Otto Ale - Victory Brewing Company

northyorksammy

Ontario (Canada)

3.81/5  rDev +5.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A very drinkable smoked beer, with complexity. I think having for 1.5 years helped (note on bottle said 5 year shelf life). Smokey grey colour to it. Moderate smoke aroma. Smooth mouthfeel.Nutty, nicely crafted. Lasting small head on reddish hued body.

Serving type: bottle

03-10-2013 17:22:15 | More by northyorksammy

ChainGangGuy

Georgia

3.28/5  rDev -9.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

750ml bottle - $7.99 at Olde Crabapple Bottle Shoppe in Alpharetta, Georgia. Bottle On: Sept 27, 2011.

Appearance: Pours a clear, bright mahogany-hued body with a full-sized, faintly beige head.

Smell: Displays a myriad of jumbled notes: campfire smoke, cloves, toasted bread, brown sugar, dried fruits (raisins and cherries), bananas, and a recently bandaged finger cut.

Taste: Toasted malts with some sweet additions of caramel, treacle before the phenolic hit of smoke-flavored chewing gum with a touch of banana peel before rolling into some thick-cut bacon, powdered cloves, and Concord grape jelly. Strays, for the most part, on the sweet side of things. Low hop character, bitterness. Some alcohol detected on the lightly smokey, fruity finish with lingering alcoholic heat and clove.

Mouthfeel: Medium-plus body. Medium-high carbonation.

Overall: A curious combination (I recall tapping my chin thoughtfully for a moment when I first heard about it), a smoked ale and a Belgian dubbel. I'm not entirely sure that the smoked malt is playing nicely with the clove-producing yeast strain utilized, as there is, sadly, a displeasing hint of Band-Aid on occasion.

Serving type: bottle

11-03-2011 21:33:11 | More by ChainGangGuy

brentk56

North Carolina

3.55/5  rDev -1.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Appearance: Pours a clear mahogany with a very modest head that fades to a ringlet and archipelago; leaves some splashy lace behind, however

Smell: Caramel, fig, banana and ash

Taste: Opens with the dubbel elements of caramel, fig and pepper, with the banana adding another dimension by mid-palate; the smoked character arrives, after the swallow, and leaves a subtle ashen flavor behind in the finish

Mouthfeel: Medium body with buoyant carbonation

Overall: While the beer is well-balanced, I am not sure that it shows off the best of either style; not something I would seek out again

Serving type: bottle

11-07-2011 01:28:27 | More by brentk56

NeroFiddled

Pennsylvania

3.78/5  rDev +4.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Victory Otto Ale
25.4 fl. oz bottle, corked & caged.
Bottled on date appears to be SEPT 28 2011
$8.49 @ State Line Liquors, Elkton, MD

Otto is an interesting beer, I'll give it that. Combining a Belgian-style dubbel ale with German smoked malt should yield great results...

Unfortunately, I feel that it leaves an undefined beer. It's very smokey, and at first taste I thought it more a rauchbier than a dubbel. And yet the Belgian character was there all along behind the smoke. Odd. I smell the smoke, and then I taste it upfront and I yearn for the maltiness behind it in a rauchbier, but what I find is malt that's peppered with yeasty clove and spice.

So, OK, let me go the other way. I'm going to taste it with a Belgian-style dubbel in mind, and it certainly looks like one so that helps. I get the smoke in the nose, and there's some Belgian character as well. They never quite come together, and in fact they kind of fight each other. That then follows in the flavor. I will say that as it warms the malt widens and the smoke isn't as prominent, but at the same time, the smoke does still linger at the back of the mouth.

Or perhaps I'm completely wrong. Perhaps I just can't see the forest for the trees because I'm so familiar with each of the two styles, and that someone new to all of this would find it amazing.

Serving type: bottle

01-05-2012 23:25:09 | More by NeroFiddled

TMoney2591

Illinois

3.63/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Served in a Duvel tulip glass.

Thanks to Hophead101 for this bottle!

I knew I had to have this when I heard it's description a few months ago. Here's hopin' it lives up to my expectations: It pours a hazy sunset amber-brown topped by a finger of bleached cream-tan foam. The nose comprises light toffee, light figs, very light raisins, and plenty of beech smoke, which at times approaches a Band-Aid sort o' quality. The taste continues the smoke-centric theme, with the beech halfway morphing into cherrywood. Beneath this haze, some dry chocolate powder and raisins try to bubble up, but never really make it very far. The smoke is the star, and everyone is made keenly aware of that fact. The body is a light-ish medium, with a light moderate carbonation and a fairly dry finish. Overall, for a dubbel, this thing doesn't get too far with me. As a smoked beer, it's pretty good, but thoroughly one-dimensional. I mean, I love the smoke as much as the next guy, but I always like to have something behind it as a sidekick kind o' compliment. That really doesn't happen here, which is the biggest disappointment. Still, it's a pretty tasty smoked beer, just not one of the elite ones by any stretch.

Serving type: bottle

11-03-2011 05:04:27 | More by TMoney2591

drabmuh

Maryland

3.78/5  rDev +4.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This beer is classified as a dubbel but be warned rather than surprised like I was, this is a rauch bier, it may be dubbel in some way but to me, this was a straight up rauch.

Beer is brown and mostly clear with a thin tan head of small bubbles, some lacing, looks good.

Aroma is mild, semi-sweet, a little yeast and a little smoke, I'm already confused at this point.

Beer is decent, medium bodied, interesting palate, but the back half is all smoke all the time, the levels of smoke are not overwhelming but it is dominant for sure. A decent little rauch, I'll have to research why this is called a dubbel. Is this is Belgian yeast strain? Anyway, a decent little smokey dubbel. I guess.

Serving type: bottle

11-13-2011 01:33:25 | More by drabmuh

Mora2000

Texas

3.58/5  rDev -1.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

The beer pours a medium amber color with a white head. The aroma has a little bit of toffee, but there is also some nice smoked malt notes. The flavor is quite a bit stronger than the aroma, with a lot of heavy smoke and some charred malt and ash notes. Definitely all about the smoke. Medium mouthfeel and medium carbonation.

Serving type: bottle

04-28-2012 03:40:23 | More by Mora2000

metter98

New York

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

A: The beer is hazy amber in color. It poured with a half finger high beige head that died down but left a thin layer of bubbles covering the surface.
S: There are light to moderate aromas of smoke in the nose.
T: Similar to the smell, the taste is smoky and has some hints of spices. The flavors you would expect from a dubbel are not very apparent.
M: It feels medium-bodied on the palate with a moderate amount of carbonation.
O: The beer is relatively easy to drink because the smoky flavors aren’t too strong and the alcohol is well hidden from the taste.

Serving type: bottle

10-31-2011 23:14:59 | More by metter98

Knapp85

Pennsylvania

3.58/5  rDev -1.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

I never saw this beer as being a Dubbel, I was pretty sure it was supposed to be a Rauchbier. Anyway, the beer poured out as a deep brown color with some nice red highlights in it. The head was foamy and laced the glass pretty well. The smell of the beer gives off plenty of smoked malt aromas along with some lager yeast notes as well. The mouthfeel was prettygood, I found it to be well balanced and easy to drink. Overall I thought that this beer got a little better as it warmed up. I'm not the biggest fan of this style but I like what victory did with this one. I can't say I'd buy it again but it was nice to try.

Serving type: bottle

11-15-2011 05:07:00 | More by Knapp85

russpowell

Oklahoma

3.35/5  rDev -7.5%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Bottled on 09-28-11

Pours auburn with 2+ fingers of khaki colored head. Minimal head retention & lacing

S: Faint smokeyness, some brown bread

T: Oaky smoke with, bready sweetness, a touch of pears & wppdy hops up front. Big time oaky dryness as this warms along with beech & oak smokeyness & a booze warmth. Some herbal hoppyness in the finish along with much woody/oaky dryness & firm smokeyness

MF: Medium bodied with soft cabonation, thins out a touch as this warms

Not a bad smoked beer, but not as good as I was hoping for, the oaky character of this is a bit overwhelming. I like most victory beers, this was a letdown

Serving type: bottle

01-07-2012 04:03:45 | More by russpowell

Halcyondays

California

4.35/5  rDev +20.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

750 mL bottle,

A: Pours a clear dark red with a low medium off-white head. Solid retention, limited lace.

S: Sweet smoke, meaty like good bacon. Good caramel type malt.

T: Has an easy going malt character that accepts the smoke like they were old friends. Superbly balanced, the two flavours play off each other so well.

M: I think the Trappist yeast really helped to mellow out the beer and calm the carbonation. Never cloying which is great in an American dubbel. Soft easy going carbonation character, frothy at times with a prolonged but seamless aftertaste.

O: This is right up my alley. Everything works together to make a great beer. Want some BBQ right now.

Serving type: bottle

11-07-2011 04:38:45 | More by Halcyondays

Gavage

New Jersey

4.05/5  rDev +11.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Appearance: pours a reddish brown color with a short 1/2" head. No real lacing develops.

Smell : smoke, fruits, and some caramel come through to the nose.

Taste: malty goodness here with some chocolate, plums, cherry, fig, and a load of smokey flavor. Bitterness is moderate and alcohol is lightly noticeable. Spicy yeast arrives late onthetongue.

Mouthfeel: medium bodied. Lightly crisp throughout.

Overall: an interesting mix of a dubbel and rauchbier and for me it works. Interesting and it keeps you engaged until the bomber is empty. A definite different beer from Victory that is quite tasty.

Serving type: bottle

11-05-2011 20:35:54 | More by Gavage

WVbeergeek

Ohio

4.13/5  rDev +14.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Appearance is a glowing deep ruby brown when held toward the light, almost a glowing crimson color with a nice full beige head, creamy texture with more than ample chunks of lacing down the sides of my nonic pint.

Aroma has a nice smoked malt character going on very timid compared to some of the beers out of Bamberg that the label talks about. This is a blend of a Belgian style dubbel with a rauchbier inspired by their trips to Orval brewery and the city of Bamberg. Interesting marriage of two distinct styles. Minimal dark fruits, hints of roasted malts, distinct nutty character, and toasted bread.

Flavor has a tame sweetness with distinct waves of smoked malts, not much in the way of smoked meats, but it interweaves with the dark fruits/raisins/red apple from the dark malts and Belgian yeast phenols. Finishes very dry with a bitter smoked finish, pretty interesting beer being a hybrid, from one of my favorite breweries. Alcohol is well hidden, maybe it's the smoked malts but there's no off putting booze in the flavor.

Mouthfeel is medium bodied ample carbonation doesn't seem overdone, bitter smoked flavors really dry the palate off, quite the interesting beer.

Overall this beer sets out to be a dubbel/rauchbier the smoke comes through but it's hard to identify a Belgian dubbel as the base beer. It isn't the smokiest rauchbier, and it lacks the heavy fruit and yeast phenols that a typical dubbel has landing somewhere in the middle, I think it's definitely a nice hybrid beer.

Serving type: bottle

12-20-2011 18:57:44 | More by WVbeergeek

rhoadsrage

Illinois

4.1/5  rDev +13.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

(Served in a dimple mug)
bottles Sept.27th 2011
A- This beer pours a clear slightly dense mahogany brown with a sea of microbubbles swirling around supporting a thin bubbly head that is soon gone.

S- The bacon smoke aroma is full with some dark fruit ester notes underneath in the finish.

T- The hickory smoke is followed by a touch of cold ash with some dark dried fruit esters to follow and a finish that is of smoked meat. There is a hint of band-aid in the finish but it is very soft.

M- The medium-light mouthfeel has a big fizz and a soft alcohol warmth that compliments the smoke.

O- The dubble character is lost a bit with the big smoke which is very good and takes on a hint of bourbon wood as it opens up. The smoke is nice and meaty and no offensive like many peaty smoked beers yet it is a much different smoke than the alder smoked beers. It will be interesting to see what age does to this?

Serving type: bottle

01-30-2012 20:39:41 | More by rhoadsrage

Billolick

New York

3.78/5  rDev +4.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Large bottle, caged and corked, Brewed on 9-29-11, and the rear label tells the consumer that this one might improve for up to 5 years.

Pours a nice warm shade of darker amber, murky under a light tan head, leaving some low sheeting and ample strands and elongated bits of lace.

Smoke jumps out on the sniff, with some darker malts also glimmering.

Smoke also comes through on the palate, a moderate bacon infused experience. I get the smoked beer aspect, but the Belgian dubble character seems to be on the muted side.

Enjoyable if confused winter type offering. Worth a try if you like a beer with moderate smoke character overiding a wintery darker ale.

Serving type: bottle

12-28-2011 23:11:04 | More by Billolick

Kegatron

Pennsylvania

3.88/5  rDev +7.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

750 ml corked and caged bottle into a couple of tulip glasses.

Pours a deep clear amber, with a finger of foamy off-white head. This retains with a smooth richness and robust edging, leaving back a soapy looking cascade that drips down the sides of the glass into a smattering of light spotty lace. The aroma honestly feels very similar to a Rauchbier, with a smoky campfire character that is full smelling throughout the whole nose. You can barely pick up some softer fruit and a touch of sweeter sugars underneath but yeah, the smoke pretty much dominates this here.

The taste fairs better, with much more of that Belgian-style Dubbel presence to it, with notes of fruit and doughy sugars having a place here. This definitely has a touch of aggressiveness to it though, which is maybe coming from a combination of lightly roasted accents and spice from the yeast. The smoke is much more subdued and complimentary here than it was in the nose and just hangs on the breath a bit after each sip. The finish is fairly dry with a touch of lingering spice and earthy bitterness. The mouthfeel is medium bodied, maybe a little fuller, with a firm and prickly feel up front that then gets a bit more creamy feeling along the back as this works itself around in the mouth. That 8% ABV is well hid.

Despite maybe the over smokiness of the aroma, I think that this came out about as good as you would expect for what they were attempting here. Some Belgian character is present but the complete package just came off to me as very German feeling, with tightness to the profiles and the overall Rauchbier-style slant to this. This was unique and I quite liked it.

Serving type: bottle

11-30-2011 15:26:40 | More by Kegatron

corby112

Pennsylvania

2.73/5  rDev -24.6%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Pours a dark golden ruby/copper color with a one finger yellowish beige head that slowly settles into a lasting ring. Sporadic spots of lacing left behind.

The smoked malts and estery dark fruit notes combine to create an herbal/medicinal presence in the nose. Slightly earthy with some grassy hops. Subtle hints of smoked malt with charcoal and wood notes followed by some dark fruit. Not smoker enough for my liking and kind of odd smelling.

Medium bodied with an earthy medicinal flavor that dominates the other notes. Faintly smokey creating more of a wooden, dry taste than the pleasant flavors I associate with rauch/smoked beers. This is followed by the dark fruit notes with hints of grape, plum and other berries creating sweetness that counters the dry character. Similarly to the aroma, this creates an odd medicinal, herbal flavor that overwhelms the beer. The ABV is really well masked with very little heat but the odd flavor profile makes this beer a bit unpleasant to drink.

Serving type: bottle

11-09-2011 07:45:45 | More by corby112

beerthulhu

New Jersey

3.5/5  rDev -3.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

- Labeled as a smoked Belgian dubbel.

A: Beautiful burgundy coloring has a creamy/frothy khaki tinted head with a strong showing of effervesce within. Retention is good with a moderate show of lace coverage.

S: Smoked meat, smoked jerky, moderate in terms of strength. Decent level of smokiness, a bit subdued, and noticeable, but falls a bit short for my personal appreciation.

T: Smoked meat and toasted grains with a hint of scorched wood. In terms of yeastiness not as strong as your dubbel expectations but noticeable content of sweet figs and raisins come out as well fresh moments of fruitiness sneaking out every now and then. There is on the other hand a noticeable trait of vinyl that is hard to ignore, not sure if its from a inperfection in an isolated brewing process or a result of its young drinking age. Bottled 9/11 consumed 2/12 and stated suitable for aging. A smoky trail with a soft but forgiving note of sterile alcohol.

M: Bubbly frothy mouthful is highlighted by a strong nature of carbonation well suited per style. Body is light per dubbel standards, average for smoked beer status with more toasted caramel sweetness at times then smokiness on the hold.

O: Overall liked the ideal and experimentation of combining a smoked beer with a dubbel, except the smoked beer quality is soft and a bit underpowered while the dubbel qualities get lost in the combinantion particularly the Belgian yeastiness. Feels like a smoked beer with a pilsner malt base, decent flavor, but a bit shallow complexity wise and lacks that noticeable smoked nature of rich burnt roasted nature. In the end it kinda misses the mark as a hybrid, as a smoked beer on its own has enough mustard to pass with worthy standards, but nothing I would recommend to the hearty smoked beer drinker. A tweener more aptly suited for the light casual drinker.

Serving type: bottle

03-01-2012 02:30:12 | More by beerthulhu

DrJay

Massachusetts

3.48/5  rDev -3.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Clear, deep coppery amber colour with an inch of fluffy beige foam. Decent head retention, a smattering of clumpy lace. Aromas of smoke dominated, a bit of wood and caramel, dried fruit. Dry malt and fruit flavours, bananas and plums, raisins, smoke and bread, peppery spice with a hint of cloves. Medium bodied with carbonation that was a little coarse, light alcohol warmth with a hint of astringency and slickness.

Serving type: bottle

12-10-2011 23:04:28 | More by DrJay

stakem

Pennsylvania

3.48/5  rDev -3.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Thanks to wishuwerebeer for sharing this one. Pours a clear amber to ruby color. A finger of tan froth sits atop. As the cap slowly fades it leaves a webby pattern of lace sticking to the glass. A swirl revives a finger of khaki head. When held to the light, it shows clarity with orange to yellow coloring around the edges.

The smell is mildly smokey and enjoyable. A touch of something plastic-like is evident which is a bit distracting. It mingles with citrus hops and collectively includes some mineral aspects. Towards te back end, it picks up some grassy character. When focusing on the smoke though, it is quite enjoyable and beefy.

The taste is toasty with a grainy sweetness not too far off from caramel malt. A hint of darker sweetness like toffee blends into te smoked flavor. A hint of citrus hops and fruited alcohol hint towards some plastic and minerals which is not completely appealing. As the brew gets warmer, more of an herbal bitterness gains focus. The aftertaste is quite meaty and strangely fruited as well.

This is a medium bodied brew with a modest level of carbonation. A decent arrangement of flavor with a well hidden alcohol level. I appreciate the attempt here but there are some kinks and drastically clashing character that needs to be worked out before I would attempt to drink this one again.

Serving type: bottle

02-15-2012 18:20:31 | More by stakem

Georgiabeer

Georgia

3.15/5  rDev -13%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

I love Rauchbiers, and I'm glad to see this tribute- unfortunately I don't think it hits all the marks, primarily because it's too bitter, and that overwhelms the relatively light smoke. Even a little touch of rubber bands in the finish, which I really don't like. Not my favorite.

Serving type: bottle

12-24-2011 00:06:18 | More by Georgiabeer

mactrail

California

3.58/5  rDev -1.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A Dubbel with plenty of malt to mellow the smoky flavor. Quite attractive in the little snifter, it even looks a smoky orange. Plenty smoked but not at all harsh. Sweet malt and some roasted flavors. Rather sharp. A little ash in the nose along with the hot oak smell. Hoppy bitterness in the aftertaste. I'm not tasting much in the way of Belgian flavors, but it's a nice concept if they'd try more yeast and less smoke.

I have to admit this is a pretty good smoked beer, though it's not exactly subtle. At least it tastes like real smoke and you could almost put your finger on what kind of wood it is. More enjoyable if you have the bottle around for small doses. A big cheesy pizza, tho, might stand up to it.

Serving type: bottle

01-10-2012 06:59:38 | More by mactrail

Cyberkedi

Georgia

4.13/5  rDev +14.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a lovely clear mahogany with a very thick, if not persistent, light tan head. Malty aroma has smoky, peaty and caramel notes. Flavor fills the mouth with malt, fruit, and barbecue smoke with caramel and floral hints. There is also a whisper of sweetness and a touch of hoppy bitterness. Smooth texture has plenty of body and a good amount of fizz.

Serving type: bottle

11-11-2011 02:37:19 | More by Cyberkedi

Huhzubendah

District of Columbia

4/5  rDev +10.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bottle shared by drabmuh. Thanks Matt.

The beer is light brown with a half inch of tan head that leaves sparse lacing. The aroma is smoke, peat, campfire. Just what one would expect from a beer of this ilk. Good flavor. A notch below the authentic examples of the style, particularly Aecht Schlenkerla, who reigns supreme. That said, this is a fine rauchbier from an American brewery, albeit one that is about as close to Germany as possible...maybe there's something to that. Medium bodied, with a lasting smokiness on the palate. Recommended.

Serving type: bottle

11-12-2011 03:11:49 | More by Huhzubendah

Stinkypuss

Pennsylvania

4.03/5  rDev +11.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Otto Ale
Victory Brewing Company

Pours a hazy amber/brown color. Aromas of sugary sweet malts, mild smoke, perfumy and aromatic. In the taste, smoked malts mimicing cured meat, small zesty citrus hop, roasted, nutty notes. No hint of alcohol with a strong smoke presence. Mouthfeel is light/medium bodied with a semi dry highly carbonated finish. Overall, a nice balanced smoked ale, hearty flavors and all is well in the Victory world.

Serving type: bottle

12-30-2011 02:36:09 | More by Stinkypuss