Pursuit Of Pale Ale
Victory Brewing Company - Downingtown

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From:
Victory Brewing Company - Downingtown
 
Pennsylvania, United States
Style:
American Pale Ale
ABV:
5%
Score:
84
Avg:
3.69 | pDev: 11.65%
Reviews:
29
Ratings:
37
Status:
Active
Rated:
Jan 13, 2017
Added:
Feb 23, 2010
Wants:
  0
Gots:
  0
No description / notes.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
 
Rated: 4.03 by OriginalWayOut from North Carolina

Jan 13, 2017
 
Rated: 4 by augie from Pennsylvania

Mar 23, 2012
 
Rated: 3.5 by Tyrawlings from Ohio

Feb 11, 2012
 
Rated: 3.5 by beef13 from Pennsylvania

Jan 27, 2012
 
Rated: 4 by tubbnik from Pennsylvania

Dec 08, 2011
 
Rated: 3.5 by deapokid from Pennsylvania

Dec 03, 2011
 
Rated: 4 by MerkurKing16 from Pennsylvania

Nov 17, 2011
 
Rated: 4 by victory4me from Pennsylvania

Nov 15, 2011
Photo of Knapp85
Reviewed by Knapp85 from Pennsylvania

3.53/5  rDev -4.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
This pale ale has a nice copper color with a really great lacing down the glass. The aroma smells like a wheat field or fresh grains. The flavor is on the drier side with a really nice hoppy flavor. The hops leave a good bitterness all over the pallet. This beer is enjoyable and sure to please any pale ale fan.
Apr 05, 2011
Photo of david18
Reviewed by david18 from New York

4.35/5  rDev +17.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
I've recently become a really big fan of pale ales, particularly as a first beer at my visit to a bar. A clean palate is the best way to sample this style and I have a few favorites, including Captain Lawrence. This one is another that I'll continue to enjoy and Victory has not been my favorite brewery.

Color was a little on the dark side of copper/amber, a little darker than the IPA I had immediately after. Carbonation was a little weak, which was a shame given the other great characteristics. Flavor was great and refreshing as was the aroma. A near perfect pale ale as I was concerned. Drinkability and mouthfeel were also great. I'll have this again.
Feb 23, 2011
Photo of corby112
Reviewed by corby112 from Pennsylvania

3.31/5  rDev -10.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
Draft at Kraftwerk on 2/17/11.

Pours a cloudy dark amber/orange color with golden apricot hues and a half finger white foam head that quickly fades into a thin lasting ring. Sporadic spots of lacing left behind.

Toasted malt aroma with subtle earthy hops and crisp light fruit. Hints of biscuit, caramel and subtle toffee. Kind of bland smelling really and not as hoppy in the nose as the Headwaters Pale Ale that I had immediately before with only faint earthy grass tones.

Fuller bodied than expected with more of a hop forward character than the aroma suggests. Dry and bitter earthy pine notes up front that linger throughout over the pale malt backbone into a lasting dry finish. Nicely balanced with slightly toasty pale malt. Somewhat floral with a subtle earthiness and sweet caramel and biscuit flavor from the malt. A touch watery but still pretty bitter/hoppy with that nice dry finish. Not bad.
Feb 20, 2011
Photo of Slatetank
Reviewed by Slatetank from Pennsylvania

3.08/5  rDev -16.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5
I had this on tap at Cobblestone's served chilled in a large taster.

The pale is very light golden w/ good clarity and thick off white cap w/ creamy appearance. The bead is tiny and lacing is good. The smell is odd, like new mown hay -very earhty barn-yard aroma, lots of grass and toasted odors with slight hint of sulfur w/ light citrus under the vegetal hop scents. The feel is too pils-like w/ a dry malt and astringent grassy hop aspect and just a bit too much bitter and high carbonation -comes off as gassy w/ ultradry and astringent finish which doesn't win me over.

This seems like a mislabled pale ale in taste to me. The taste is citric and bitter, but is like sucking on a hop cone w/out any of the juiciness, just bitter and vegetal w/ the malt any malt flavor to redeem the overly bitter hops. The flavor of the yeast is dry and mineral with some sulfur coming out adding dry aspects to the taste. Unfortunately the hops are too astringent to get any type of enjoyment from -this is too bitter for an American Pale IMO and balance is shifted too far away from the malt to be considered good taste wise. Drinkability is like a pretty dry American Pale, lacks much hop flavor and the bitterness overwhelms the qualities that make an American Pale what it is to me-Drinkable. Pursuit doesn't hold my attention, in fact it makes me want to move on to something else, so below average , a pretty lackluster example of the style and has more in common with an overhopped pilsner.
Jan 27, 2011
Photo of WVbeergeek
Reviewed by WVbeergeek from West Virginia

4.13/5  rDev +11.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
Pours with a bright slightly off white head that billows thick above the edge of my glass. Crystal clear amber/copper color shintes bright as well sort of glowing when held toward the light, fine speckled lacing surrounds the sides of my glass as it is left behind. Aroma has a nice caramel edge malt profile going on amongst sharp citric hops, earthy spicy notes, very nice curbside reel you in type aromatics. From what I gather this was a pale ale that used four different varietals of hops to brew to decide which style they were going use in their upcoming 15th Annivesary new year round pale ale. Nugget, El Dorado, Citra, and Simcoe I have no idea which one this is. Strong citric hops collided with a slight piney bitterness, somewhat earthy as weel with a nice dose of bready caramel malts backing up each hoppy blast of session pale ale goodness. BTW, I looked into the Bocktown website this is the El Dorado hopped version their pouring right now. Nice balance definitely assertively bitter but overall nice drinkable pale ale with hop burps between each sip. Mouthfeel is slightly oily in texture with some almost tea leaf like resins streaking across my palate, more sturdy carbonation that tickles the back of the nares and forces pleasant hop burps occasionally. Drinkability, solid pleasant beer drinking the way it should be. This one won't kill your liver in twelve ounces either and each sip left me wanting another some definite key aspects to a really drinkable beer going in the right direction here.
Jan 27, 2011
Photo of engagechad
Reviewed by engagechad from Virginia

2.59/5  rDev -29.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 2
I had this beer on tap at Capital Ale house, Richmond, VA at the Saison du BUFF tasting.

This beer was not very pleasing to look at, it smelled like a farmhouse too me. Not trying to bash a beer here but it just smelt of hey, earth.. kind of musty

The taste wasn't bad but it wasn't good either and it felt about average on the tongue. I didn't want to have any more of this one.
Jan 07, 2011
Photo of scottyshades
Reviewed by scottyshades from Florida

4/5  rDev +8.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Cask at the brewery alongside a delicious burger

A: Pours a light transparent copper color with a fluffy white cap. Retention is good.

S: A well balanced example. Citrus, light pine, and a bit of earthy hops are balanced with pale malts and earthy spices. A little bread on the end as well.

T: Light bitterness, delicate pale malt base, citrusy/ earthy/ spicy hops. Well balanced, and very nice flavor.

MF/D: Lighter body, prickly carbonation, spicy hops finish

Notes: Very good beer, pairs well with food from the bar. Recommend on cask vs on-tap
Jan 05, 2011
Photo of Axic10
Reviewed by Axic10 from New Jersey

3.28/5  rDev -11.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3
On-tap at the Victory Brewpub.

Appearance: Copper with a finger of white head.

Smell: Floral hops with some malt and a slightly metallic/soapy aroma.

Taste: Bitterness from the hops with an off soapy taste.

Mouthfeel: Medium bodied and crisp.

Drinkability: I enjoy Victory's beers, but this one seemed a little off to me, not bad but not outstanding.
Dec 31, 2010
Photo of rfgetz
Reviewed by rfgetz from New Jersey

4.1/5  rDev +11.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
Pours a clear lighter orange color, cap of forthy white head, decent retention and lacing. Scent aggressive with equal parts pine and citrus hops with a nice lightly sweet biscuity malt presence. Taste is more aggressive then expected, nice strong hop charachter and lightly sweet malt backbone, more aggresive than many IPAs ive sampled. Medium bodied, slightly oily, good carbonation level. A pleasent suprise... a strong flavored, nicely bodied APA.
Dec 06, 2010
Photo of treehugger02010
Reviewed by treehugger02010 from Pennsylvania

3.75/5  rDev +1.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
I bought a growler of this at Victory Restaurant and Brewery in Dowingtown, PA. I poured it into a pint glass.
Appearance: The body is a clear light brown color. The head is a finger tall, eggshell in color, tiny bubbles, good retention, and thin but abundant lacing.
Smell: The aromas are muted yeast, pine, and resin.
Taste: The flavors are very resiny, earthy hops, and yeast.
Mouthfeel: The body is thin with a clean finish.
Drinkability: This is a good beer.
Don't drink and review.
Nov 16, 2010
Photo of akorsak
Reviewed by akorsak from Pennsylvania

3.8/5  rDev +3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Cask at the General.

A: The pale ale is a cuprous orange-yellow color. Hazy thanks to the cask, this ale sits with a relaxed appearance.

S: Aroma-wise, hops and malts share in the glory, equal partners with biscuity bread and zesty citrus peaking through.

T: Another well-balanced pale ale that doesn't skimp on either malts or hops. Mildly citrus hops, a zesty flavor, pair nicely with chewy pale malts. The maltiness, I'd say, is the dominant flavor, overpowering the hops. The pale ale does, though, stress balance and it does nicely with the calming aspects of the cask.

M: The mouthfeel is maltier, a chewier ale that you'd expect. The result is a fuller taste that doesn't overpower the tastebuds.

D: A pale ale that is very easy to drink. Plenty of malts and a firm hoppiness, what more is needed?
Nov 02, 2010
Photo of acurtis
Reviewed by acurtis from New Jersey

3.85/5  rDev +4.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Victory Pursuit Pale Ale - 5.5%
Had at Lititz cask ale festival 10/29/10,
this cask was dry-hopped with Simcoe and Citra.
Super hazy orange color with small off-white head. Nice lacing.
Great floral hop aroma with hints of grass.
Taste is kick of hops with some carmel malt, citris and grass.
Smooth pale ale, light mouthfeel with bitter finish but very drinkable and enjoyable apa.
Nov 01, 2010
Pursuit Of Pale Ale from Victory Brewing Company - Downingtown
Beer rating: 84 out of 100 with 37 ratings