Victory V12

Brewed by Victory Brewing Company
Style: Belgian Strong Ale
Downingtown, Pennsylvania USA

From a caged cork 750ml. brown bottle with a bottled on date, Mar/29/05, a blurb with storing and serving instructions on the back label, sampled at cellar temperature in a chalice. Made a good appearance, poured a cloudy golden copper with a foamy pale tannish/off-white head that settled into a thin foamy lacing, good carbonation. Had a dry pear fruity, sweet grainy and floral hop nose with whiffs of spicy alcohol in the back ground. A crisp, carbonated smooth medium bodied mouth feel, average drinkability overall. Pear fruity and sugary malty taste, a mild floral hoppiness, a crisp and biting alcohol presence, jumps out at your tongue, warming through out the taste and a dry yeasty and malty finish with the pear fruity and alcohol warmth lingering in the palate. I don’t know why, but here lately I found beer from Victory to disappointing, I had been a big fan, and I’m afraid this was no exception, a disappointing Belgian strong ale taste wise, try at your own risk.

definite bread and yeast in the aroma, with some wheat ale qualities. some dried fruit aromas. it was aight.

Pours a hazy copper with an off-white head. Yeast and fruit dominate the nose. Taste is mostly apricot and apples. Sugary-sweet malt with caramel in the finish. Slow alcohol burn in the finish. Somewhat sticky mouthfeel. A good, strong beer.

Pour with a slight haze sienna. The aroma is a spicy, overworked yeast smell. The flavor is overly sweet. Rotten fruit. The flavors are a bit too much and this may be past its prime.

A firm example of what an American made Belgian should be. Aroma was a warm greeting of alcohol and yeast to the nose. A firm golden bronze color with patchy film across the trappist glass. Flavor is domianted by the yeast and its powerfull spice and fruit reminders. What a strong ale indeed.

Ack! This stuff was too strong. I didn’t even do my homework before picking this up. I just saw this new Belgian style at the store and saw it for $7.99 so I went for it. I knew from the first sip that I was going to struggle through this one. Super strong and sickly sweet. This might taste good poured over ice cream. Got me screwed up in a hurry.

The alcohol content is masked well from my perspective. All things considered, another okay American attempt at a Belgian. So far only Ommegang gets there. Nothing jumps out at ya here other than you may be enticed take a pour to sample yourself.

Bottle sampled with Stegosaurus. Pours dark amber with a tan head. Aroma of spice, hops, citrus and fruit. Flavor is smooth, citrus, sweet, with a slight bitterness.