up E. Carson a couple blocks where we found Donnybrook Stout flowing at Smokin' Joe's. Appears a deep dark roasted coffee hue with ruby highlights around the edges, light cream cascading tan head leaves behind even rings of lacing with each sip. Aromatics full dark roasted malts bring dark chocolate and coffee roast bitterness with herbal hop backings and some creamy milk chocolate after tones to balance out the dryness. Flavors are cohesive and resilient despite the fact that I usually find nitro tap offerings to be way to clean and airy tasting. Dark roasted malts give me chocolate, strong coffee, and creamy sensations like some Irish coffee in many aspects. Mild hop bitterness with herbal tea leaf hop sensations are really welcomed to give the dry bitterness a little snap. Mouthfeel is creamy like a milkshake, get ready to clear your beer mustache with this one, somewhat airy but the creaminess is there and there's enough body to not come off thin I would say medium bodied range. Like I said nitro taps usually kill the beer for me but that wasn't the case one of the best representations of the style I've come across in quite awhile. Drinkability, find this on St Paddy's or any other festive drinking day and this would be by the pint however that night at Smokin' Joe's there were just too many other interesting offerings to keep coming back to this one, but next time I see it I will drink up, hopefully in number.

Serving type: nitro-tap

10-23-2007 13:26:31 | More by WVbeergeek

RblWthACoz

Pennsylvania

4.03/5  rDev +8.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a very dark brown that shows a touch of ruby when held to light. Head is creme. The nose is fairly roasted. It's one-dimensional, but still fairly firm. Flavor carries pretty much the same. Roasted and that's really about it. It isn't over-done at all, as I've had a lot of ridiculously roasted brews. It's smooth with a bit of a bite. The carbonation is biting as well and the liquid is good. Overall it's a nice fairly easy drinking brew. Between the bite of carbonation and the roasted aspects it might turn some beer wimps off, but I think it's nice.

Serving type: growler

05-23-2008 03:32:53 | More by RblWthACoz

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

jlindros

Massachusetts

3.4/5  rDev -8.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Tap at prezo

Big creamy nitro looking head 1.5 fingers fades slowly plenty of lacing, semi clear molasses reddish brown colored beer, more like brown ale or even darker reddish ale than stout.

Nose has a bit of nitro gas aroma, then toffee, caramel, toasty brown malts slight aged like, light nutty syrupy aroma, hint of cocoa, but pretty light and most of the nice aromas live in the shadow of the nitro.

Taste again starts with creamy nitro, then moves to light stout, very light, hint of brown malts, light caramel and toffee, light syrupy malt flavor, touch of nutty brown malts, slightest hint of chocolate, light bitterness from slight earthy hops and from light char. Finish is a bit more bitter, not dry but also sticky syrupy, hint of malt and nitro left.

Mouth is thinner, light nitro creaminess and light carb with little nitro bubbles.

Overall not great, way too light, very little malt or stout flavors at all, thin and watery, and what there is for flavor is overpowered by the nitro. at least I can drink this like chocolate milk and pound it.

Serving type: nitro-tap

02-16-2012 12:31:49 | More by jlindros

weeare138

Pennsylvania

3.58/5  rDev -3.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Appears black with dark brown highlights and a large, light tan head of fluff that never goes away. Scattered chunks of lacing are left around the glass.
Smell is very light and has notes of mild caramel, cocoa, and some roasted grain/coffee aromas behind some sweet, fruity aromas. It actually reminds me a bit of Guinness in many ways.
Taste is of the mentioned aromas, along with some vanilla notes. The same nod to Guinness though not quite as sweet as the Irish bretheren brew.
Mouthfeel is thin, slightly chalky, and herbally, bitter and dry.
Easy drinking as it's under 4% abv.

Serving type: nitro-tap

05-21-2007 15:56:48 | More by weeare138

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

Rifugium

Pennsylvania

3.48/5  rDev -6.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

First had: ?
I'm sure I've had this before, but this review is from a recent tasting on nitro at Victory, Downingtown, PA.

A little disappointing right from the start. Poured into an imperial pint, a weak little tan head that lacked the creaminess and cascading beauty of a typical nitro pour. Bad line? Otherwise, typical dark opaque brown-blackitude of an average stout. Aroma of dark malts, notes of coffee and a dab of solvent. Similar taste, roasty, dark malts, touches of coffee and chocolate. Mild and a bit thin in body. A decent stout, but nothing to write a review about. ... D'oh!

Serving type: nitro-tap

08-19-2012 14:24:37 | More by Rifugium

DoubleJ

California

3.73/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

On nitro at the source itself in Downingtown, PA. On to the beer:

Opaque appearance with hues of red highlighted at the bottom of the pint glass it was served in. The head is a mix of bubbly and smooth in texture. Smells like....a little bit of chocolate malt, and a little bit of coffee. In the mouth, the beer's profile starts off with unsweetened chocolate at first. It slowly become sweeter. Faint hop flavors mix well with the beer, and a kick of ground coffee notes become noticable. Very light in the body, slightly creamy, and dry.

This was the lightest beer offered at Victry Brewing on 8/7/09. An enjoyable one to say the least.

Serving type: nitro-tap

08-11-2009 01:05:43 | More by DoubleJ

glid02

Georgia

3.6/5  rDev -3%
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

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

woodychandler

Pennsylvania

4.13/5  rDev +11.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 5 | overall: 4

With Paul Pendyck of UK Brewing Supplies, Ltd. at the helm, the General Sutter Inn in Lititz, PA has become a once-monthly outlet for cask-conditioned beer. This was the first offering and I got the second glass, pulled by Paul himself.

It began with about a half-a-finger of deep tan head with decent retention above an utterly black liquid. The nose had a mildly smoky quality. The mouthfeel had a very pleasant silky quality and a chocolaty/charcoal-y flavor on the tongue. The finish had the return of the dry, smoky bitterness that I had noted on the nose. Good lacing throughout.

Serving type: cask

01-03-2008 01:07:34 | More by woodychandler

Brad007

Vermont

4.05/5  rDev +9.2%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a pitch black color with a two-finger head.

Aroma is full of roasted coffee that isn't too overpowering. Seems to be the only flavor I can tell apart.

Taste is full of light roasted coffee and finishes dry. Very sleek. Chewy.

Mouthfeel is full of lingering roasted coffee notes. Dry. To the style.

I like it. If it came in bottles around here, I'd buy it over Guinness. I'd prefer a good local example but it's certainly worth a try.

Serving type: on-tap

06-02-2010 03:56:58 | More by Brad007

stakem

Pennsylvania

3.43/5  rDev -7.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

Nitro pour at the Warwick. Big bonus points to this establishment for serving this in a matching Donnybrook nonic. The brew pours dark brown with a khaki, silky finger of topping. Some ruby coloring is seen around the edges. The typical nitro look here with a head that lasts until the last sip and produces a webby pattern of lace all over the glass.

The aromatics are quite phenolic almost like burning plastic at first. As it settles, pete smoked malts emerge along with a faint roasty aspect. Some suggestions of coffee and plenty of earthy tones fill out the void. Overall, despite having that pete quality, it is a mild smelling brew.

The flavor has a minor smoked aspect like pete mixed with a mineral element almost like chlorine. A little bit of herbal hops character and hardly any roasted maltiness to be found which is a bit of a let down. However, overall it fits the style in that it is very mild flavored.

This is a super light bodied brew with a modest amount of that silky smooth nitro feel. But this is very watery in the feel even by irish stout standards. It is lacking quite a bit in body and character but was a pleasant unique offering that I would probably have again.

Serving type: nitro-tap

02-22-2013 15:48:02 | More by stakem

Georgiabeer

Georgia

4.4/5  rDev +18.6%
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

thagr81us

South Carolina

2.73/5  rDev -26.4%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Served from nitro-tap into a standard pint. Pours an almost black with a one finger light tan head. Maintains decent lacing throughout. The aroma is comprised of earthy and nutty notes. The flavor is of light malt and nutty notes. It had a medium feel on the palate with low carbonation. Overall I was not really a big fan of this one. It wasn't bad for a low ABV stout, but not good for being considered a stout. Basically everything needs to be a little more robust on this one and amplified.

Serving type: nitro-tap

06-22-2010 23:46:33 | More by thagr81us

Cyberkedi

Georgia

3.6/5  rDev -3%
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

Stinkypuss

Pennsylvania

2.55/5  rDev -31.3%
look: 4 | smell: 1 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

DonnyBrook pours a cascading dark brown with a creamy head, Guinnesseque. Lacing, sure. Looks good.

Smell: Bready, and something smells slightly off.

Taste: Bland, thin watery beer with little in the way of roast, coffee or chocolate. Bitter and a bit dirty and not in a good way. Still nothing as bad as the smell would indicate, but Donnybrook is nothing but a Guinness imitator.

Mouthfeel: Thin and lightly creamy.

Drinkability: I like stouts, I like Irish Dry Stouts, but this one falls flat for me. Victory can brew much better beer.

Serving type: nitro-tap

10-28-2010 18:11:09 | More by Stinkypuss

gford217

Georgia

3.48/5  rDev -6.2%
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

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

TurdFurgison

Ohio

4.1/5  rDev +10.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I had a pint on tap at d.b.a. in Manhattan. It was pitch black color with a thin beige head, and smelled surprisingly rich (to me) for the style. There was some chocolate and coffee (!) which I don't normally get out of dry stouts. The flavor was nice, roasted malts and coffee, not really any bitterness except maybe a hint in the after-taste. It went down easily, and at the low alcohol level you can drink it for a long time. Recommended.

Serving type: on-tap

10-05-2007 02:20:43 | More by TurdFurgison

DefenCorps

Oregon

4.22/5  rDev +13.7%
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