Headwaters Pale Ale - Victory Brewing Company

danoeltico

North Carolina

3.93/5  rDev -1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Served from a 12oz bottle into a pint glass

Nice thick white head from the poor and has a nice dark clear golden color, very little to no lacing

Light pine and malt aroma, just sits back and does what it does

Well balanced slight maltiness with a little hopiness from a sip. With the mouthful the hops are more pronounced and this pale ale starts to shine. It is what a pale ale should taste like, very drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

08-17-2011 17:50:02 | More by danoeltico

Stanhagen

Pennsylvania

2.28/5  rDev -42.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 2

I was really excited when victory released this pale ale as its one of my favorite styles. the beer pours, looks, and smells nice, however, there is a funky aftertaste that I can't get around. I can understand that it might appeal to some but in the eastern pa/philly area there are some great Pale Ales being produced (troegs, yards, philly brewing, etc). while i'd still list victory as one of my favorite breweries this was a serious let down.

Serving type: on-tap

06-22-2011 15:01:08 | More by Stanhagen

Frankinstiener

Illinois

3.54/5  rDev -10.8%
look: 4 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

I've been wanting to give this a try for a while but never got around to it for some reason.
Freshness date printed on bottle: Enjoy by June 23, 2013. Pale gold in color, about what you expect for the style. Nice head almost filled up the rest of the pint glass then shrank down to a thin layer leaving faint lacing. I thought I got more of a citrusy hop smell right when I opened the bottle, but after pouring it into the glass and taking a wiff I'm getting more of an earthy type smell thats hard to put my finger on but not as impressive. Taste is crisp an well balanced and leaves a little bitterness behind. Solid pale ale overall definataly a good example of the syle but nothing new or special here. At 9.99 a six pack there are couple pale ales right in the same price range that I would prefer.

Serving type: bottle

04-01-2013 00:33:56 | More by Frankinstiener

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

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

distvan

Pennsylvania

3.98/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A: it pours a golden copper with a mild amount of head

S: very mild pine, citrus and hoppy smell.

T: not overly bitter and very smooth. great aftertaste.

M: decent amount of carbonation

O: a very drinkable apa that is true to the style. Extremely well balanced.

Serving type: bottle

02-05-2012 19:46:00 | More by distvan

jSehnert

New York

3.23/5  rDev -18.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 3

Light copper in color, with thin had on pour.

smell citrus and some malt.

taste citrus hop with thin malt balance

lingering bitterness, not harsh but good

overall good hop nose and flavor but not balanced by malt backing.

at 5.1 % may bee a reasonable balance for a hoppy session beer.

Serving type: bottle

05-27-2013 21:38:52 | More by jSehnert

phreshbeer

New York

3.35/5  rDev -15.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A: Poured into a pint glass... beer is crystal clear and golden in color. Has a white foamy head that dissolved quickly with little residue. Some lacing apparent, not overly carbonated.

S: More aroma than I anticipated. Some straw-like hops and a little musty smell.

T: Solid American Pale Ale, nothing special as far as taste. Some hops present with maybe a little hint of apricot at the finish. Not a lot of malt, but enough to balance it out.

M: Headwaters is a smooth pale ale with a pleasing amount of carbonation. Not too watery, not too heavy. Right on.

D: This wasn't my favorite pale ale, but still very drinkable. I could use this as a session beer.

Serving type: bottle

03-10-2011 01:49:24 | More by phreshbeer

patoakes7

Pennsylvania

4.22/5  rDev +6.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

a-coppery orange in color, extremley clear with little to no lacing off the cask.

s- slight cirusy hop smell. Not much nose poured from the cask

t-refreshing citrus and hoppy throughout. Not overwhelming and pretty smooth

m-Very little carbonation, light bodied and easy to drink

D- Much more drinkable then off regular draft. Props to Victorys 15th anniversary beer headwaters for supplying the firkin.

Serving type: cask

03-18-2011 00:38:07 | More by patoakes7

cbless97

New Jersey

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

A- Cloudy orange hue. Very light lacing

S- Clean hops, slight orange aroma

T- Very clean floral taste. Bit of a slight orange tang comes through.

M- Nice mellow carbonation and well balanced hops.

O- A very good Pale Ale. Nice blend of all characteristics. I will definitely enjoy this again. Great for watching a game

Serving type: bottle

01-08-2012 01:45:01 | More by cbless97

infinitejester

Massachusetts

3.35/5  rDev -15.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Presentation: A sixpack with a freshness date of 9/12/11. Bought with "session-able" in mind. The bottles were poured into a chalice.

Poured a deep amber and presented a white, two finger head. Good retention throughout and left a cobweb-like lacing. The nose begins with hoppy floralness and settles to a toasty malt aroma with some spice. Taste was consistent with the smell, plus some citric elements. The spicy-toast malts in the nose makes a pleasant and balancing presence alongside the bitter hops. The brew felt crisp and refreshing on the palate. A light body finishing mildly bitter and dry. Overall it was balanced and refreshing. The nose and taste were pleasant, but wholly, just seemed rather average. However, as a session beer, it worked out quite nicely.

Serving type: bottle

05-24-2011 14:46:42 | More by infinitejester

Permalater

4.18/5  rDev +5.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

In general, a very nice looking beer. The aroma is not too bad, not too great either. The taste is for sure the best part of the beer, VERY drinkable but also VERY delicious. It's what a pale ale should taste like! Mouthfeel was oaky, nothing great but I can't really point out anything negative. Overall, this is a really good beer! I'd recommend it to any beer drinker looking for an overall good pale ale! This is what I come to expect out of victory brewery, nothing amazing, but if I'm looking for a good beer to drink, I will trust them to supply it.

Serving type: bottle

03-27-2012 07:29:35 | More by Permalater

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

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

masemase

Massachusetts

4.78/5  rDev +20.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Appearance was not notable

S - general mix of pleasant hops...citrus, pine, floral

T - bitter then sweet then floral then resinous bitter with clean finish

M - Solid carbonation, the reason this beer rates so high is that it is full of delicious hoppiness, yet without an overwhelming bitterness that accumulates on the palate

O - an extremely drinkable pale ale

Serving type: bottle

01-31-2013 04:13:58 | More by masemase

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

Headyman

Massachusetts

4.04/5  rDev +1.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

Thanks to SammyJaxxx for the beermail.

Poured from a 12 oz bottle into a belgian tulip.

Appearance: Pours a beautifully clear light amber. 1 inch bubbly head fades away fairly quickly.

Aroma: A pleasantly mellow citrus, with lemon and grapefruit. Some earthier hop undertones with a sweet, slightly dank finish. The aroma is quite pungent for a Pale ale.

Taste: Unlike any Pale i've had before. Begins with a nutty sweetness, that is accentuated by the high carbonation. Headwaters has a real grassy, weedy, mid and a somewhat salty sweet earthy hop finish. A bit of a peppery taste lingers.

Mouthfeel: Moderate-to high carbonation that works to bring out the hop character. Has an aftertaste that slowly changes from citrusy sweet to a slightly bitter peppery taste. Perhaps a tad watery.

Overall: Extremely interesting to say the least, and quite good. There is a nice dank flavor that evolves from the first sip to the last. A solid pale ale, I'll have to pick this up next time I see it.

Serving type: bottle

05-11-2013 01:26:30 | More by Headyman

thomasdlynch

Massachusetts

3.65/5  rDev -8.1%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A: poured out of 12oz bottle, really nice copper color with decent lacing

S: grapefruit, citrus scents but otherwise couldn't pick up much

T: hoppy taste balanced by malt won't make you pucker with a slight bitterness at the finish

M: crisp and clean, not too hoppy or too sweet

O: very drinkable and with a relatively low ABV great for enjoying a few on a summer afternoon as I did

Serving type: bottle

06-18-2011 21:03:11 | More by thomasdlynch

Sabonis

New York

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

Gold color in the glass. Slight citrus smell, most like subdued lemon zest. Clean, fresh taste with reasonable bitterness to the tongue. Lower ABV makes for great drinkability. American session beer. Great for summer if you're not into summer ales and kolschs. One of my new favorites for the style and great output for Penn brewery.

Serving type: bottle

05-15-2011 17:24:12 | More by Sabonis

ndawg42031

North Carolina

4.53/5  rDev +14.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Great balanced ale!! Hoppy for a traditional pale ale. A nice change from the sometimes over the top hop race over the last few years. Has a spring seasonal feel.
I would recommend with pulled pork BBQ or any traditional cook out fair. Just as good out of the bottle as in a glass.

Serving type: bottle

04-16-2011 06:13:57 | More by ndawg42031

wollybugger

Pennsylvania

2.6/5  rDev -34.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

The first time I try a new beer I get so excited....after the first sip I was somewhat disappointed. Vicory is usually either hit or miss. I love their Lager & Prima Pils. I'm not a fan of the Golden Monkey or the Hop Devil.

I was drinking Samuel Adam's Noble pils on tap prior to drinking the bottle of Headwaters Pale Ale. The first sip threw me a curve ball. Maybe it was the sudden change from one beer to another, but the next few sips were the same. I thought I was drinking a flower. Yard's does a great job with their Pale Ale where they underbrew the hops for a more aromatic taste. Victory appears to have stopped way to early, and all of the taste is coming from aroma hops.

I'm glad I was a given a bottle for free and didn't spend $38 bucks on the case. Others appear to enjoy this beer, but my taste buds say no.

Serving type: bottle

02-22-2011 22:04:56 | More by wollybugger

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

GratefulNole

Florida

4.5/5  rDev +13.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Had this one on tap at The Distillery in Rochester, NY. Glass arrived fresh pulled at a nice temp. Noticed the color right away at a reddish, copper. Next, the smell was very uplifting, and hoppy. Various floral, piney, fruity scents. Small head on it with descent lacing. Taste was very nice and rolled around the taste buds sweetly. Went weel with the pizza we ordered. Would def have again. It was on sale fro $3 a pint. Cant lose there for sure.

Serving type: on-tap

04-14-2011 17:27:56 | More by GratefulNole

wwhomeww

Pennsylvania

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

Poured out of a growler into an imperial pint. 1.5 fingers of off white head. It's beautiful copper color is bright and clear. Right away I get a good citrus hop presence with a hint of minerality. Body is medium with slightly oily mouthfeel not a bad thing. Finish has just the right amount of malty/bready characteristic and I'm left with a bit of metallic/mineral aftertaste. It's quenching and definitely sessionable. Fills a gap in the year round victory line up very well. All around a very good brew.

Serving type: growler

02-16-2011 23:28:59 | More by wwhomeww

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