Helios (V Saison) - Victory Brewing Company

Billolick

New York

4.1/5  rDev +6.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

$3.99 for a bomber, nice. "Bottled on Dec 10, 2009" stamped on the front label, well done. Pours clear yellow amber, long lasting off white head, ample frothy collar and sheeting, below bits of lace. Spiced up, citric nose, more lemon/lime, add a healthy dose of pepper, herbal and fresh tasting hops..all add up to a quite pleasant, zesty and fresh tasting saison...here its a freezing night in january and I've been transported back to a hot day on the back porch in July...bring on the salads and cheese/crusty bread lunches...nice saison, for a nice price, always a plus...

Serving type: bottle

01-07-2010 03:06:14 | More by Billolick

mdfb79

New York

3.68/5  rDev -4.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Had at a local DC tasting thanks to jslot38. Bottle from 2007.

a - Pours a clear golden color with 2 fingers plus of white head that lasts for several minutes and moderate carbonation evident.

s - Smells of citrus hops, orange, and spice.

t - Tastes of orange, citrus fruits and hops, and spices.

m - Light to medium body and moderate carbonation.

d - A decent saison, but not much funkiness to it. Some nice citrus, especially oranges, in the smell and taste. Would try again.

Serving type: bottle

08-07-2010 00:02:13 | More by mdfb79

jlindros

Massachusetts

4.13/5  rDev +7.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Stirred up so all the sediment is dancing about. Not bad for $3.50 bomber.

A: Nice fizzy bottle conditioned head that rises to 3+ fingers and quickly bides back down. A light clowdy haze corrupts what would be a crystal clear view through the golden yellow beverage, that reveals many columns of bubbles rising up.

N: The effervescence of this could be smelled when I cracked the cap, and much so during the pour. A very much saison farmhouse like nose with lots of yeast aromas, earthy gritty like malts, some banana and wheat, and lots of nice tangy sour funk aromas.

T: Starts very funky with tangy sour yeast and wild flavors. A dry gritty earthy malt and wheat taste follows that, but is overpowered greatly by the yeasty tangy sour funk. Bready malt tastes and very earthy farmhouse like tastes as well. A slight fruity flavor gives way to more yeast that does a good job of dryness and funk, but not quite as much as Brett. Some lemon zest and citrus also run rampant through it.

M: Very light with tons of carbonation, buttloads of carbonation. A slight tangy dry burn as well.

F: Very dry, pulling the water out of my tongue and almost giving it a dry singe burn. An almost minty like flavor hides in the background with the fresh dry taste. The sourness doesn't stay too long, but the funky yeasty flavor does. Almost a lemon bread like taste sticking around too. A pretty nice funky farmhouse saison, that gives wild yeast and Brett like qualities, but a little tamer. Still pretty funky though and great for the price.

Serving type: bottle

12-09-2009 22:32:02 | More by jlindros

weeare138

Pennsylvania

4.15/5  rDev +8.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Appears a hazy light gold with solid streams of carbonation rising to the top of the glass. A small white cap quickly fades into a gentle cap with solid bits of lacing left around the glass.
Smell is of yeasty bread, orange peel, mild spice, and lemon.
Taste is of the aromas with a nice bit of orange juice, and eel coming through.
Mouthfeel is citrusy, medium bodied, with a tad bit of clean funk.

Serving type: on-tap

09-01-2009 22:25:29 | More by weeare138

Zorro

California

4.1/5  rDev +6.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Clear golden colored beer with a small white head.

Smells strongly herbal with a strong flower aroma. Coriander and honeysuckle with some powdery yeast and mild honey. The scent of this is a little in the direction of a Belgian IPA, it is noticeably hoppier than Hennepin.

Starts out herbal and semi dry. Smooth becomes a little sweeter as you drink it but it is stoutly hopped. Remains herbal and floral as you drink it.

Mouthfeel is good

Drinkability is high. Flavorful enough to remain interesting but not something that whips your taste buds either. This compares favorably with Hennepin with a little higher amount of hops.

Serving type: bottle

11-28-2010 23:42:31 | More by Zorro

Bighuge

Minnesota

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

Lemon drop yellow body. Slightly hazed. Voluptuous fluffy white head. Carbonation looks to be quite active as multiple streams of CO2 rise vigorously throughout the body. Aroma has a lemon tartness and a little yellow cake batter character. Horse blanket also. Mouthfeel is quite prickly. Body is light-medium. Lemon is big in the flavor with a nice sourdough like backdrop of maltiness. Sprinkle a little black pepper throughout and add a little horse blanket tartness/funkiness and you've got a pretty solid saison. A bit of a lambic feel to it. Unique, but good, saison.

Serving type: bottle

12-09-2009 05:24:34 | More by Bighuge

corby112

Pennsylvania

3.35/5  rDev -12.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Pours a slightly hay light golden orange color with light golden yellow hues when held to a light source and a 1.5 finger frothy white head. Visible carbonation bubbling up the chalice.

Earthy aroma with a nice peppery spice character. Light golden fruit notes coming from the Belgian yeast compliment the bread and citrus peel notes as well as some subtle earthy hops.

Very carbonated up front with a creamy, medium body. Lots of earthy notes, hop bitterness, light crisp fruit, citrus peel, lemon zest, spicy pepper and strong alcohol astringency. Slightly dry finish.

Serving type: bottle

09-10-2009 04:51:56 | More by corby112

johnmichaelsen

Oregon

3.98/5  rDev +3.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On tap at Max's last night for their Victory blow out.

The beer pours a striking gold color with OK head retention and lacing. Nothing special here, but the beer looks OK. On the nose I get some nice honey and cherry, with a bit of underlying clove. Flavors on the palate replicate the nose, except there's some nice peppery, hoppy bitterness in the finish that I appreciate. Mouthfeel is medium bodied and drinkability is pretty good.

Not blown away by this take by Victory on a saison, but it's not bad and I wouldn't mind having it again sometime.

Serving type: on-tap

08-14-2009 12:25:48 | More by johnmichaelsen

Rifugium

Pennsylvania

3.13/5  rDev -18.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

First had: ?
Reviewed from a recent tasting on tap at Victory, Downintown, PA

I just wasn't feeling this one. Pale straw-yellow pour, mostly clear, with a fluffy white head that retained well and left lots of lacing on the glass. Mixture of sweet and funky on the nose with a promise of earthiness. Taste was interesting, lightly toasted grains, yeast, musty grass. A little thin overall, and just doesn't deliver what I like in the style. Light body, and fairly drinkable if you like saisons, but not something I'd go for again.

Serving type: on-tap

08-19-2012 10:29:11 | More by Rifugium

lacqueredmouse

Australia

4/5  rDev +4.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Bottle shared with @tobeerornottobe and @LaitueGonflable.

Pours a clear, bright, spring-like golden colour, with a fine, frothy and pretty persistent head of pure white. Where the head doesn't persist as head proper, it persists as lace, forming solid, chunky sheets down the inside of the glass. Carbonation is high, and it streams through the relatively light body very quickly. Looks fresh and good.

Nose is clean and bright, but with a fresh funk to it, giving a little bit of fuggy sweetness, and a light vegetative character. It also has a touch of acidity to it, but this is tightly coupled with the sweetness, giving it the suggestion of sour lollies. Not bad.

Taste is brusquer, peppery, sharper and with a vegetative bitterness. And to be honest, it works well. The sweetness is still noticeable, but it is drawn back and balanced by the biting rawness of the bitterness and the earthy funk. Little true acidity here, but the rustic, primal nature of the other characters work well. And despite these flavours, it ends up being surprisingly crisp, and easy to drink. Lovely stuff.

Overall, I really enjoyed this. It has some lovely rustic, earthy and dependable flavours to it, but manages to amalgamate them all into a clean, very drinkable beer. Good stuff.

Serving type: bottle

09-01-2012 02:01:11 | More by lacqueredmouse

glid02

Georgia

4.1/5  rDev +6.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Bottle purchased from Green's on Ponce in Atlanta.

Pours a slightly hazy golden color with a two-finger white head. The head recedes into a thin layer on top leaving solid lacing.

Smells of crisp light malts with hints of grassiness and light fruits - bananas with hints of lemon peel.

Tastes similar to how it smells, although there's almost no fruit flavors that aren't citrus. Light malt flavors up front segue into light earthy hop flavors that are backed by hints of mild citrus. These flavors carry through to a crisp ending.

Mouthfeel is good. It's got a solid thickness with active carbonation.

Drinkability is very goood. I finished my glass quickly and could certainly have another.

Overall this isn't a terribly complex saison but what's done is done well. Well worth a shot, especially at such a reasonable price.

Serving type: bottle

12-21-2009 05:26:08 | More by glid02

beerthulhu

New Jersey

3.73/5  rDev -2.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A: The initial pour yielded a pale orange coloring with a convincing amount of macro yeast floaties that lied suspended like plankton in a light haziness of obtrusion that danced happily in the vibrant macro bubbly nature of the carbonation. The head, a product of the wild Belgian yeast, sprang upwards upon the pour occupying a near majority of the glass, was paper white in color, and foamy in nature exhibiting a good time of retention while leaving small speckled remains for a lacing behind. The carbonation remained a powerful force through-out the entire serving of the drink.

S: The nose did not disappoint with a distinctive wild yeast quality of musky hay and barnyard scents of wet horse. Light to medium in strength I though I also picked up hints of pvc tubing as well. The beer closes out with a sour funk, though not overwhelming with a mixture of wet hay and animal feed (grains and pellets) funk.

T: Funky and musky barnyard flavors are abundant here giving you insight to the wild Belgian yeast. Once again damp animal feed of grains and pellets, wet hay, and wet barnyard animals stand out the most. There is earthy notes of moss, citric grains and cobwebs as well. The finish provides quite a bite with a bit of alcohol present and warm, sour lemon peels along with a black peppery flair. The funk I felt was just right, not to weak to undermine, nor not to strong to discourage.

M: The mouthful bursts with a carbonation assault turning to a thick foamy feel very quickly. The body was fairly light while the swallow finds a funky display of musky grains, hay and grass lining the tongue.

D: Drinkability was good, especially for style. Like mentioned earlier the funk balance was just right adding for optimal drinking experience per style. You will no doubt have to be a fan or respective of the style (which I certainly am). This will no doubt deliver an adventuress journey into the world of Belgian funk which was fairly well captured here by an American brewer. Novices may want to split a bottle at first until you gain a appreciation per style but overall for the fan this beer overall was a good experience coupled with a fairly good drinkability and enjoyability factor.

Serving type: bottle

01-29-2010 00:24:55 | More by beerthulhu

DrJay

Massachusetts

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

Clear gold with a fluffy white cap. The bubbles were a bit fizzy, decent head retention, a little sticky. Lemony and floral aroma, a bit grassy and spicy, pear and grain. Nice flavour, fruity lemon and grass, light grain sweetness, light spice. It finished with lingering lemon and spice plus a bit of hop bitterness. Medium to light bodied with ample carbonation. Pretty tasty overall.

Serving type: bottle

01-28-2010 00:12:32 | More by DrJay

kojevergas

California

3.68/5  rDev -4.2%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

1 pint 6 fl oz brown glass bottle with standard pressure cap served into a N'ice Chouffe stemgoblet in low altitude Los Angeles, California. Reviewed live. Expectations are moderate.

A: Pours a one finger head of slight cream, decent thickness, and fair retention. Colour is a transparent orange-gold. Looks appealing.

Sm: Very yeasty - which I like. Also some bacteria, souring hop quality, and some citrus tones. I'm looking forward to trying this. Aroma is moderate in strength.

T: Nicely citrusy, with some wonderfully handled yeast notes. Some nice hoppy notes are in there too, but are rather subtle and nicely balanced - as is the beer as a whole. A lovely build. Some touches of candied sugar and a bit of cream set the whole thing off with a tingly effect. Quite a nice little beer indeed.

Mf: Tingly, smooth, and wet. A bit too thick but it's forgivable; it probably needs that to cover up the ABV.

Dr: It's very drinkable for the style and ABV. I'd like to try this on draught. This makes me excited to try more beers from Victory in the future.

Serving type: bottle

12-04-2011 09:24:52 | More by kojevergas

Brad007

Vermont

4.1/5  rDev +6.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Pours a light golden color with a one-finger head into my glass. Nice presentation here.

Aroma is full of citrus, plum and sweet malt, accentuated by the yeast.

Taste is crisp with citrus, plum and spice being the most noticeable. Just a tad bit funky but not by much.

Mouthfeel is full of lingering citrus and spice. Alcohol finally starts to show but otherwise, very nice.

Certainly nice and drinkable. Not many domestic versions of the style can captivate but this holds up well. Worth a try.

Serving type: bottle

01-11-2010 00:09:11 | More by Brad007

Derek

British Columbia (Canada)

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

A: Golden straw, white head, good retention, light lacing.

S: Tropical fruit with a nice spicing and a little funk.

T: Tropical fruit, spice (cinnamon; vanilla), grass, biscuity malt, modest bitterness & a slight hint of funk.

M: Moderate body has a crisp finish.

D: A good drinker.

Serving type: bottle

07-06-2010 00:45:58 | More by Derek

Georgiabeer

Georgia

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

Pours golden with a thick, frothy, white head that 1/2 fills the glass to start, fades to a more reasonable level, and sticks around as a nice cap. Aromas of very ripe fruit. I get grapes and plums, with a touch of barnyard floating around as well. The taste is quite fruity as well, but with some definite funk- which is a pleasant surprise. Notes of ripe, soft cheese and a touch of barnyard complement the peach and cherry notes. A little bit tart in the mouth, and on the softer side. A bit different than I was expecting, more of a farmhouse ale take on the style. Quite nice.

Serving type: bottle

07-02-2011 00:43:59 | More by Georgiabeer

mactrail

California

3.65/5  rDev -4.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Bit of a gusher, so I wouldn't keep this one around too long.

Pale amber in the glass. Head dissipates with some modest carbonation in the mouth. Texture is pleasant, like cheap champagne. Taste is a surprise-- sharp, sourish, intense. Woody and mushroomy. Has that elusive "meaty" flavor of a good Biere de Mars. Very powerful in the nose with maybe a little too much of the Belgian funk. Long aftertaste, rather bitter but just enough kiss of the hops.

Grows on you with more sipping. I let it out of the fridge for an hour so but a little more warming didn't hurt. I;d like to try this again from another batch.

Serving type: on-tap

04-11-2011 05:44:25 | More by mactrail

Cyberkedi

Georgia

4.05/5  rDev +5.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Aroma is strong, crisp, yeasty and a little fruity. It pours a slightly hazy solar yellow with a thick, fluffy white head that sticks around. Light, refreshing flavor is fruity and malty, a little hoppy, a little yeasty, slightly bitter and rather enjoyable. Fizzy texture leaves a fairly persistent tingle on the tongue and lips. Brave Helios, wake up your steeds!

Serving type: bottle

05-15-2011 03:51:32 | More by Cyberkedi

Huhzubendah

District of Columbia

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

Thanks to Darrell for hipping me to this beer.

The beer is a bit of a gusher, with a formidable white head. The aroma offers citrus, hops, brett, etc, very nice. Flavor follows suit. Light to medium in body and highly drinkinable. Delicious. $4 per bomber?!? Alrighty then. Absolutely worth a try. I look forward to revisiting this one.

Serving type: bottle

01-08-2013 04:58:52 | More by Huhzubendah

Stinkypuss

Pennsylvania

3.55/5  rDev -7.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Victory's Helios, belgian style ale. Found ontap. Pours a clear light gold, small head forms and leaves after a while.

Smell: Lightly like a belgian, some malt sweetness pulling through.

Taste: Also very light, but has belgian characteristics. Like the base of a belgian pale ale, with a little bit of funk. Hops lend a lemony touch. Quenching right in time for the summer months.

Mouthfeel: Light to medium bodied, thin-ish feel but not bad.

Drinkability: This is a pretty easy drinking ale. A good session beer from Victory, though it is a little strong to have more than one or two. The price point can't be matched, however.

Serving type: on-tap

03-30-2010 17:56:58 | More by Stinkypuss

avalon07

South Carolina

4.13/5  rDev +7.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Poured from a bottle to an imperial pint glass. Had a golden yellow color and a slightly hazy consistency. There was huge amount of foamy, long-lasting head and good lacing.

S: A sweet, citrusy, hoppy, summery aroma.

T: Tasted of orange, hops, some malt and a little coriander. Somewhat more bitter than a normal Saison, but flavorful nonetheless.

M: Has a vibrant amount of carbonation with a dry finish. Light-bodied.

D: While this beer is more suited for summer drinking, it's still very drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

01-12-2010 13:26:40 | More by avalon07

jrallen34

Illinois

3.5/5  rDev -8.9%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

I drank this from a 22oz bottle into an Orval glass.

The beer is honey gold, murky with lots of carbonation. Good retention and lacing.

The aroma is ok, but the weakness of the beer. Its sorta floral but in a generic way, slightly skunky.

The taste is ok a little grassy flavor and more skunk. However, its pretty easy to drink, not that you would drink a lot of it.

Serving type: on-tap

05-09-2010 01:58:38 | More by jrallen34

Slatetank

Pennsylvania

3.85/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

I had this on tap at Al's of Hampden...tried this in the bottle already, but was interested to see what the differences/similarity is like on tap.

A clear golden color, very sunny appearance with bone white cap with very tight bead. Visibly carbonated and lacing clings well with good retention. The aroma is slightly vinous like white grape with slight hop scents and mild pepper from the yeast. the feel is very dry, with high carobonation and mild bitterness. The body is affected slightly by the alcohol giving a drying finish.

The taste is very good, with some yeast fruitiness which leans toward white grape and the hop flavor is herbal/spicy. Some of the spice seems to be amplified by the yeast and alcohol is adding to the dry quality of malt and yeast in the brew. I like how it is refreshing with good flavor from the yeast and has some hop bitterness. The saison is very traditional in taste -true to the standard Dupont which is good, drinkability is ok, but I prefer a little more malt. This is a super dry and a little on the alcoholic side for my taste.

Serving type: on-tap

03-25-2011 13:59:39 | More by Slatetank

kylehay2004

Florida

3.98/5  rDev +3.6%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Huge foamy head they dissipates fairly quickly. Murky dirty golden color.

S: Lots of fruit, mostly pineapple, banana and grapefruit with spice notes.

T: Spicey and fruit up front with a somewhat sour lemony and herbal/grassy finish.

M: Moderate carbonation. Light to medium bodied.

Overall: This is a fairly unique saison. The grassy finish is borderline and it is gonna keep me away from getting this one again.

Serving type: bottle

09-17-2011 00:38:44 | More by kylehay2004