Victory Brewing coming to Indiana

I've reviewed several of Victory Brewing's offerings (my personal favorite is the Storm King Stout), and word on the street is that Victory should be in Indiana by the end of next week!

I am very excited to hear this news.

Cheers!
Matt

Victory Brewing Storm King Stout

Beer: Victory Brewing Storm King Stout

Brewery Location: Downingtown, PA

Beer Style: Russian Imperial Stout

Serving Style: Bottle

ABV: 9.1%

I've saved the best for last in my Victory Brewing trade. This beer is quite respected and is one of the top 100 beers on Beer Advocate and on Rate Beer. This is a seasonal offering from Victory and is usually available around the winter time, but according to their website it says available on draft and in bottles year round. My stout kick is starting to fade, but I still like stouts on the occasion anytime of the year.

This beer pours very dark brown, but not quite black, with a finger of creamy tan head that dissipated after a few minutes. It left great lacing for a Russian imperial stout on my pint glass. The aroma on this is a very unique combination of classic stout scents including coffee, espresso, dark fruit, and roasted grain, but also an earthy hoppy citrus scent that actually works itself in very well. The first sip brings on the roasted malt flavor upfront with secondary flavors of espresso and chocolate soaked coffee beans. The citrus hops make their appearance on the finish with just a slight grassy citrus kick at the end. This flavor profile is done very well with as much as is going on with the beer. The mouthfeel is velvety and smooth on the palate that leaves a slightly dry finish. The alcohol is very well hidden and only barely noticeable. The drink ability on this beer is good and I would have more than one of a cold night.

I really enjoyed this beer. I knew this stout used hops in it and I was afraid it was going to be like Black Sun Stout from Three Floyds. The floral aroma was just too strong with the Three Floyds offering, but this is pulled back and subdued and doesn't try to dominate the flavor profile, but only add a little something extra that a normal stout. That makes this an above average Russian imperial stout. If you find yourself down at Jungle Jim's in Cincinnati it is certainly worth picking some up.

Cheers!
Matt

Victory Brewing Company Hop Devil

Beer: Victory Brewing Hop Devil
Brewery Location: Downingtown, PA
Beer Style: American IPA
Serving Style: Bottle
ABV: 6.7%


I am working my way through about six offerings from Victory Brewing right now, and I've heard and read some great things about this beer, so I was pretty excited to give it a try.

This beer pours a deep amber with one finger of white head. This is a deeper color than most other IPA's I've encountered. It does leave very good lacing on my pint glass. Hops are the only thing I smell on this beer, but that isn't really a good thing. The hop scent is rather muted and not as bold as I was expecting. I don't really pick up any other secondary scents as well. The taste is very sweet upfront with a bit of caramel before the hops take over and assert themselves, but the hops fizzle out rather quickly and leave a tea-bitterness for the rest of the beer. I am rather unsatisfied with each passing drink. The mouthfeel is rather thin, but there is quite a bit of astringency that normally isn't found on IPA's.

Overall, this was a big miss for me. I am a big hop-head, but this one fizzled out, wasn't well balanced, and the astringency wasn't expected either. This beer is so highly regarded by the masses, and I am wondering what I am missing here. I am going to try it again if I make it down to Jungle Jim's and see if it was just an off bottle.

Cheers!
Matt

Victory Brewing Company Hop Wallop

Beer: Victory Brewing Hop Wallop
Brewery Location: Downingtown, PA
Beer Style: Double IPA
Serving Style: Bottle
ABV: 8.5%


I've just traded for quite a bit of Victory Brewing's beers. I first had Victory after a visit to Jungle Jim's in Cincinnati. My first beer from them was their Prima Pils. I am not usually a fan of the pilsener style, but I was really wowed by it, and I get some every chance that I get.

Victory has pretty good distribution across the county for a micro brewer, but doesn't come to Indiana. You can find this beer in almost every state that touches Indiana in Ohio, Illinois, and Michigan.

Hop Wallop is Victory's seasonal DIPA that comes out each year around November.

Pours a hazy golden-straw color with two fingers of fluffy white head. It left sheets of lacing on my pint glass. The nose is packed full of citrus hops scent. There is a subtle earthiness mixed, but I cannot pickup any malt background. I almost smell a bit of candied fruit as well. The flavor profile is heavy on the hops with flavors of ripe pink grapefruit and resinous pine dominate without much of a malt base to round things out. The beer is medium bodied with medium carbonation that left a very dry finish on the back of my palate. I would certainly purchase this beer again, but the unbalanced nature of the beer wouldn't make it part of my regular rotation.

Overall, this is a pretty good beer. I wanted a little more balance out of the beer, but that shouldn't deter any hop heads out there.

Cheers!
Matt