Gold Rush Ale - Victory Brewing Company

johnmichaelsen

Oregon

3.83/5  rDev -7.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

On tap the the Drafting Room (Exton) the other day.

The beer pours a bright gold color with good head retention and lacing. Frankly, it looks more like a pilsner/lager, something Victory does very well. I don't get a lot on the nose, just some light honey and hoppy bitterness. On the palate this beer is unusual. It has the body and crispness of what I expect in a pilsner, as well as some of the nuances of honey. However, this beer has a huge hoppy, bitter presense, that is very suprising for such a low abv. beer. Mouthfeel is medium bodied and, while pretty drinkable, the hoppiness in this beer strikes me as a bit out of balance, which hurts the beer's drinkability a bit.

A solid beer, but not one of my favorites from Victory.

Serving type: on-tap

12-15-2008 14:48:55 | More by johnmichaelsen

callmemickey

Pennsylvania

4.22/5  rDev +1.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Nice golden body. Huge white head. Solid lacing... A good looking ale.

S: Good amount of piney/grapefruit bitterness from the Simcoe hops in this guy... good malt sweetness in there as well.

T: A pleasant, balance hop-malt interplay is here... lots of piney, floral bitterness, hints of citrus-grapefruit and a solid malt base

M: Medium bodied. Smooth, with the right amount of carbonation. Light bitterness bite on the finish.

D: A great drinker... Good job Victory.

Serving type: on-tap

11-11-2008 22:30:51 | More by callmemickey

tgbljb

Pennsylvania

4.43/5  rDev +7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Enjoyed on-tap at the brewpub.

Served as a medium amber colored beer with moderate white puffy head.

Smell has distinct notes of citrusy hops.

Taste is absolutely superb. Stong citrusy hops with lots of lemony notes, balanced with just enough flavorful malt to make it really tasty.

Leaves a citrusy hop sensation in the mouth.

Perfect drinkabilty. Victory just keeps turning out great beers.

Serving type: on-tap

09-28-2008 20:02:22 | More by tgbljb

AltBock

Ohio

4.18/5  rDev +1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

I was able to try "Gold Rush" during the Victory promo night at High Street Grill on 9/23/2008. They served it to me in a Victory pint glass.

This Victory beer poured a clear gold color. It was almost a yellow color, but I would say that it was more gold than yellow. On top of this gold brew was a creamy 3/4 an inch head of white foam. This head foam never really receded. It was the same size for the duration of the beer's life. When the beer did go down, the head of foam left behind milky white streaks of lace around the glass. Great appearance!

The Victory rep said it was brewed with Simcoe hops. It shows it! The aroma was very hoppy with bitter citrus hops, a hint of pine needles, a pinch of tart grapefruit, and a splash of lemon peel. I was kind of expecting some toasted malts to come through at the end to balance it out, but I guess all the citrus aromas covered it up.

The taste was very crispy and hoppy, but it wasn't overly hopped. It had the right level of hops to it. The taste was hoppy with bitter citrus hops, plenty tart grapefruit, a tiny hint of pine, and a splash of lemon peel. If that wasn't enough, right before the finish line, in comes the caramel malts to balance out all the citrus hoppy flavors. That's what I wanted to taste!

This clear gold beer was medium bodied with plenty crispy carbonation and featured a great hoppy aftertaste of citrus hops, tart grapefruit, and a small touch of toasted caramel malts.

This was a very refreshing and easily drinkable beer. I could easily drink this beer again and again. It's too bad that's not a year round beer in bottles and only available on tap at certain locations. If you ever see this beer at your local beer bar, get it!

Serving type: on-tap

09-24-2008 19:09:03 | More by AltBock

Gavage

New Jersey

4.6/5  rDev +11.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Appearance: clear yellow in color with a plenty of fast rising carbonation bubbles. Nice 2" head lasts quite a while, and lace paints the glass through the session.

Smell: loads of Simcoe hop bitterness and some citrus tones create a wonderful aroma.

Taste: the hop bitterness is prominent but is well balanced with some lemon and orange citrus. Some grassy tones and a softer ripe fruit sweetness round it out.

Mouthfeel: very crisp throughout. Medium bodied. Aftertaste is long as the Simcoe bitterness lingers in the mouth.

Drinkability: absolutely a great session beer that is a little different from the typical golden ale. This is a must try if it's on tap.

Serving type: on-tap

09-24-2008 12:18:51 | More by Gavage

ffejherb

Pennsylvania

4.1/5  rDev -1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On tap at Victory on 9/1/08.

A - Clear golden amber body with one-finger creamy white head that settled into a patchy film and left modest lacing. Very minimal carbonation present throughout the body.

S - Bitter grassy hops with a citrus rind character up front, as well as a mildly fruity, spicy aroma with sweet caramel and bready malts. Overall, this brew emits a fresh citrus quality.

T - Much like the aroma, the flavor is dominated by a fairly assertive citrus hop character with a bit of lemon tartness. However, the bitterness is backed up by a sweet maltiness with bready and caramel notes.

M - Medium body with a watery, though mildly oily, texture and lively carbonation with a good deal of prickle on the tongue. Finish is crisp and dry with a mild hop bite.

D - This brew has an interesting hop profile that is difficult to pinpoint, yet it is distinguishably Victory. This is a nice hopped-up pale ale, almost like Hop Wallop's little nephew.

Brewslut's Quote of the Day:
"Ring bologna... I'm telling you!" - on Victory's new offering, Scarlet Moon.

Serving type: on-tap

09-02-2008 15:11:25 | More by ffejherb

Kegatron

Pennsylvania

3.75/5  rDev -9.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

On tap at the VBC on 8/29/08.

Pours a clear medium gold with a 1/2 finger of brite-white head that retains fairly thickly around the edges, with some thin wisps across the center. Moderate lacing. The aroma is very fruity with citric notes of (especially) lemon, orange, and maybe some lime. There also an overall sense of floral hops and and an undercurrent of sweetness that rides under the other scents.

The taste is one again very fruity with citric notes of lemon tartness, lime, and a splash of orange that is carried along (and well balanced) by a sturdy base of malt sweetness. That is all set against a nice floral hop bitterness that lingers long on the palette with a dry feel. The mouthfeel is medium bodied with a fairly crisp feel and a lively, prickly, carbonation.

Interesting lighter offering from Victory, that while a touch too fruity, still offers a crisp and easy drinking experience. This will probably be a good one for the bartenders to pawn off on those looking for something on the "more moderate" side.

Serving type: on-tap

08-30-2008 15:20:03 | More by Kegatron