Victory ESB - Victory Brewing Company

letsgopens

Pennsylvania

3/5  rDev -24.2%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Reviewed on cask at Victory Brewing, this selection stands very cloudy/woody peach with some nice golden highlights. A thin rim of off-white bubbles hang around the surface of the brew. And of course no real head on this cask selection.

Dim but malty with a bit of spice and tanginess. Fruity and yeasty with a hint of toastiness and toffee. Just a hint of dim hops floats about. Not terribly pronounced in the aroma department.

Dim with some mellow yeasty fruit. That familiar mellow crystal malt character is present along with orange and lemon. Very similar to the nose; dim and rather uneventful. Reasonably flavorful I suppose.

Soft and smooth but also rather dull and matted; and not just do to the cask conditioning. The finish brightens up a bit but not much. I think this selection just doesn't lend itself well to cask.

Serving type: cask

12-24-2007 18:42:39 | More by letsgopens

corby112

Pennsylvania

3.28/5  rDev -17.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Draft at Kraftwork on 2/17/11.

Pours a clear golden amber/orange color with dark golden orange hues when held to a light and one finger frothy white head that quickly fades into a very thin lasting ring. Minimal lacing.

Slightly earthy hop aroma but the nose is dominated by a sweet malt character. Hints of earthy pine and very faint sweet citrus balanced by toasted caramel malt, rye and biscuit.

Medium bodied but fuller than expected with a hop forward flavor that lingers into a dry finish. This is quickly countered by a strong malt backbone with hints of caramel and biscuit. Although this is decently balanced, the hops are the star here with a lingering bitterness and dry finish. The ABV is decently masked but this beer is still a bit harsh.

Serving type: on-tap

02-20-2011 19:14:32 | More by corby112

psugrad98

Pennsylvania

3.43/5  rDev -13.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Medium amber in color, clear with moderate head andr lace. Very hoppy with slight carmel pinch. Taste is rich and biting with slight alcohol flavor. Hop flavor reminiscent of sour apple with floral hop bite.

Serving type: bottle

07-22-2002 06:14:30 | More by psugrad98

GeoffFromSJ

New Jersey

3.65/5  rDev -7.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I felt this beer was solid, but nothing special for an ESB. I wouldn't go out of my way to get this, but I would have again if available.

It was an amber color with a haze. Tasted nice, but not as strong enough for the style in my opinion. Not enough hops. Not enough flavor. It seemed like a milder version of the ESB's I've tried. On the plus side, it is smooth and drinks easily.

Serving type: on-tap

10-16-2003 03:11:23 | More by GeoffFromSJ

aracauna

Georgia

3.68/5  rDev -7.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I think that I would have been more impressed with this beer had it been on the hand pump instead of Hop Devil or Milltown Mild. It does have a nice herbal character that works well with this slightly hoppy take on the style. Still, i was more impressed with several other beers I tried during my visit.

Serving type: on-tap

06-05-2004 05:47:20 | More by aracauna

Boto

Connecticut

3.78/5  rDev -4.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Had this at Victory. The beer is a rich copper color. Excellent hop aroma. Maybe even some floral traces in the nose. Medium-full, well balanced malty taste. There is also a pretty good shot of hops in it. Very smooth to the palate. An excellent Quaff!

Serving type: on-tap

05-24-2003 11:09:57 | More by Boto

WesWes

New York

3.78/5  rDev -4.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

The beer pours an amber color with a thick frothy offwhite head that slowly fades to lacing. The aroma is good. It has a nice malty aroma that is accompanied by a mild hop scent. It's light, but still packs a malty punch. The taste is decent. It has a grainy pale and crystal malt flavor that goes down easy and finishes dry with a nice hop flavor. It's an easy drinker even at 6.25%. The mouthfeel is good. It is a medium/full bodied beer with adequate carbonation. This is a pretty good beer. It's not my favorite ESB, but it'll do in a pinch.

Serving type: on-tap

09-19-2008 00:22:42 | More by WesWes

gdfan47

Pennsylvania

3.78/5  rDev -4.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A- a nice inviting brown with a little bit of head, and a little lacing
S- malt, hops, fresh smelling in general some faint sugar smells
T- very nice, the hops are there, you can really taste the bitterness of it, works out really well on the cask
M- Cask beers are just tasting better to me, like the uncle teddy's I really like this on the cask, refreshing and really able to taste the hops and the malt
D- very good, still low enough abv to be a session beer

a solid ESB,I think I dig the Uncle Teddy's more... but ill reach for this one again

Serving type: cask

12-18-2008 07:45:58 | More by gdfan47

Nickls

District of Columbia

3.83/5  rDev -3.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

(From notes)

A - Poured with a nice frothy and bubbly slightly off-white head. Great lacing throughout the sample. Deep, dark brown color

S - Sweet malt/prune-like aromas. Hop bitterness is not present

T - Deep, rich maltiness, dried fig flavors stick out. Dry hop bitterness finish

M - Medium MF, and nearly mouth-coating. Very little carbonation for the style, but not anything that detracted too much

D - Not nearly as drinkable as other ESB's that I've sampled. This is mainly due to the lack of hop bitterness to balance out the malty richness.

Overall, definitely within the style, but leaned a bit too heavy on the malt side of the equation. Could have used a bit more hop bitterness, but still a very good brew. Try it if it's around.

Serving type: on-tap

12-17-2008 16:04:06 | More by Nickls

mecell2000

Hungary

3.93/5  rDev -0.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

ESB on cask at Victory Brewing Company's retaurant in Downingtown.

Milky white head ontop of a cloudy yellow body. Good carbonation that accentuates the smooth taste. Malty and hoppy all the way through, both in taste and smell. Finishes lightly with a citrus taste.

Victory's ESB is made from the base of previous batches of Old Horizontal and you can really taste it in the brew.

Serving type: cask

03-23-2008 06:22:15 | More by mecell2000

Chinon01

Pennsylvania

3.98/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Appearance - Tea color with minimal spotty lacing.

Nose and Taste - Graham cracker crust, warm and orangy, grain and maple. Minimal hops in finish. Lacks minerality.

Mouthfeel and Drinkability - Mouthfeel is thinner but includes crispness and graininess. Drinkability is high due to cask.

Serving type: cask

10-08-2008 01:21:09 | More by Chinon01

Stinkypuss

Pennsylvania

3.98/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Victory ESB

Pours an orangeish copper color. Aroma of floral hops, caramel and orange citrus. In the flavor, herbal tea, citrus zest, and mild grassy bitterness from the hops. The malt/yeast foundation adds alot of toffee, butterscotch, caramel, and bread tones. Mouthfeel is medium bodied, smooth, and well carbonated. Straightforward and very English in style, this is a worthy ESB with a good amount of flavor.

Serving type: on-tap

02-26-2012 05:35:19 | More by Stinkypuss

jreitman

California

4/5  rDev +1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Rich amber with a nice light beige head. Aroma was more subdued that I like in a ESB, especially considering some of the great ones I have had in the PNW. Sweet caramel malt and a slight hop bite comprise the majority of the flavors with not a whole lot else going on. The brew is very "by the book" when it comes to the style guidelines and doesn't seem to take any steps towards anything overly original. A good beer by Victory, but not my favorite ESB.

Serving type: on-tap

12-27-2002 10:33:22 | More by jreitman

maddogruss

New Jersey

4/5  rDev +1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Had a pint of this at the Victory sponsored MBA night at Cloverleaf Tavern in West Caldwell, NJ.

A: Pours a nice, dark golden body with a white head with excellent retention and nice lacing along the sides of the glass and the top of the beer.

S: Smells of a slight sweet maltiness with bitter, earthy undertones.

T: A pretty bitter taste with a smooth, sweet malty aftertaste. Excellent taste overall because the sweeter aftertaste did well to balance the pretty strong, bitter taste.

M: A nice, crisp and refreshing feel overall that was fairly smooth.

D: A very drinkable beer. A nice, bitter taste with a smooth, sweet aftertaste. Combined with a crisp, refreshing taste makes this beer very easy to drink or a nice session beer.

Serving type: on-tap

04-16-2008 23:42:06 | More by maddogruss

CrellMoset

Virginia

4/5  rDev +1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Casked Victory ESB, on tap at Capital Ale House, Richmond, VA, Midlothian location. Served in a traditional American pint glass.

Appearance: An abnormally dark brew with a foamy one-finger head, very cask-esque, complete with spotty, bubbly, sticky, cheesecloth-esque on the sides of the glass.

Aroma: Odd but interesting phenols, a handful of herbal hop notes, and brown sugar and caramel notes make up the bulk of the aroma on this one. A few light fruity notes buried in the mix emerge upon close inspection, sort of like apples and figs.

Taste: Incredibly toasty and malty, with a few stray phenols that come across as fruity though are also slightly medicinal. Bitterness is mild, as are a few buttery notes. Herbalness comes through as it warms, tobacco like. The maltiness here is provided mainly courtesy of toffee and light coffee notes, though there are a few stray dark fruits as well, as well as that crisp, glass-like, crystal malt taste. Balanced, as any good ESB should be, though perhaps more malty than hoppy.

Mouthfeel: Very smooth and soft. Medium bodied, that nice low carb cask feel. A few sticky residual sugars and a slight hop prickle round things out.

Drinkability: A solid offering from Victory, and one I'm glad I tried. Strikes that perfect ESB balance, and the casking brings them out nicely. Though the hop and malt notes on their own aren't my favorite varieties, they do go reasonably well together, and I'd be happy to try this one again.

Serving type: cask

01-19-2009 03:58:39 | More by CrellMoset

scottyshades

Florida

4/5  rDev +1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Cask at the brewery

A: Pours a transparent copper color with a medium-sized white cap. Retention is decent

S: Soft pale malts give a light toasty note, hops give lots of earthy and spicy notes. Well balanced, and definitely English

T: The low carbonation + the cask makes this really English. Subtle hops and malts are nicely balanced. Hops are spicy, earthy, slightly citrusy. Malts are light, slightly bready, and balance well

MF/D: Carbonation is low, body is medium for the style. Finish is of spicy hops

Serving type: cask

01-05-2011 21:49:04 | More by scottyshades

mikesgroove

South Carolina

4/5  rDev +1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

amber in color with a smooth, even, head of white on top that faded off after a couple of moments. Light lacing was left by the side. Aroma is bready, hints of caramel and grassy notes and warming brought out tons of grains. Light, crisp and clean taste, light grassy hops and a smooth even caramel malt base made up the bulk of the profile

Serving type: on-tap

08-19-2011 01:59:58 | More by mikesgroove

HopEnthusiast

Massachusetts

4.05/5  rDev +2.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Poured a deep orange-amber with a light tan frothy head that left pleanty of lacing on the glass. The aroma is malty with notes of citrus and floral hops with a wee bit of yeast fruitiness. The taste starts with pleanty of caramel and vienna malt flavors balanced with a citrus bitterness and some spicy hop notes. The finish is very smooth with a great balance between the hops and the malt with neither flavor getting the upper hand. Aftertaste is hops as the clear winner. Not over powering but a nice subtle lingering bitterness that slowly fades away. The mouthfeel is very smooth with a medium body. Not to bitter either.

Serving type: on-tap

01-02-2009 13:35:28 | More by HopEnthusiast

Thorpe429

Illinois

4.05/5  rDev +2.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Cask at he brewpub. Reviewed from notes.

Pours a nice ted copper with an off white head and plenty of lacing. Nose brings earthy, herbal, and floral hops plus a touch of caramel. The flavor adds in a tiny amount of citrus plus some mild bready notes. Floral hops prevail. Lovely feel with great bitterness levels. A really solid and fantastically drinkable beer.

Serving type: cask

10-20-2010 22:40:02 | More by Thorpe429

rugbycritic

New York

4.1/5  rDev +3.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

This is a rare find for us here in WNY. A local here (Monty's Krown Lounge, Rochester, NY) had a selection of Victory specialties recently, and this one was in it.

Our benchmark for measuring ESB's always starts with Fullers, who most likely originated the style. I am happy to report, this is not a clone of Fullers, the Victory lads wen out on thier own in another direction.

Color is the expected lovely amber glow, slightly lacy on the glass, an excellent malt and hop balance, almost restrained. Allowing it to warm in your hand, which I know is a difficult task, will yield excellent results with the malt and hop flavors bursting forth.

I would recommend this with out reservation, unless that will get me a seat at the bar in front of the handle for more.

Serving type: on-tap

06-02-2003 07:18:37 | More by rugbycritic

WVbeergeek

Ohio

4.1/5  rDev +3.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured on tap at Piper's Pub a couple weeks ago, I couldn't help but drink the hell out of the Braumeister Pils that was flowing at the same time. This one pours a copper amber hue with a light off white head forming nicely in my glass. Aroma has caramel malt sweetness, hints of cereal bread grains, and earthy herbal hop notes. Flavor continues the trend of caramelized maltiness with a hint of toasted marshmallow with creamy sweet dessert bread, enough hops step up to balance it out but this is very English hopping which works for the style. Earthy, herbal hops grace the palate with a light edge of citrus peel nothing heavy just a kiss that makes the beer very very drinkable. Mouthfeel is medium bodied with ample mellow carbonation level that works so well for this beer. Overall drinkability is high, I didn't guess this alcohol to be anywhere near 6% abv, quality American brewed ESB from my own experience that can be a rarity.

Serving type: on-tap

04-09-2012 15:28:58 | More by WVbeergeek

dmarch

Pennsylvania

4.13/5  rDev +4.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

I wanted to skip over this because it's not quite as big as victory's other beers, but I'm glad I didn't. Amber in color with a fluffy white head. Excellent floral hop aroma. Taste is well balanced with a mix of hops and the caremel like maltiness. It's pretty much a hopdevil jr. Great as a session beer when hopdevil seems a little too strong.

Serving type: on-tap

07-18-2003 19:24:00 | More by dmarch

Darkmagus82

Montana

4.15/5  rDev +4.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Served on cask in a pint glass

Appearance – Served an orange-copper color with a thin off white head. The head faded very fast leaving only a very light amount of lacing.

Smell – The aroma is biscuit in nature mixed with a bitter hop aroma of earthy and citrus nature. There are light spice and herbal aromas mixed into the nose as well which overall create an overall very pleasant aroma.

Taste – The taste is biscuit up front as the nose would have predicted. In the middle some of the citrus hop flavor and spice then comes into to the tongue. The citrus loses ground fast but the spiciness gets stronger. In the end the spice flavors mix with the bread an herbal/grassy flavor and an earthy hop flavor to leave a bitter spiced flavor on the tongue.

Mouthfeel – Typical for a cask beer this one was creamy in body and low in carbonation. It was nice and smooth and very drinkable.

Overall - The flavors of this beer taste and transition well making this one a very easy drinking bitter with a nice smooth feel and taste.

Serving type: cask

05-23-2012 23:44:23 | More by Darkmagus82

pheurton

Pennsylvania

4.18/5  rDev +5.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

1/2 gallon growler...crystal clear tannish-orange with a fluffy white head. detect mostly malts in the nose. this is an interesting ESB...at first very fruity, but the hops come in at the end to balance it out with a nice dry finish. full of sweet malt flavor, but not cloying in the least. hops seem to come out a little more as it warms. makes a tasty session beer. i wish they would bottle it.

Serving type: bottle

04-25-2003 15:16:09 | More by pheurton

NeroFiddled

Pennsylvania

4.2/5  rDev +6.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Cask conditioned. Fairly clear with just a slight haze. Golden-bronze with an off-white head that holds well but leaves very little lace (may have been a dirty glass). The aroma is brightly hoppy with Goldings and a solid caramel malt backing. The body is medium with a gentle carbonation that gives it a very smooth and lightly creamy mouthfeel. The flavor is well rounded with sweet caramel malt and a light hop flavor. The bitterness is softer, playing a supporting role in the cask version vs. standard draught. There's a soft, gently lingering maltiness in the dryish finish. Superbly enjoyable in this presentation. Not exactly a session beer at 6.2% ABV, but worthy of enjoying more than one in an evening.

Serving type: cask

09-14-2002 12:30:42 | More by NeroFiddled