Victoria Bitter (VB) - Carlton & United Breweries, Ltd.

diablo14

Australia

1/5  rDev -56.9%
look: 1 | smell: 1 | taste: 1 | feel: 1 | overall: 1

as an aussie, im insulted to say this is one of our beers. in fact, CUB stands for everything that is bad in australian brewing. i cant say much more about this beer that hasnt already been said, but my personal assessment is id rather drink cats piss than this. its a disgrace. there is no nose, the taste is laden with horrible horrible adjuncts and if you want to be assured of a screaming hangover that can last for days, have a six pack of this! (or any carlton beer for that matter) if someone can tell me what the difference between all the carlton beers is, please let me know, i struggle to work it out!

Serving type: bottle

10-12-2003 14:16:39 | More by diablo14

ADZA

Australia

1/5  rDev -56.9%
look: 1 | smell: 1 | taste: 1 | feel: 1 | overall: 1

This is a beer that you only order if your at some country pub on a hot summers day and this is the only fullstrength beer available for thousands of kilometres,not a nice beer at all smells like piss water with a mass produced background as like all these types of beers its well carbonated with no love or life inside its bottle,can or whatever way you get it i can assure you i dont have it,the only thing ill be remembering this beer for is its good adverts and catchy tune.

Serving type: bottle

07-03-2009 20:57:50 | More by ADZA

laituegonflable

Australia

1.02/5  rDev -56%
look: 1.5 | smell: 1 | taste: 1 | feel: 1 | overall: 1

Pours a thick frothy cushion of purely white head. Masses and masses of swirling carbonation. Beer shouldn't fizz that much, it'll have me farting my arse off. The beer is the most dull, uninspiring colour. Bo-o-o-o-o-ring.

Nose is almost foul, but the foul smell is completely weak, dulled and absent. I know beers are meant to have smell, because I've smelled them, so this is bad. But it's worse because whatever smell is there is quite horrible on its own.

Taste is horrible and flavourless. It tastes like dirt dissolved in water and then filtered many times to get the flavour out. The taste is terrible but the flavour is so weak you can't even taste the horrible taste, if that makes sense. Mouthfeel is sharp and drying and horrific. Like eating nails.

An abysmal, unconscionably bad drop of beer. Flavourless, horrible and harder to get down than a truck full of cement. Avoid, avoid, avoid!

Serving type: on-tap

03-10-2008 05:58:48 | More by laituegonflable

lacqueredmouse

Australia

1.05/5  rDev -54.7%
look: 2 | smell: 1 | taste: 1 | feel: 1 | overall: 1

Deep golden yellow. Decent frothy head. Looks quite carbonated.

Very strong nose. Quite potent - smells of off vegetable matter, with a hit of ammonia.

Musty, damp unpleasant flavours. Very flat and uninspiring. Wow. Could there be a more unpleasant beer? It's like drinking expensive pond water or something. There's very little there except the late bitter chemical inspired hit.

A very unpleasant beer this one. I'm saying that because this is a very poor beer (probably the worst I've ever tasted), not because I have something against so-called "standard" beers, or the macrobreweries.

Stay well clear.

Serving type: bottle

01-15-2005 07:16:16 | More by lacqueredmouse

THEMGG

Australia

1.05/5  rDev -54.7%
look: 2 | smell: 1 | taste: 1 | feel: 1 | overall: 1

A - This beer has golden, clear colour which is unfortunately deceptive to the flavour that lies beneath

S - The initial smell of Vic Bitter is like one of those stenches that you wake up with on your clothes after a big night on the lagers and realise you are lying in a pile of your own vomit and feces. A bitter metallic sting that digs into the nose with sharp claws. This is pub floor in a can.

T - After the horrifying initial smell, one is not really looking forward to sampling its taste, but if you force yourself, you will be rewarded with one of the worst tastes you can possibly pour into your mouth. Anyone with functioning tastebuds will recoil with disgust.

This beer is an insult to all living creatures.

Forget going within a 10m radius of this beer if it happens to rise above frozen temperature, this foul swill should tipped into a volcano.

M - Like licking a rusty bucket of nails. A sharp, disgusting mercury like feel pervades the pallet. The sickly flavour hangs on the tongue like burnt solder.

I curse this beer.

D - Hahahahahaha. After one sip of this swill, you will be tightening the rope for whoever handed it to you.

This is one the worst beers known to man (and the biggest seller in Australia, hahahhahhaa).

Serving type: bottle

11-09-2007 11:50:11 | More by THEMGG

Anonmatel

Australia

1.1/5  rDev -52.6%
look: 1 | smell: 1 | taste: 1 | feel: 1 | overall: 1.5

I don't like this beer, i never have. It's watery, boring, sweet (sorry folks but Victoria Bitter aint that bitter). It tastes almost exactly as both Melbourne Bitter, and Crown Lager.

Oh and their Ad campaings run me up the wall. They look like they come straight out of the 80' (i think they did). And they promote their beer to the Working class Yobbos, Westies, Boagans (rednecks for all you Americans).

Serving type: bottle

09-23-2002 11:16:37 | More by Anonmatel

aeolianshredhead

Australia

1.1/5  rDev -52.6%
look: 2 | smell: 1 | taste: 1 | feel: 1.5 | overall: 1

Here it is: one of the main offenders to the Australian beer industry, VB itself. I do have fond memories of my friend and I stealing our respective father's supply of this and drinking them in the backyard when we were younger, but as a beer itself? How does it compare?

A- It has that extremely fake appearance sported by most Aussie macros. This is cheap and factory assembled. An aggressive pour gets a miniscule head, which vanishes but for a blotch on top. The carbonation loses its bite quickly as it becomes stagnant and tepid.

S- Judging a book by its cover works when smelling this beer. It smells as it looks: artificial. Basically, some kind of awful, out of place sweetness assaults my sense of smell. The worst part is, I really can't tell what is causing this scent. Is it malt? God no. Is it hops? I sincerely doubt that. Whatever it is, smells like it should definitely not be there.

T- To this beer's credit, it is very consistent from nose to palate. That is most certainly not a desirable thing, though. This tastes quite rank. That saccharin-esque sweetness is horribly discernable throughout and leaves a sickly feeling on your tongue. Also, it finishes with the dreaded and most feared of all things- POR. I prefer the taste of XXXX to this and believe me, that is saying something.

M- It's bloating, gassy, abrasive and watery. These are not good things, people. The fizziness just does not work here. This is a true pain to drink.

O- As I expected, VB is a disgrace to the great name of beer. People, if you want refreshment, go for a hefeweizen.

Serving type: bottle

09-08-2011 09:53:27 | More by aeolianshredhead

TheLongBeachBum

California

1.13/5  rDev -51.3%
look: 2.5 | smell: 1 | taste: 1 | feel: 1.5 | overall: 1

Presentation: 375ml straight sided can. Metallic green with a simple oval like frontage. Victoria Bitter is in white font and wraps around a red middle that has the letters ‘VB’ in black & gold. The Words “Victoria Bitter” AND “VB” ??? Are Australians that bad at working out abbreviations? A gold CUB emblem, in a circle, is atop this oval. The small print states that this can contains 1.4 (presumably midget) standard drinks, which is also 4.9% Alc/Vol.

Appearance: Filtered and pasteurized it offends no-one with its sheer clarity and supreme golden urine looks. Thin whispy white head – that laces the glass with globs of foam, rather than a lace pattern.

Nose: Oh it’s bad – even the depressed temperature cannot hide the sweetcorn, sickly, sticky malts, and a pervasive annoying aroma that screams “Yuck”.

Taste: I made sure I recreated the authentic Aussie surroundings – so I chilled it well and strapped a Sheep to the Bed Posts for later. Man, even after one sip that Sheep looks more inviting. Sickly, corn like, and that’s when it’s well chilled. Thinking it could not get worse, the sado-masochist in me let the last 1” of beer warm up; then it becomes 'really' disgusting, almost a syrupy sticky cloying sweetcorn that stays on the palate no matter how hard you swallow. Goodness Me, It’s awful. Can I give this 0.5 ? Never, I repeat NEVER drink this - unless its extremely well chilled.

Mouthfeel: I tried not to keep it in the mouth for too long, after all, what has my mouth ever done to offend me? Thin mouthfeel that coats the mouth with a slimy warm corn-malt like syrup taste, and it stays there. Sweet ending, that gets sweeter as it gets warmer.

Drinkability: The best part about the Drinkability was the fact that I only had one of these. If I lived in Alice Springs and this was the last beer in the Fridge, I would still keep looking………..

Overall: Apart from the ring pull on the aluminum top, raised lettering states, “please recycle”, oh yeah – I’ll de doing that soon enough. I may even separate the can in the trash.
Does VB stand for Very Bad???

Serving type: can

09-11-2003 03:40:39 | More by TheLongBeachBum

rjimlad

Australia

1.18/5  rDev -49.1%
look: 2.5 | smell: 1 | taste: 1 | feel: 2 | overall: 1

I hate this beer with a passion but maybe its just me so I thought I'd give it the benefit of the doubt. This poured nearly flat into my trusty schooner glass and left little lacing. The inital aroma/stink is revolting. It's kinda like the smell of the carpet in front of the main bar in a country pub. Stale with hints of urine. It' s mercifully weak though but it gets worse with drinking. There's a metallic bland bitterness that's not there long so you're left with a glass of weak flavourless bitter water with moderate carbonation. There are Australians who think this is the best beer on Earth and won't drink anything else. There is something wrong with them. I know the rules state we should give negative reviews without being insulting so I'll stop now. This is swill.

Serving type: bottle

04-05-2007 07:22:25 | More by rjimlad

Madigan

Ireland

1.18/5  rDev -49.1%
look: 1.5 | smell: 1.5 | taste: 1 | feel: 1.5 | overall: 1

I tried this on tap at the 'Great' Irish Beer Festival in Galway. Actually, the festival was pretty far from great and one of the reasons I tried VB was because it was one of the few draught beers on offer. My younger sister, who lived in Australia for a while, had warned me about this stuff some time before but I just thought 'what does she know about beer?' and ordered a pint of it. Jesus, this is a terrible brew. I've had many bland, watery, insipid lagers in my time but never one that was so actively unpleasant. It poured a pissy yellow colour, had no head, and while it didn't smell of anything much in particular it had a harsh metallic taste that just got stronger the more I consumed. I took three large mouthfuls and poured it down the nearest drain. A dire drinking experience, VB is most definitely one to avoid.

Serving type: on-tap

04-25-2009 14:59:55 | More by Madigan

rye726

Colorado

1.2/5  rDev -48.3%
look: 2 | smell: 1 | taste: 1 | feel: 1.5 | overall: 1.5

I don't have much good to say about this beer. Color is straw yellow with a foamy white head. Tastes of old and moldy ingredients. It is way too fizzy and has anawful after taste. Best for cooking or giving out to transit campers. And it does not even work well for that.

Serving type: bottle

05-07-2008 00:33:47 | More by rye726

rastaman

United Kingdom (England)

1.33/5  rDev -42.7%
look: 1 | smell: 1 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 1 | overall: 1.5

Adjuncts -a-plenty in this brew, smells awful, and no surprises it tastes awful, manages to have some flavour (even if it isn't good flavour, this is the most poular beer in Australia, but then again Budweiser is the most popular beer in america. VB was the first beer i ever had, and i still get stuck drinking more than i'd like coz often its the only beer available. Pretty nasty beer. Tastes better on the way out.

Serving type: bottle

02-16-2002 19:35:41 | More by rastaman

TubaManJack

Illinois

1.33/5  rDev -42.7%
look: 1.5 | smell: 1.5 | taste: 1 | feel: 2 | overall: 1.5

Wow finally I am "privileged" to try this brew on tap after hearing my dad talk it up that was Mistake #1. Mistake #2 was receiving an 20oz pint.

Apparance- The lightest shade of gold and poorest excuse of a head. Its really carbonation.
Smell- Generic Lager with tinges of metallic aluminum and the lines aren't contaminated.
Taste- Watery, Metallic, and Slick. The bitterness comes from out of nowhere to punish your tongue. Its akin to drinking a light iced beer, yes think back to those college days. I would have left a lone soldier, but I had to chug the last 10oz. at the bar before "that Yank left"

Avoid for your own sake and only consume this Adjuct Lager when it is explicitly handed to you by a local. Simply chalk it up as a cultural experience. I understand why people love the things they grow up with but that doesn't mean I have to enjoy it.

Serving type: on-tap

05-03-2009 11:12:02 | More by TubaManJack

biegaman

Ontario (Canada)

1.35/5  rDev -41.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 1 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 1 | overall: 1

It's a funny thing that this looks alright because, otherwise, VB has about as much appeal as an STD. Its spotless clarity and deep tone of gold do not personify the beer's nauseating and raunchy character, I can assure you. Likewise, its white head may look pristine but the industrially-produced, chemical-filled, adjunct-ridden beer beneath it is anything but.

"Vic Bitter" has forever marketed itself as an unpretentious, blue-collar, working man's beer and, indeed, it smells like a big, sweaty fat man would after a long day's work under a hot sun. Even dripping with perspiration, dehydrated, exhausted from a full day of outdoor labour I doubt I could drink this. This is so bad it could turn even raccoons away.

VB is affectionately known as "Vitamin B", ironic considering the beer is evidently deficient of malt. It is full, rather, of industrial adjuncts and chemical fillers, the smell of which is as repulsive as (and conjures to mind) green mold. And, truth be told, I'd just as soon take my chances with that than risk finishing this; I think a Tetanus shot might be a good idea.

It is foul and off-putting and far from refreshing. The rawness and unpleasantness of its taste, which is like corn syrup gone bad, is heinously cloying and wickedly wretched on the palate. The fact that it's gone easy on the bubbles only makes things worse; this horrid flavour just sits on the tongue like a filthy pigeon stooped on a ledge. This may have alcohol in it but, believe me, it's a uniquely sobering experience...

I'm told that the Aussies joke that VB stands for "Vomit Bomb", "Vaginal Backwash" or 'Very Bad', none of which come close to accurately portraying the horribleness that is this monstrosity of a beer (but, if I had to chose, I'd say that "Vomit Bomb" probably comes the closest). Normally beer is, as the saying goes, proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy - VB would suggest He hates us and wants us to be miserable.

Serving type: can

07-05-2010 00:51:22 | More by biegaman

burnheartsMKE

Wisconsin

1.35/5  rDev -41.8%
look: 2 | smell: 1 | taste: 1 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

VB sucks. I could barely drink it. It was the first adjunct lager I had consumed since starting my daily beer project on the first of the year and I truly believe that I lost even an ironic desire for shit beers in less than two months.

Think soured corn cider, carbonated piss and bum-breath. This beer really put my reason to find a higher-level of meaning via brewing into perspective.

VB, thanks for making me realize I have no room in my belly or Life for beer like you anymore!

Serving type: can

02-21-2011 11:11:40 | More by burnheartsMKE

doktorhops

Australia

1.43/5  rDev -38.4%
look: 2 | smell: 1 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 1.5 | overall: 1.5

It is with a sense of foreboding that I arrive at my least favourite of all beers: VB. Well I figured I'm going to try review every beer I can get my grubby little hands on (actually my hands are quite clean and average sized). Without further ado; as I would rather not have any ado for this dreaded brew, I bring you the VB review... err, spew.

Poured from a 375ml can (or "tinnie") into a cheap, cheap 500ml pokal (no use tainting my nice glassware).

A: This is the probably the only good thing I will say about VB; it has a decent enough translucent amber body. There was a centimeter white head which fizzled down to nothing, leaving ne'er a trace of lace.

S: Smells like a trash bag full of musty grains and corn that had been left in the cupboard to dry for three months... with a hint of sugarcane sweetness. No hops. None.

T: Tastes as bad as I remember it, so at least they've managed some consistency over the years; the front palate has elements of a cider without the goodness of apples, it's slightly sweet with a mineral water element, but in the back notes is where it really messes with (and promptly takes a crap on) your taste buds; the hops in this beer give it a tangy bitter bite without any herbaceous or fruit characters and you are left with this aftertaste not unlike the one you would get if you licked a damp sewer rat.

M: Watery and far too fizzy.

D: I'm not exactly sure how to describe how much of a disaster this beer is... it fails epically on so many levels... just to illustrate how bad VB really is here is a list of colloquial names that this brew is called across our fine nation: "Vomit Beer", "Visitors Beer" (for the plethora of migrants who drink it), "Green Death", "Dirty Rotten Vic" or my personal favourite "Vaginal Backwash". You have been warned!

Food match: Slightly raw sewer rat with sautéed cat hair balls if we were going for a flavour profile match, otherwise to save your taste buds from the trauma of VB I would recommend the hottest buffalo wings you can find... trust me on that.

NB: First beer I've reviewed that I had to tip down the sink because I couldn't finish it.

Serving type: can

09-02-2011 12:41:34 | More by doktorhops

Sunnanek

Sweden

1.48/5  rDev -36.2%
look: 3 | smell: 1.5 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 1.5 | overall: 1

A: Light golden with a nice rather large white head that leaves nice lacings.

S: Almost not traceable, but I can sence citrus and alcohol.

T: Flat! But if I'm trying to find something positive - there is some malt.

M: Thin with no flavours - some carbonic acid.

D: Avoid! This must be for those who aren't into big malty or hoppy flavours. It quenches ones thirst, but that's about it.

Serving type: bottle

07-27-2009 17:50:46 | More by Sunnanek

dansmcd

Australia

1.53/5  rDev -34.1%
look: 2 | smell: 1.5 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 1.5 | overall: 1.5

A - Clear and pale straw coloured, for a second there is even a few bubbles that could possibly pass for a head. Or not.

S - Slight grass, lemon, bucketloads of chemicals.

T - Again, faint lemon and grass flavours absolutely assaulted by metallic foulness and horrible chemicals.

M - Water thin and highly carbonated.

O - Hells bells this is some downright terrible stuff. Such a shame that so many people, here and overseas, think of this stuff when you say Australian beer.

Serving type: bottle

12-24-2011 05:15:29 | More by dansmcd

Kulrak

Australia

1.55/5  rDev -33.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 1 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 1.5

This beer pours a golden color with a lot of white fluffy head that takes a while to go away. Too bad it smells like ass. That literally was the first thing I thought of when I smelled it. The taste is very chemical, not much in the way of malt or hops or even yeast. I don't know what they make this crap out of, but I don't know how they can get away with calling it beer. The mouthfeel is very thin and watery. As for drinkability, I'm seriously considering pouring the rest of this out.

Serving type: can

03-16-2006 11:36:25 | More by Kulrak

IronDjinn

Alberta (Canada)

1.58/5  rDev -31.9%
look: 2 | smell: 1.5 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 1.5

I know they make good beer down in Australia, I really do, but this isn't it. I do like the stubbie bottle though, however that's about the only positive thing I can say. Here on the other side of the world from Down Under I am rather squeamish to admit how much I paid for a 6 of this stuff (knowing that in its homeland people pay less than HALF of what I did), but my sole consolation is that I can bottle my own brew in those nice little stubbies afterwards.

On to the beer. Although I poured it out of a bottle, I may as well have just drank it from a can. A watery straw colour, the hint of head is bubbly and doesn't stick around long enough to make any impression. I'm smelling chemicals here, above and beyond any hint of malt or hops. I'm tasting preservatives here, above and beyond any malt or hops. Kind of like drinking beer out of your own shoe (or worse, someone else's). That's okay, I've drank a lot of beer from all over the world, including my own country, that tastes just like this. Every country has at least one, I just hope it's really cheap there to buy in its homeland.

Ummm...can't wait to empty those bottles to put something better in them.

Serving type: bottle

05-19-2003 09:53:42 | More by IronDjinn

heygeebee

Australia

1.58/5  rDev -31.9%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 1.5 | overall: 1

On tap at local RSL.

Oh dear, the Carlton Draught vs VB taste-off.

It looks like beer and has a head and lace, but really not good.

This beer has no redeeming qualities whatsoever. Save that it tastes better than Carlton Draught. That metal taste just builds.

Dear dear.

Serving type: on-tap

06-29-2012 10:42:10 | More by heygeebee

mickyb

Australia

1.6/5  rDev -31%
look: 2.5 | smell: 1.5 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 1.5

Like most of the CUB beers this one is weak on the palette, has a chemical aftertaste, and runs through you the next day if you over indulge (how that is possible I am not sure).

There is no real aroma to this beer, although it smells slightly stale to me, with a hint of chemical.
The only way to really stomache this is to chill it right down and attempt to remove the slightly metallic taste.
Not one of Australia's better beers.

Serving type: bottle

02-01-2006 10:37:29 | More by mickyb

allboutbierge

Austria

1.6/5  rDev -31%
look: 1.5 | smell: 1.5 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 1.5 | overall: 2

I tried this on a whim...and ended up disappointed.

Its a cheap golden adjunct lager...fizzy with boisterous, but short lived head. Lots of corn in there, not much rice. A mild crispness in the forefront, but has a rough grainy finish. Not much really to analyze. It was served cold and I guess served it's purpose. I should learn to have lesser expectations...I thought I was buying an actual Bitter mild.

Serving type: bottle

10-10-2009 15:21:00 | More by allboutbierge

Noxious26

Saskatchewan (Canada)

1.63/5  rDev -29.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 1 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 1.5

375ml can poured in a pint glass. Best before date printed on the bottom of the can (08Jun06).

Clear, golden colour with several carbonation streams. Big foamy off-white head is over 1.5 inches on the pour, but slowly reduces to a thin cap leaving thick impressive lacing. The thin cap stays around right to the bottom and continues to leave nice intricate lacing. Very impressive appearance for a macro lager.

Aroma of sour grains, adjuncts and some metallic notes. Definitely not as positive as the appearance.

Tastes like an adjunct parade in my mouth! Chemicals, adjuncts and a light sweetness off the start. Chemicals fade through the middle to reveal a lightly sweet corn finish. Aftertaste is off-vegetable and a little reminiscent of the aroma of rotten vegetables. Kinda makes you want to have another swig just to get the aftertaste out of your mouth.

Thin-medium mouthfeel. Not as watery as most macros and not as fizzy either. Actually feels a little syrupy through the middle.

This is a real disappointment. When I bought this from the beer store, I hadn't researched it on BA and thought it might actually be a decent imported bitter. Oh how wrong I was. Just a macro wrapped up in bitters clothing. The only good thing is it's appearance. Just about everything you could ask for in a macro lager except perhaps a bit bigger head from mid-glass on. The strange thing is that this beer really doesn't taste bitter at all. You'd think they'd atleast want some kind of hop bitter finish to substantiate their name. Whatever, I'll never buy it again.

Serving type: can

03-26-2006 03:03:30 | More by Noxious26

WHROO

Australia

1.63/5  rDev -29.7%
look: 3 | smell: 1.5 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 1.5

Poured a typical lager...golden straw colour, with a decent head. Thats about the only thing right about this beer.

Aroma is something that really gets up my nose, literally. Very metallic watery bitterness - eeewww...no nice malty aroma's - nothing.

Taste - ditto...very average, & drink it before it warms up because it only get worse. Just too tinny & watery. Some lingering bitterness, but nothing complimentary.

Mouthfeel - is definately alive due to high carbonation..but a little too soft-drinky for me.

Overall, a typical aussie run of the mill staple beer that would appeal to any beer drinker that wants to choose 1 beer for life that is affordable & can be drunk all day due to its lack of complexity. Grew up with CUB beers in the house & I thank god I dared to try other styles because this stuff nearly put me off beer for life!!! no joking either!!!

Serving type: bottle

09-04-2008 09:44:01 | More by WHROO