Victory HopDevil

Brewed by Victory Brewing Company
Style: India Pale Ale (IPA)
Downingtown, Pennsylvania USA

Serve in Shaker, Tulip

Draft. Amber with medium size off-white head. Flavour is malt, caramel, fruit and lots of hops.

12-ounce bottle. Pours a beautiful darkish amber with a small white head. Aroma has notes of bread and citrus. A nice combination of malty and hoppy aromas. The American hops really come through in the taste. Smacks you right in the mouth with a lot of bitterness and some citrus notes. Once your palate gets used to the bitterness, it becomes a very smooth and easy-drinking beer. Mouthfeel is smooth with moderate carbonation and a long finish. An intense, very good IPA.

That silly, aesthetically pedestrian image of a devil, made out of a hop, needs to go; it looks like an image that would be sold in a head shop somewhere in Northern California. And that text looks like it was stolen from a Party City designed birthday banner. In short, Victory’s inept bottle designs don’t tell the real story about their sharp teeth. This beer, appropriately titled "Hop Devil", made me crane my neck in amazement. There is some fully charged bitterness that hits you like a double barrel full of rock-salt. Excellent complexity sloshes around in that mean jaw of yours, before you experience what a decadent aftertaste this thing has. Hops buzz around your tongue and a handsome floral aroma nips your nose. Mocha, almonds, pine whirl around in this bottle. Salut!

33cl bottle. Poured a hazy, dark ruddy amber with a creamy, lasting tan head leaving a sparse lacing. Quite malty on the nose, lots of caramel and toffee but still backed nicely by piney, bright citrussy grapefruit hops. The hops are fuller on the tongue, piney and almost resiny with sweeter grapefruit notes and the caramel malt notes underpinning it all. Medium in body with some carb sting and a lingering finish. Probably not at its freshest but I brought a bottle back from Utobeer, which seemed a touch crisper on the palate - maybe, maybe not. Thanks to Thomas for sharing the first at The Rake.

(Bottle) Nice red caramel color. Frothy head, no significant lacing. Great smooth hop flavor without going overboard. ABV is a good balance. A nice IPA. Another Victory.

UPDATED: JUL 5, 2010 Pours hazy golden with a thin white head and some nice lacing. Aroma is fresh citrus and hops. Very bitter taste but with a lush, wet body. Tart dry finish. Nice one.

Bottle. Pours medium amber with a white head. Nose has lots of piney hops with some citrus, more grainy malt than is usual for an IPA. Medium-bodied, nice piney hops, well-balanced. Finishes medium and quite bitter.

Cloudy amber/orange pour with a slightly small white head. Strong hop presence in the nose and flavor - but more on the bitter side than the floral side. Tasty all in all.