Headwaters Pale Ale - Victory Brewing Company

RblWthACoz

Pennsylvania

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

I remember way back when this beer was newly released, I was more than happy to see a new Victory beer available and on the market.

But as far as the beer goes:

This has a nice hoppy bite to it. Good spicy tones with a thorough bitter bite. It's nice. Real nice. I like it better than when I had it on-tap. Maybe it was the place I had it at. Either way, this is a good one, which is no less than I expect from Victory. Try it if ya got the chance.

Serving type: bottle

08-15-2012 06:57:47 | More by RblWthACoz

puboflyons

New Hampshire

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

From a 12 fl. oz. bottle. Sampled on August 5, 2012.

The pour is about medium amber with lively carbonation and a head that diminishes quickly.

The aroma starts out with pale malts, caramel, and raising but the hops really penetrate the senses taking over the scent.

Medium body.

The taste is somewhat sweet but the hops tend to be thje dominating factor here. That is not a bad thing but I like my American Pales to be a little less bitter.

Serving type: bottle

08-05-2012 19:28:46 | More by puboflyons

cfrances33

Illinois

3.88/5  rDev -2.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

On cask a Khyber Pass Pub in Philly on 8/4/12, served in a shaker.

Pour: Amber orange with a finger of off white head.

Smell: Grapefruit and lots of caramel malts come out. Maybe a hint of resin.

Taste: Bready caramel malts with a substantial grapefruit bitterness. Again, some resin, but this really seemed to aim for the grapefruit aspect of citra hops.

Mouthfeel: Pretty light, and the flavor profile wasn't very big. Goes down quick. Has been on cask for way too long, this wasn't the enjoyable creamy cask beer, this was the dead flat cask beer.

Overall: Tasty, just wish I had it when it was on cask at an earlier time.

Serving type: cask

08-05-2012 13:51:39 | More by cfrances33

SolipsismalCat

Pennsylvania

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

Poured into a pint glass.

A: Slightly hazy golden yellow, with two-finger, white, foamy and creamy head that lasted a couple of minutes. Nice lacing.

S: Citrus. Mild.

T: Light sweetness and moderate bitterness. Hops and toasted malt. Grows on you as you drink it.

M: Light to medium bodied with lively carbonation.

O: Above average. This beer looks really good.

Serving type: bottle

08-02-2012 00:38:05 | More by SolipsismalCat

DAllspaw

Indiana

4.48/5  rDev +12.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured into plastic cup while on vacation, so I don’t yet have proper rating for appearance, but looks like other pale ales…it was pale with white head. Moving on, the aroma on this beer was exceptional. Very bright notes of grapefruit and citrus with a hint of pine and some subdued malt. One of the better smelling pale ales I’ve had. Taste follows suit, very fresh hope profile and a crispness in the taste that reminds me less of pale ale and more of a pilsner. The creamy mouthfeel present in so many pale ales is not as evident here, but nevermind, since a great beer in its own right. Can’t wait to have again, really made a strong first impression.

Serving type: bottle

07-27-2012 15:14:15 | More by DAllspaw

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

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

GSX1250FA

4.83/5  rDev +21.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

This is my favorite beer.

Has a nice amber color and is not cloudy. Good white head that lasts for a while.

Aroma is of fresh hops and not overpowering.

Delicious hoppy taste and well balanced.

The mouthfeel is medium and full-bodied, and very refreshing.

I think the secret to its great taste is Victory's wet-milling process. It permits the barley husk to be removed from the kernel with less breakage. A more intact husk means less tannic bitterness imparted in the sweet wort. Not too many brewers do wet-milling because it is a slower process and takes more time than dry-milling.

Serving type: bottle

07-25-2012 18:06:32 | More by GSX1250FA

MDDMD

Pennsylvania

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

A-medium amber color with a nice white head and some lacing

S-lemon zest, pine, grassy aromas

T-nice grapefruit flavors with slight sweet biscuit, pine, and a nice bitter finish

F-Light to medium body with moderate carbonation, crisp

O-a good pale ale, nice session beer

Serving type: bottle

07-22-2012 12:06:34 | More by MDDMD

beerleaguer22

Pennsylvania

3.75/5  rDev -5.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured from bottle into pint glass

Appearance – A solid copper color with a nice white head.

Smell – Somewhat fruity/citrusy smell. Nothing overwhelming.

Taste – A good blend of a smooth, light, yet hoppy. Has a nice earthy taste and in the end a roasty flavor is left in the mouth.

Overall – I think it is a good beer, nothing spectacular though. Easy to get down. Victory is quality.

Serving type: bottle

07-19-2012 00:24:10 | More by beerleaguer22

VncentLIFE

North Carolina

3.78/5  rDev -4.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

I gotta say, this thing bleeds Simcoe. At first its cat pee (dont even yet), but then I get a bit of pineapple and lemons--enough to cancel out the flavors I dont like from Simcoe hops. Light bodied and slightly sweet. Theres enough malt and fruity hops to pull this thing through. Might be the best use of Simcoe Ive had yet.

Serving type: on-tap

07-17-2012 23:46:24 | More by VncentLIFE

smakawhat

Maryland

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

Poured from the bottle into a nonic pint glass.

A dull amber orange body, but with a nice glow and nice rising carbonation, makes a light tan/caramel fluffy and creamy head with good peaks and valleys. Settles to a finger after a good three fingers sized pour.

Nose is chewy cookie and biscuity sweet malts, mixing some nice fruity hop. Quite solid and delicious smelling. Basic with a bit of creaminess too it also.

Much of the malt presence hits with a slightly wet palate, not unlike what was hinted on the nose. Chewy and sweet, with a cookie dough like taste, then aftertaste has a real nice airy dry feeling hop quailty, that lingers with some nice bread action. Bitterness lingers quite sharp and long.

Overall pretty solid pale ale, not usually what I think of for Victory but this I could easily have again.

Serving type: bottle

07-13-2012 22:26:05 | More by smakawhat

Darkmagus82

Montana

3.38/5  rDev -14.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Poured from bottle into pint glass

Appearance – Pours a nice copper color with a big billowy white head. The head fades slowly giving a good amount of lacing.

Smell – The aroma is lighter overall, but has a nice blend of aromas. There are hints of caramel, biscuit, grapefruit citrus hop and some pine.

Taste – The taste begins biscuity and smooth. There is an ever so light sweetness, but it is very light and towards the middle it is almost completely gone. With the loss of the sweetness comes good hints of hop flavors. These are a mix of pine, citrus as well as a lighter earthy hop flavor. These flavors take the taste to the end where a bitter and lightly roasted flavor are left on the tongue.

Mouthfeel – The body of the brew is a bit above average in smoothness and thickness with a carbonation level very average. Both are fitting, but are nothing really to exceptional for the style.

Overall – It has a nice more bittering flavor and is quite easy to drink. Not bad, but not the best either.

Serving type: bottle

07-12-2012 01:15:12 | More by Darkmagus82

hagbergl

Massachusetts

4.05/5  rDev +2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Bought a sixer of Victory Headwaters Pale Ale as my go-to vacation beverage at Craft Beer Cellar in Belmont, MA for approx. $10.50. Poured into a Redbones pint glass.

Appearance (4/5): Headwaters pours a clear copper color with a rusty red tinge to it and is topped with a two finger off white head of foam that leaves a little lacing behind as it dissipates. This is a good looking pale ale.

Smell (4/5): Take a whiff and you'll know straight away that this is an aggressively hopped pale ale. Piney, lemon-like, and resinous hop aromas escape from the glass, but, this being a pale ale, a significant malt backbone can be detected pushing back and balancing against the hops.

Taste (4/5): The hops are the star and flex immediately, with strong citrus notes in the foretaste that are balanced by the malts at mid-tongue, then linger on into the finish. This is my kind of pale ale. Lots of hop flavor, though not intensely bitter and well-balanced–a pale ale that leans hoppy, but would never be confused for an IPA. The hops lend citrus and mellow, herbal characteristics to this brew that are nicely complimented by the malts. This beer is smooth and easy-going. Never cloying and with a moderate ABV (you cannot detect the slightest hint of alcohol in the flavor), you can drink multiple Headwaters and not get tired of it.

Mouthfeel (4.5/5): I think the mouthfeel on this beer might be the best thing about it. Headwaters is a medium bodied pale–that is to say, a little thicker on the tongue than other pales (perhaps due to the generous hopping) and feels just right on the tongue. This beer "punches above its weight," so to speak. The beer goes down smooth and has a relatively long finish, again due to the hops.

Overall (4/5): This is one tasty APA and another successful creation by Victory. Any experienced BA will appreciate this beer's easy-drinking nature and subtlety of flavors. I would definitely recommend this to anyone that likes hoppy beer but is looking for something lower in ABV and a bit more restrained.

Serving type: bottle

07-11-2012 16:03:41 | More by hagbergl

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

meeekyh

Colorado

3.33/5  rDev -16.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

I just spend half an hour writing a review for this beer but my session timed-out. Stupid programming. The improvements to this site usually seem like they are not such good things, here is an example.

In short it was good but not great.

Slainte, but hurry!

Serving type: bottle

07-09-2012 03:18:44 | More by meeekyh

facundoCNB

New Jersey

3.6/5  rDev -9.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

a beautiful clear amber/copper in color with 2 fingers frothy white head and great lacing. smells mildly hoppy, grapefruit, lemon peel, caramel. taste of toasted grains up front with a slight grapefruit bitterness/citrus zest.
light-medium body with a mild amount of creaminess and mild carbonation. overall a nice session ale for the spring. very well balanced and surprisingly refreshing.

Serving type: growler

07-07-2012 01:06:08 | More by facundoCNB

MoreThanWine

Massachusetts

4.03/5  rDev +1.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured a 3" custard head with a pretty long life. The body is a clear golden yellow. It smells of grapefruity hops. The taste is far milder than the smell but the grapefruity hops are still there, and I guess that's what keeps this a Pale Ale instead of an IPA. There's a persistent long finish. And it's a very refreshing beer. Nice.

Serving type: bottle

06-29-2012 08:33:21 | More by MoreThanWine

DeltaGolfSierra

Tennessee

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

Appearance is a crystal clear gold with a large pale white head on top. Good lacing down the glass while drinking. Scents are citrus, fresh bread, and a little bit of grass. The taste has a big hops profile - strongly citrus, with bitter grapefruity hops coming through stronger than some IPAs I've had. There is still some semblance of balance though, with a malty sweetness coming through in the background. I would rate this near the top of its style. Another winner from Victory.

Serving type: bottle

06-24-2012 12:46:58 | More by DeltaGolfSierra

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

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

rangerred

Tennessee

3.75/5  rDev -5.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

12oz bottle into a pint glass.

Pours a slightly hazy medium copper with a thick 1.5 finger off-white head. Really good head retention.

Aroma is full of citrus hops backed up by a little bit of malt underneath. Hops really overpower everything, though and are very inviting.

The flavor really pulls the malt and hops together with lots of citrus up front carried by some toasted caramel underneath. A little bready malt as well. Bitterness ends up being on the light to moderate side and I really wish there was a little more malt. The beer finishes relatively clean and slightly sticky.

Overall, another great beer from Victory. A great summer beer and one that is highly sessionable.

Serving type: bottle

06-09-2012 21:03:48 | More by rangerred

thecheapies

Pennsylvania

3.73/5  rDev -6%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4

Orange-copper color and showy carb. Quickly fallen head. 3.0

Piney hops and some grape soda from the malts. A little musty and lightly toasted. 3.5

Spicy hops... almost black peppery. Some dank earthiness evident. Toasted pale malts show off uber-dryness. More pepper in the finish. 3.5

Wow! A heavy-bodied APA. Rich with a busy carb to match. Full and almost creamy in the mouth. Expertly crafted mouthfeel. 5.0

Other than the great feel, not much else stood out. But, I'll simply call it a well-made APA with enough to character to pick it out in a taste test. 4.0

Serving type: on-tap

05-28-2012 20:54:14 | More by thecheapies

Ego

New Jersey

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

$8.99 for 64oz @ joe canals.. not bad

eyes...
3 full fingers of craggy off white head, clean orange hue with a good amount of carbonation rising up keeping that mountain of foam well alive for some time, the head finally settles down after a game of peggle. good looking brew.

nose...
honey laced herbs, citrus with hints of cinnamon sticks, malty sweetness lurking in the background, aggressive for an APA but not overly

taste etc...
light body, has the flavor of some "bigger" IPAs but doesn't club you over the noggin with ABV.. which is nice, this has some nice hop bite (floral) but is not overly bitter, very easy drinking here, lots of bright floral notes throughout, lingering after taste and then it disappears waiting to force you into another sip, almost tastes more like a red than an APA but that is just being picky

verdict?
tasty, really smooth on tap, great bbq summer beer for those who want a good amount of flavor/character but not a ton of alcohol, not worth going crazy out of your way for but any locals should definitely try this (pa, nj, ny etc)

Serving type: growler

05-28-2012 04:56:59 | More by Ego

mrasskicktastic

New Jersey

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

A - Slightly hazy, amber brew with a small head and rings of bubbly lace.

S - Grapefruit - pith and flesh, pine, slight malt.

T - Grapefruit pith, light malt, watery. Aftertaste is mild, only a hint of pithy bitterness.

M - A little harsh, medium body, high carbonation, very refreshing.

D - Stellar, it is exceptionally refreshing. A really great APA, I'll have it again. Another winner from victory.

Serving type: bottle

05-20-2012 23:49:43 | More by mrasskicktastic