Headwaters Pale Ale - Victory Brewing Company

jwinship83

Illinois

4.45/5  rDev +12.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

12oz bottle picked up as a single that has a best by august date on it. drank from my sierra nevada hop tulip glass.

A- this one pours out a translucent light copper colored body with a tall finger of bright white head on top. the head last for a bit before falling, and leaves behind small rings of lacing. pretty nice.

S- the first thing i pick up on in the nose are hops. lots of hops. plenty of grapefruit and pine with a touch of floral. after that i get some caramel malts, which adds some sweetness and attempts to add some balance.

T- the taste starts out with some of the caramel malts which adds a solid sweet backbone. then its onto hop country. lots of grapefruit and resiny pine. a lesser amount of floral and grassy notes.

M- i find this to be on the lighter side of medium with a nice level of carbonation.

D- i really enjoyed this one. very hoppy for a pale ale and with an ABV that allows you to have more than two or three with out guaranteeing a crappy morning. this could give sierra nevada pale ale a run for its money. i wish it was year round. check it out.

Serving type: bottle

04-22-2011 16:57:07 | More by jwinship83

deepchills

Texas

4.45/5  rDev +12.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

I bought this Victory Pale Ale at Majestics on Camp Bowie, $13 for a 6pk of 12oz bottle.

Pours a light gold with a small bubbly head.

Herbal/floral nose with some earthy hop and bready yeast present.

The beer has a crisp start with a malty sweetness and hoppy bitterness mixing nicely. Bready flavor and floral notes are present along with some light fruit.

The beer is brilliantly carbonated, resplendently crisp and especially effortless to drink.

A wonderful example of what a Pale Ale should be. I look forward to drink more....now.

Serving type: bottle

10-01-2011 17:44:00 | More by deepchills

tzieser

Arizona

4.45/5  rDev +12.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

poured from a 12oz bottle into a pint glass.

a: straw in color with a slight haze. nice white head that settles into a thin lacing.

s: citrus-hop aroma with a noticeable honey-like malt sweetness and subtle grassy undertones.

t: crisp, hoppy and refreshing. hop flavor hits first and foremost with notes of citrus and flowers. malt backbone is there and keeps the beer from being too bitter (which it most certainly isn't). this is one refreshing beer. it's perfectly balanced. it deserves this 5; well done.

m: great mouthfeel.

delicious. my new go-to pale ale.

Serving type: bottle

10-18-2011 01:14:28 | More by tzieser

TBoneJones

Texas

4.45/5  rDev +12.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Pours cloudy apricot color, slight head and nice carbonation movement via tiny bubbles surfacing.
Smells great of fruity hops, maybe some apricot (kind of like the orange yellowish color), very nice and not overpowering at all.
Tastes light fruit in the mouth, then a hop finish of smoothness. Light and bitter. Refreshing.
Solid carbonation and body, goes down refreshing. If I session a beer I go to pale ales, and so far this is among my favorites.
Bitter to some, but I prefer bitter presence. Somehow more of the fruit taste would make me love this even more, more of a tropical fruit profile such as that of Zombie Dust. But Victory hasn't disappointed me yet, and this is one worthy APA.

Serving type: bottle

08-26-2012 20:11:17 | More by TBoneJones

champ103

Texas

4.43/5  rDev +11.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A: Pours a bright and clear copper/orange color. A two finger, rocky, white head forms with good retention. The foam gently recedes and leaves some lace behind.
S: Big grassy and floral hops hit the nose at first. A light spicy zest of citrus the quickly fades. Plenty of malt that is great. Bread and biscuit. Some sweetness and finishes with more fresh cut grassy and hay aromas. Excellent.
T: Follows the nose. Fresh cut grass right up front. A zest spice of citrus and lots of malt. Toasted grains, bread and biscuit. Very dry as well. I love it.
M/D: A medium body that is just a bit watery. Though clean, dry, and very smooth. So easy to drink. I will be buying many more six packs.

An excellent pale ale that is really enjoyable. A perfect everyday drinker with lots of flavor. Highly recommended.

Serving type: bottle

02-20-2011 01:22:36 | More by champ103

Reagan1984

Massachusetts

4.43/5  rDev +11.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Enjoyed a couple of these on draft at Armby Abbey. The sample I tried sold me immediately with it's great aroma. Two visits and two pints later, Victory reminded me why they have been one of my favorite brewers.

Pale Amber in color with some gold/orange tones and nice clarity. Nice finger of creamy head that leaves some nice lacing.

Aroma is fruity, fresh and full of grapefruit and topical notes.

Nice little beer here. Great balance, nice fresh hop flavor with an explosion of grapefruit. Toasty malts play a nice supporting role here.

Really refreshing and bright in your mouth. Carbonation pops an brings forth the hop character.

Really enjoyed this and will look for the bottled version (which I am told exists)

Well done!

Serving type: on-tap

03-02-2011 13:35:43 | More by Reagan1984

mjmbeer

Illinois

4.43/5  rDev +11.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

there are very few if any beers by Victory that I do not like. this one is one of the better beers in the batch though. As a Pale Ale its pretty Hoppy.. more so than I thought it would be. Not that this is a bad thing. Wonderful amber color with a bone white creamy head that stuck around nicely. the mouth feel was not as smooth as i had hoped it would be. Might be just the bottle serving I am not sure. A bit too biting of a feel to it. Almost as if it had to much carbonation in it. I will have another try at it and see how things go. Overall a great tasting beer.

It is nice to see the APA out there still getting respect and at least this not like the run of the mill. Any one can ad hops and call it a pale but giving the beer that nice biscuit taste goes a long way in my book. This beer does it quiet well.

Serving type: bottle

07-25-2012 23:20:12 | More by mjmbeer

mtast098n

New York

4.43/5  rDev +11.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a 12 oz. bottle into a Bluepoint shaker pint glass.

A: Pours a nice amber with a large-bubbled head. Good retention and well-defined lacing.

S: Canned peaches, mango, grapefruit, sourdough

T: toast, citrus, tropical fruit, caramel. Moderate carbonation on the palate, bittersweet aftertaste

A very good pale ale by Victory with an enjoyable and well-balanced hop character. Almost sessionable at 5.1% which is good because I could drink several of these in one sitting.

Serving type: bottle

07-26-2012 02:08:51 | More by mtast098n

UnderPressure

South Carolina

4.43/5  rDev +11.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Nice standard looking pale ale. Orange color. Slight haze. Thin head. Nice lacing, though.

Intense hop aroma. Caramel sweetness. Nice citrus and floral. Pungent undertone.

Awesome flavor! Hops everywhere. Not all that bitter. Sweet, grainy, and very hoppy.

Heavy mouthfeel with low carbonation.

Could use more carbonation and a thinner body. Otherwise, this beer is awesome.

Serving type: bottle

09-23-2012 17:01:52 | More by UnderPressure

guityler83

Wisconsin

4.43/5  rDev +11.6%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: A slightly hazy copper orange color, with a small bright white head with slight retention retention that sits on top of the glass as you sip your pint.

S: Just.. Wow.. An explosion of cattyness hits at first followed by the classic west coast resiny citrus. I also detect mango, melon and other tropical fruits (Simcoe/amarillo??) nice!

T: The cattyness comes through in the taste as expected, with a nice toasty backbone. The piney bitterness stays with you after you've put down the glass. Crisp and clean, this beer should be drank as fresh as possible.

M: Moderatly dry and a stickyness i describe from heavy late hop additions.

O: Bam! Victory makes some great beers this one included. While some people arn't a fan of the catty character the newer aroma type hops provide I love them in combination with the old classics. The aroma of Headwaters puts this thing in the IPA cattegory for me despite what the label says, I would love to hear the grain/hop bill for this bad boy. Good show ol' chap, good show!

Serving type: bottle

12-29-2012 19:51:50 | More by guityler83

dsa7783

New Jersey

4.4/5  rDev +10.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Single, twelve-ounce copped from Total Wine & More in West Orange. Superb depiction of the style; pours a ruddy, copper, amber-hue with slight carbonation visible. Aromatic, floral notes depicted on the palate and in the nose. Excellent, highly-drinkable brew with hints of tangerine and orange peel. A refreshing, medium-bodied pale ale with a noticeable hop presence. One of the better examples of the style I've come across in a long time. Great stuff. Recommended.

Serving type: bottle

02-23-2011 16:50:03 | More by dsa7783

jmerloni

Massachusetts

4.4/5  rDev +10.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A - A beautiful translucent straw yellow-orange with medium white head that spiders out on the top after it recedes. Really pleasant and clean looking. I like the looks of this a lot.

S - Yeast and honey malts. Something a little bit spicy in there, too. And hops.

T - Yeasty with a lot of citrusy hops. There's definitely some kind of spice here. I think it might be sage. Really nice and crisp, hops are fresh. This tastes like it flows from a utopian pristine creek somewhere!

M - Light to medium bodied. Hoppiness leaves the tastebuds pretty rocked. Smooth with not too much carbonation.

D - Great drinkability. Nice and light. There's a tiny bit of a gap between the intensity of the hops and the overall drinkability. It seems like Victory wanted to make it highly drinkable - and it is - but it does seem a bit watery on some sips, but it's actually nice and refreshing. Solid beer. I love what they do with lighter ales. They never ever miss.

Serving type: bottle

03-26-2011 00:21:44 | More by jmerloni

BeachBrewerDude

Florida

4.4/5  rDev +10.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Appearance: Golden to amber in color, medium head retention

Smell: Subtle hop aroma

Taste: Tar, a little bit of skunk, mossy river stone, pungent grassy bitter hops, a hint of old lady makeup, a nice mild earthy maltiness.

Mouthfeel: Nicely carbonated and chilled. Hops with a tarry essence dominate taste buds.

Overall: Refreshing, hoppy, earthy, not too malty, great hoppy pale ale. The tar characteristic from the hops is something you should be in the mood for, but goes extremely well with certain foods such as BBQ ribs. This beer plays with BBQ sauce so well! Very fun to drink! Bartender...I'll take another!!!

Serving type: on-tap

08-17-2011 20:15:26 | More by BeachBrewerDude

CHickman

New York

4.4/5  rDev +10.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Pours a clear copper orange color with a 2 finger very thick foamy beige head that faded very slowly, leaving good lacing.

Smells of big hops up front, with floral hops, orange peel, citrus hops, grapefruit, caramel, sweet malt, grains, herbs and sweet candy or brown sugar; floral hops, citrus and sweetness dominate the nose and make this smell like an nice IPA. A great nose for an APA and one that I really enjoyed.

Tastes of floral hops, flowers, orange peel, lemon, citrus hops, grapefruit, grape or apple, caramel, sweet malt, grains, herbs, piney hops, wheat, brown sugar, coriander and bread or biscuit; the hops dominate most of the taste, but then give way to the sweet malts which adds nice balance and flavor.

Mouthfeel is creamy and velvety smooth, with a medium body, very low carbonation and an easy smooth feel.

Drinkability is high, this is a very hoppy pale ale and to me it was very tasty and went down quite easy. Right in my wheelhouse, this was very well done and a beer that I recommend. A definite session beer for me.

Serving type: bottle

01-02-2012 05:33:24 | More by CHickman

Gatch

Massachusetts

4.4/5  rDev +10.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A: Beautiful copper color with a foamy, frothy, white head. No lace or retention.

S: Good balance of hops and malt but the hops stand out with a bite that I like to equate to East Coast hops. Not intense but great hop characteristics. Very pale, indeed.

T: Fresh, fruity, hoppy. Fantastic. Right amount of dryness. Malt hits the palate at the end of each sip to make this one balanced PA...from PA. (lame)

M: Smooth, refreshing, and delicious. Thinner body than I would like but the drinkability is very high.

O: A killer PA from Victory. Well done!

Serving type: bottle

06-24-2012 03:46:57 | More by Gatch

BigMike

Pennsylvania

4.38/5  rDev +10.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

A: Pours a nice orange tangerine color. Very clear with a thin soapy off white colored head.

S: A very nice amount of candied orange and grapefruit. Light but right on for the style. Smells very clean.

T: This is a delicious Pale ale. And thats exactly what it is, a Pale Ale. Definitely doesn't cross over into IPA territory but its extremely refreshing and drinkable.

M: Light bodied but not watery by any means. Maybe a new summer time go to beer.

Overall: A solid PA from victory. After the last two sub par beers i had from them(ie Dark Intrigue and Victory Village) it's good to get a winner. Nothing earth shattering but well made.

Serving type: bottle

02-27-2011 23:06:01 | More by BigMike

Hopdaemon39

Massachusetts

4.38/5  rDev +10.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a 12 oz bottle into a nonic tumbler- pours a clear copper/amber color with, a finger of bone-white head, light retention and lacing.

Smell is light and floral- hops predominate but are not too intense and there's a little pale malt.

Tastes wonderfully refreshing- not too heavy on the bitterness but still enough to make it crisp. Light hop bitterness on the front palate, followed by some caramel sweetness, giving way to some floral hops (I taste a bit of green apple as well) to finish it out slightly dry.

Mouthfeel is great- light to medium body, moderately carbonated, no sticky, resiny hop feeling. Great summer beer for sure.

Serving type: bottle

06-23-2012 22:50:23 | More by Hopdaemon39

meverhart53

Delaware

4.38/5  rDev +10.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

I was pleasantly surprised by this APA from Victory Brewing in Downingtown, PA. I thought I was buying Victory's Hop Devil, but mistakenly purchased Victory Headwater Pale Ale instead. This ale gets a big thumb's up.

Brilliant copper color, pillowy head

Lots of citrus and pine

Nicely balanced malt and hops

A nice big tasting ale with a 5.1% abv

Serving type: bottle

07-10-2012 03:29:32 | More by meverhart53

alexgash

Connecticut

4.38/5  rDev +10.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

12 oz. bottle. No bottle date.

Deep tawny orange, with golden edges. Small pillow of gauzy, off-white head. Nose shows off fresh citrus and piny notes mixed with spicy, almost rye-ish malt, and a bit of fruit. Nice balance.

Toasted malt up front. Hop bitterness soon follows; very citrusy, with some marmalade, grapefruit, and spice. Caramel and fruit show up in the malty base. Drier in the finish, with lingering peppery, citrusy hop bitterness and traces of caramel malt. Moderate body with a smooth, easy feel. Very enjoyable and quite sessionable. Can't believe it took me so long to try this beer!

Serving type: bottle

09-02-2012 21:20:28 | More by alexgash

EvanM

4.38/5  rDev +10.3%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

This beer is very beer-like. It has the color of beer and has a foam that appears when poured. Smells good and tastes great - not sour or bitter or sweet. Ask me if I like it....yes, tons! Beer is about the circumstance - not the provenance. Not too much hops and not too dry. Well balanced.

Serving type: bottle

10-28-2012 22:53:03 | More by EvanM

NeroFiddled

Pennsylvania

4.35/5  rDev +9.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

I recently consulted with a brewery that was soon to be starting up and when they asked what beers I thought they should brew (which was really the LAST thing to consider given the many unanswered questions regarding just getting the brewery built!), I told them "forget doing a pale ale and just brew an IPA". My point was that hops are what's selling now; and that a lot of beer geeks just aren't interested in basic pale ales anymore - they want "WOW"! Besides, it's a very hard sell to get your pale ale on tap when they're already being squeezed out by different styles (Belgians, IPA's, ...). That said, I'd questioned why Victory, or any brewery would bring out a pale ale at this point. I didn't know what to expect of it, but now I do - it's got some "WOW"!

There are a lot of breweries making IPA's that are really just hopped up pale ales. That's not even an option for Victory given their IPA's. This is a pale ale. It's medium light in body and drinkable. The bitterness is at a reasonable level, somewhere around 36 IBU's; and it's got a nice, caramel-drizzled malt base to it (giving a nod to its English ancestors). The difference is they've used some new and different American hops. I'm not sure what they are, but there's a sharp edge in the nose, and at the front of the mouth in the flavor. It's pungent and somewhat citrusy (tangerine). That's the attention grabber! Unlike a lot of other breweries that would have just taken that and run with it (read as - hammered you over the head with it), Victory has decided to go for more balance. They've blended their hops so that it's not just one gleaming component that blinds you from the rest of the beer. It's right up there in front, yes, but then it settles down and you find more leafy, floral, earthy, and even somewhat piney hops across the middle. There's a lot of character, but the hops still don't overwhelm the malt. It just goes from sharp at the beginning, to wide and malty with more bitterness showing across the middle, and then it steadily reduces in a dwindling finish that's more earthy/piney than citrusy. Everything is kept in balance, which leaves it remarkably drinkable.

The only question is, are today's craft drinkers savvy enough to recognize that balance, or will they still be blinded by the next bigger and better (read as less-focused but brash or bold) thing? Headwaters is a great American pale ale that carves its own little niche; and hopefully will be rewarded rather than passed over.

Serving type: bottle

03-09-2011 18:22:46 | More by NeroFiddled

GeoffFromSJ

New Jersey

4.35/5  rDev +9.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

An exceptional pale ale. Pretty amber color (maybe more on the yellow side). Nice head at first, but a lacing I couldn't get rid of.

I know this beer is a tribute to their main water source. For me though, it is a tribute to the piney hops they use. I'm assuming Amarillo. And it is pretty nice.

A good bit of hop taste but not overwhelming. Not an IPA. So it becomes an easy-drinking beer.

Serving type: bottle

03-16-2011 02:57:08 | More by GeoffFromSJ

garuda

Pennsylvania

4.35/5  rDev +9.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

12oz bottle, best-by date clearly labeled

A - Clear, brilliant orange-gold body with a one finger, soapy white head that has good retention and lacing.

S - Bready malt with some grassy, herbal hop aromas and caramel sweetness.

T - Bold bread and biscuit-like malts hit the palate first, balanced out by bitter grapefruit hops and a long, resinous finish.

M - Medium body, ample carbonation creates a light creamy texture across the palate and finishes with a punch of bitterness.

O - Nice crisp pale ale with depth and complexity crammed into 5.1% abv. A welcomed, long overdue addition to Victory's year round lineup.

Serving type: bottle

04-06-2011 22:29:55 | More by garuda

drtth

Pennsylvania

4.35/5  rDev +9.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured into an imperial pint glass. Glass of cold water on the side to sip from periodically.

Appearance: As poured is a clear golden copper color with a 1” off-white head that recedes to a patchy thin layer on the surface and a ring of foam around the glass. The head leaves patches of lacing. Sipping leaves behind some speckles of lacing for much of the beer.

Smell: The aromas are fresh and clean and include some floral and citric hops tinged with tangerine and orange zest. There is some pale malt in the background that supports the hops but is also a definite presence.

Taste: The flavor is as clean and crisp as the aroma. The flavors include some caramel malt backbone that supports the floral and citric flavors from the hops (lemon zest, tangerine), but on the whole the impression is of dryness.

Mouthfeel: The mouth feel is on the light side of medium bodied, nicely smooth and with good carbonation. The finish begins with a touch of some malt sweetness noticeable. But that sweetness passes quickly and fades away first, leaving some dry citric bitterness that gradually fades in to just dryness at the end.

Drinkability and Overall Impression: I found this beer nicely drinkable, with each sip following the last quite easily. When the beer was finished I was looking forward to a second, and expect I’ll have this one on my shopping list for some years to come. My overall impression is of a well crafted Pale Ale that I could drink several of during an evening of conversations and socializing with friends and family.

Serving type: bottle

04-30-2011 19:25:27 | More by drtth

Shiredave

New York

4.35/5  rDev +9.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Totally over priced at $14.00 a 6pk. Having said that - this is a damn fine pale ale.

Spot on for color and carbonation tho it threw a wimpy thin head of soapy froth.
Aroma is beautiful blend of floral and citrus hop with solid malt presence of honey note.
Flavor is solid as well - great balance and drinkability with a firm hop finish.

I great session pale ale - put this stuff in casks please!!

Serving type: bottle

05-24-2011 01:56:06 | More by Shiredave