Headwaters Pale Ale - Victory Brewing Company

spinrsx

Ontario (Canada)

3.93/5  rDev -1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12oz Bottle from Total Wine Tampa FL for 2$

Appearance - Clear dark gold colour with a large size fizzy white coloured head. There is a low amount of carbonation showing and there is some faint lacing. The head lasted for only a few minutes.

Smell - Hops, malts, grapefruit

Taste & Mouth - There is an average amount of carbonation and I can taste caramel and malts mixed with hops. There is also some grapefruit/lemons mixed with some light pineapple. It ends with a sweet malty and fruity aftertaste with a touch of hop bitterness.

Overall – Really delicious stuff that I could see myself drinking a lot of in 1 sitting. It has a nice well rounded taste that isn't potent but remains interesting throughout. I'd buy it again.

Serving type: bottle

01-15-2013 03:19:03 | More by spinrsx

Jwale73

Rhode Island

4.03/5  rDev +1.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

12oz. bottle served in a willibecker. Pours a light, translucent copper with a one inch, frothy cream-colored head. Nose expresses Simcoe, an earthy/herbal quality, citrus notes and light, toasted malts. Head eventually disperses into a consistent, 1/8th inch cap with delicate spots and strands of lacing revealed in the wake. Taste consistent with nose, as well as the addition of a slight buttery flavor that cuts across the flavor profile and a light, noble hop bitterness at the finish. Mouthfeel is light-medium in body with an assertive, slightly prickly carbonation and some citrus astringency. Overall, a very satisfying and tasty APA that would pair well with pub food and quite quaffable at 5.1%.

Serving type: bottle

01-10-2013 00:09:52 | More by Jwale73

ArrogantB

Colorado

3.68/5  rDev -7.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12oz bottle. Orange color, great head, lots of lace up the sides of the pint glass. Aroma is very floral hops, perfume-like and reminiscent of the floral/perfume aspect I get from Sierra Nevada amped up to 10. Flavor is more of the same. Overall a solid pale ale but it is also sort of one-dimensional and becomes overwhelming.

Serving type: bottle

01-06-2013 17:15:42 | More by ArrogantB

matjack85

Illinois

4.08/5  rDev +2.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I found this single 12oz brown bottle at the Binny's store in Glen Ellyn, IL. for $1.69.

The beer poured a pale orange color with a 1-finger white head that lasted about a minute with decent lacing.

Big floral hop aroma along with lots of fruits.

Good citrusy hop flavor - mostly orange, tangerine, and grapefruit. Just enough maltiness for sweetness and balance. Bitterness is at IPA levels, but I liked it.

Light to medium body with medium carbonation.

This is a good tasting beer. Another winner from Victory.

Serving type: bottle

01-06-2013 05:26:06 | More by matjack85

barczar

Kentucky

3.88/5  rDev -2.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a clear copper with a half inch cream head that dissipates fairly quickly, leaving thick lacing.

Grapefruit, tangerine, and fresh cut grass begin the aroma. Mango, pineapple, and floral hops add complexity. There's a bready caramel malt backbone that is subtle.

Malt backbone is more substantial in the flavor, creating a lightly toasted breadcrust imitation. Citrusy hops become less distinct than in the aroma, providing a sharp contrast to the resiny, bitter finishing hops.

Body is moderate and slick, with moderate carbonation and a slight astringent bite.

More citrus hop character than anything, certainly more along the ipa line, if bitterness were more pronounced. Wish the flavor matched the aroma more closely.

Serving type: bottle

01-03-2013 01:19:14 | More by barczar

BierStein711

Illinois

4.85/5  rDev +22.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

This brew was again had on draught!

Outstanding beer with much fanfare!

Three finger head.

Amber read in color similar to Bass Ale!

Smells of grassy hops, herbs, and a touch of dark fruits!

Tastes of hops, grass, grain, herbs, and a balanced hop finish!

Mouthfeel: smooth and refreshing!

I liked this a tad better than HopDevil!

Serving type: on-tap

01-02-2013 19:10:12 | More by BierStein711

BEERMILER12

Maine

4/5  rDev +0.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Pours a golden yellow color with a fingers worth of head

S: Has some nice citrus and grassy hops with pale malts to back up the hops

T: Follows the nose, with some citrusy hops to start off, followed by the more dominant grassy hops and finished by the pale malts. Fairly simple

M: Medium bodied with moderate carbonation. Smooth

O: A nice, simple pale ale with a good bit of hops and the malts to back them up. Nothing to really write home about, but a good drinker nonetheless

Serving type: bottle

12-30-2012 02:12:49 | More by BEERMILER12

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

BucannonXC5

California

4/5  rDev +0.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Type: 12-oz. bottle
Glass: Stone pint glass
From: Holiday Wine Cellar in Escondido, Calif., on Dec. 27, 2012
Price: $19.99 for the 6-pack
Misc.: Box said enjoy by March 10, 2013; Also a long and uninformative spiel about water on the bottle and not as much (really nothing) about the beer.

Poured a honey golden, pale, clear color with two fingers of snowy, frothy white head. Healthy amount of thick, foamy white lacing on the sides. Good thick retention on the top as well that lasted throughout the pour.

Smelled a sharp whiff of hops up front, somewhere between resin and citrus (grapefruit). The bitterness comes through unambiguously. Also lemon grass, hay and honey.

Tasted the hops first like the smell. Got that mix of resin and grapefruit. Also some lemon in there. Cereal and light bread.

Light body. Oily texture. Average carbonation. Bitter finish.

Just a really good pale ale. Will savor my other two in the Victory variety pack.

Serving type: bottle

12-28-2012 09:32:05 | More by BucannonXC5

TheMultiYeast

Pennsylvania

3.88/5  rDev -2.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Pours slightly hazy yellow with a small white head.

Smell offers fresh, citrus hops..really clean aroma. Fresh orange/lemon with mild sweetness for balance.

Similar to nose with plenty of lemony citrus hop character, some spicy hop notes, hop forward but well balanced. Slightly bitter finish.

Crisp carbonation and light feel makes this a great pale to session.

Another great brew from Victory.

Serving type: bottle

12-24-2012 22:14:31 | More by TheMultiYeast

ummswimmin

New Jersey

3.95/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

I poured this into my tulip glass and got about two fingers of head. The coloring is more brown than orange.

The aroma from this beer is decently strong. I like the prevalence of citrus in the nose.

The flavor is pretty strong for a pale ale. You get a lot of citrus hops with really minimal malt. This leads to some decent bitterness. This is a pretty good pale that tastes more like a single IPA.

Serving type: bottle

12-24-2012 20:06:09 | More by ummswimmin

SeamusDoyle

Pennsylvania

3.98/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours clear amber with an average, frothy white to off-white head, medium retention with good lacing. Aroma is fragrant fruity, citrus, grapefruit, and pine hops and cereal malt with tropical fruity esters. Flavor is heavy hops and bitterness, supporting dry malt and fruity esters with a dry finish and a spicy character. Medium body and carbonation.

Serving type: bottle

12-21-2012 19:19:15 | More by SeamusDoyle

AmitC

Indiana

4.28/5  rDev +7.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Drinking my first headwaters. This one is being consumed beyond its best by date of 19 sep 2012.

So it might have lost a lot of its hoppiness and aroma. Still it does very well on a lot of parameters and i can see how good this will be if taken fresh.

Pours with about two finger thick fluffy white colored head, with not much standing. Amber in color, somewhat pale and hazy. Very good lacing. Almost no bubbles.

Aroma: Very good mix of citrus hop aroma and bready malts. Some weed like and grass like nose. I am assuming this is a subdued lot, but still it puts many IPAs to shame.

Taste: Nice mix of malts and hops. Nice use of malts that are suppressing the bitterness but still the balance tilts in the favor of hops. A good bitterness in the after taste for a pale ale. Citrus and some resin, oily character. Very hop upfront. Slight malty backbone and the ending is again full of bitterness. Bitter dry finish.

Mouth feel: Light to somewhat medium feel. Some hop derived astringency. Crisp and refreshing. Low on carbonation.

Very good beer for summers and springs. Very enjoyable in the winters as well. In the mood of some easy hops, this one will do the trick.

Style Rate: 4.25
Personal Rate: 4.25

Would definitely have scored 4.5 if fresh. I will seek this one out, an younger bro of Hop Devil. Certainly.

Serving type: bottle

12-19-2012 23:05:02 | More by AmitC

fmccormi

New York

4.2/5  rDev +5.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Straight pour from 12oz pry-off bottle to a 25cl Duvel Single tulip. Freshness date of April 13, 2013 printed in white-grey ink on the shoulder of the bottle (“Enjoy By: Apr 13 2013 0182 1551”). Going by a five-month freshness period that Victory uses for this beer, I’m assuming that it was bottled on November 13, 2012. So, just under five weeks old on the date of consumption.

Appearance (3.5): Close to two fingers of very fine, velvety-looking foam rises offof the pour, capping a crystal-clear, honey-gold body. Retention is modest, but it leaves some fat splotches of lace and scattered suds as it goes down—definitely better than average.

Smell (4.0): Surprisingly funky, dank kinda smell coming off of this—which is awesome. The dry-hopping is evident, even at five weeks old. Very clean, fresh, and aromatic, with nice citrus (pineapple, mango) and mild weed tones (a little dank, a little resinous) over some solid, bready malt character that’s only modestly sweet and moderately rich—great mix and balance for the style.

Taste (4.5): A nice dose of bittering hops offers some grassy, mildly vegetal bitterness right off the bat. The body is clean and crisp, a light body of very pale barley malt that’s moderately toasty, like fresh-toasted Southern white bread—not sweet, very nice and dry but not particularly complex in grain composition, either. But it fits the style extremely well. There’s a very crisp, lemony flavor and bitterness that dominates the mid-palate and carries into the finish, which I like—very crisp and refreshing. The finish has a nice, medium-strength bitterness that’s part grass and part lemon. Awesome.

Mouthfeel (4.0): Definitely on the light side of medium-bodied, with a finish that’s crisp and dried out nicely from some modestly astringent hop oils. The carbonation is soft and full, foaming a bit on the way down. This is very, very drinkable.

Overall (4.0): Talk about crushable. This beer is so crisp and drinkable, it’s a perfect springtime beer—I can definitely see having a couple of these on the porch on a warm April evening in upstate NY. This is a great example of the style, and I will definitely be seeking it out again when I need something to shake me out of the winter doldrums and open me up to the crisp air of springtime. Good job, Victory.

Serving type: bottle

12-18-2012 01:23:50 | More by fmccormi

brewdude1982

North Carolina

4.33/5  rDev +9.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4.5

This was a 12 oz bottle poured into a snifter.

Pours a dark golden brown with great clarity. The smell is amazingly hoppy. I love the nose of this brew. Slight malt taste upfront and then a powerful mule kick of hops that is extremely citrus and very powerful. I love the hop character of this beer. The mouthfeel is average and the carbonation is too. If you have never had this I would recommend.

Serving type: bottle

12-11-2012 01:03:20 | More by brewdude1982

match1112

Illinois

3.85/5  rDev -3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

a: clear amber body, fingers worth of head settles to a thin ring.

s: grainy, floral hops, caramel

t: sweet cereal grains, citrus hops, caramel malt

m: just a tad thin, decent carbonation, a little dry bitterness on the finish.

o: pretty tasty, easy drinkin, glad i grabed a six pack.

Serving type: bottle

12-10-2012 01:38:39 | More by match1112

Bworfus

Austria

5/5  rDev +25.9%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Absolutely biased..

Had this beer for the first time after a 3 hrs MTB ride handed to me by a friend from his treasure trove cooler.

I can taste the pureness of the headwaters in this one. It's like Austrian glacier water freshly melted and cought with your bare hands, blended with everything you love in American hops, the resin, the sap, the citrus fragances, the fruit, the hemp, and then the earthiness of just torn out barley ears from the fields, ground up with your bare hands again..

All of the above was made into a beer from heaven! Thank you Victory!

Overall actually caters more to an American IPA lover, than to somebody who's looking for a true pale ale, due to a strong hop presence throughout.

Serving type: bottle

12-06-2012 03:35:47 | More by Bworfus

Mojo

Alabama

4/5  rDev +0.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This offering from Victory pours up a deep gold with a one finger white head, not much retention, but substantial lacing on the side of the tulip. The nose is floral, citrus, and pine. Taste is very sweet upfront followed by a bitter hoppy finish. Mouthfeel is good with a bit of an aftertaste, though not completely unpleasant. Certainly a worthy offering. Not world class, but good stuff nonetheless.

Serving type: bottle

11-26-2012 04:05:21 | More by Mojo

JamesMN

Minnesota

3.45/5  rDev -13.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Appearance: Slightly hazy caramel/orange hue with a very thin soapy off-white head.

Aroma: Bready malt and light earthy hops.

Taste: Lots of bready malt and almost a buttery or spicy biscuit taste. A hint of pine and mostly subdued earthy hop flavor. Not much bitterness. Semi-dry finish. A bit of a sweet palate. Nice aftertaste of biscuit.

Mouthfeel: Just under medium in body with decent effervescence. Easy drinkability.

Final Thoughts: A good Pale Ale but nothing special. Would I drink it again? If it was offered to me.

Serving type: bottle

11-16-2012 05:46:35 | More by JamesMN

Murrhey

Montana

3.35/5  rDev -15.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Had this beer poured on a flight at Haven Gastropub in Orange, Calif. Reviewed from notes.

A- Finger width head, good retention and carbonation. The lacing is nice as well. Orange-brown body.

S- Hoppy and light.

T- Crisp flavors, bitter and fresh.

M- Smooth and fairly dry.

O- Easy drinking beer. Tasty and floral hops. I wish I took better notes on this one.

Serving type: on-tap

11-14-2012 23:45:05 | More by Murrhey

DavoleBomb

Ohio

4/5  rDev +0.8%
look: 3 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured into a perfect pint.

3.0 A: Faintly hazed light orange color. Just half a finger of frothy off-white head with average retention, but no lacing.

4.5 S: Lot of aroma in this. Jam packed action for the nose. Quite hoppy with floral and dank resiny, cat pissy hops. Maybe some citrus and pine underneath. Grainy with a light caramel and a light toastiness. Solid neutral malt aroma. Not entirely complex, but powerful and more importantly, exceedingly pleasant.

4.0 T: Good balance betweent the hops and the malts. Hops are again floral, resiny, and dank with just slight cat notes. Grainy malts with light toast and caramel. Solid flavors that are big and bold. Well done.

3.5 M: Lighter medium body. Good moderate carbonation. Light creaminess and could use some more, but good enough overall.

4.0 D: Tasty, well rounded pale ale. Super drinkable and easily classified as an "anytime beer."

Serving type: bottle

11-14-2012 05:16:45 | More by DavoleBomb

TTAmod

Michigan

4.2/5  rDev +5.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4

12 oz. bottle with no visible bottling date poured into pint glass.

A: Clear. Somewhere between gold and yellow. One finger pillowy white head with okay retention.

S: Smell is strong tropical fruit. Grapefruit dominate but there are hints of orange creme and pineapple.

T: Nice use of Citra hops (I believe this is a single hopped Citra beer.) Easy-going grapefruit and orange flavors but with the added depth of flowery and herby hops. Slightly toasted malt base keeps the hops in check. A slight bitterness lasts into the finish.

M: Pretty much perfect. Slightly less than medium body, effervescent, creamy. Obscenely drinkable.

O: One of my favorite new-ish APAs. Complex, strong (but not overbearing) hops. Interesting, complementary malt base. One of my favorite Victory Brews. This has a similar hop profile to Hop Wallop, but without the huge ABV.

Serving type: bottle

11-09-2012 04:04:48 | More by TTAmod

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

mikeg67

New Jersey

4/5  rDev +0.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12 oz bottle. Pours amber with a long lasting white head and nice lacing. Aroma is of citrusy hops, orange marmalade caramel and biscuit malt. Body is medium and crisp. Citrusy, earthy hops dominate the palate while caramel and biscuit malt and ripe fruit provide support. Finish is long, grapefruity. Delicious brew.

Serving type: bottle

10-28-2012 20:41:09 | More by mikeg67

dbrauneis

New Jersey

3.95/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Served on tap at Beer Authority in New York, NY

A: Pours a crystal clear medium to dark golden yellow in color with light amounts of visible carbonation. The beer has a finger tall off-white head that slowly reduces to a thin film covering the entire the surface of the beer and a thicker ring at the edges of the glass. Significant amounts of lacing are observed.

S: Moderate aromas of grapefruit/citrus hops with lighter hints of grassy hops.

T: Upfront there is a light amount of malts followed by moderate flavors of grapefruit/citrus and grassy hops. Light amounts of bitterness in the finish.

M: Just shy of medium bodied with moderate amounts of carbonation. Smooth with light amounts of dryness in the finish.

O: Enjoyable and quite easy to drink - good flavors and the lower ABV make this quite sessionable. Well balanced.

Serving type: on-tap

10-15-2012 21:04:20 | More by dbrauneis