Victory V12

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

Dark, cloudy copper pour with a thick and lasting tan head. Yeasty, dark fruit aroma with a big whiff of alcohol. Up front there is a yeasty creaminess which leads to a heavily spiced middle with some sweetness and banana. Cherry and plum towards the finish which was sweet and boozy. Warming to say the least. I think it’s well put together and the high abv almost forces you to take your time and enjoy it. Extra point for being my 500th!

’07 750 ml bottle. quite delicious. consumed during the FL Gators season opener against HI... GO GATORS! pours a brilliant red with a 1/4" light head. Aromas of candi sugar, yeast, banana and sweet fruits. lively over the palate with the sugar taking over the front... nice and soft with smooth carbonation on the sides. The alcohol comes through a bit on the finish - but not too strong... just a nice warming finish. I would definitely buy this one again... very enjoyable.

Thanks thirdeye11. Delicious. I like it. I like it a lot. I didn’t get to it until it was warmer, and I think I was better off for it.

Pours a dark burnt orange with a fairly small offwhite head. Aroma of brown sugar, cherries, plums, lemoncello, wood, and maybe some faint cheese in the background. Mellow aroma. Big sweet caramelly and brown sugar taste with a bit of wood, light cloves, a little bit of cherries and raisins. Yeast flavors are very clean. Finishes woody, warming, toffee-esque and bit tannic. Aftertaste is no different than the finish, which isn’t bad, but I’d prefer I slightly more complex fade on this beer. Fairly low carbonated for a Belgian beer, but I like that. Full to medium bodied, slick texture, but it’s enveloping enough, and as I said before, it’s just a bit more clean feeling (and tasting) than say Brasserie de Rocs. Mildly hot, but it’s balanced. Good stuff, I like the sweet flavors, but it could have had a more complex finish and more pungent yeast characteristics.

Clear, toasted amber color. Nice, tight white head that diminishes quickly. Nose of yeast, medicine, alcohol, candied sugars, slight fruity esters (apricot and orange) and more. Full-medium bodied, soft, rounded feel with lots of class and elegance. Palate is filled with sweet malt with nuances of raisons, apricots, apples and more. Dry belgium yeast finish with hints of alcoholic warmth. I think it needs some time for the esters to develop more complexities. This is young and wonderful but were just at the tip of iceberg here. Give it 6 months to a year IMO. Another winner from Victory.

Good Belgian ale. Well hidden ABV. Spicy, alcohol notes, and cherry flavor. Finish is clean, crisp, and dry.

Rose colored. No head other than a ring around the inside of the glass. Sweet fruit, berry aroma. Syrupy, slightly fizzy w flavors of dried apricot, pear, candy and malt finish. Alcohol incredibly well hidden. Update: 1/25/08 : opened a 2002 bottle and it was excellent. Aging well.

Bottle, shared. Pours a nice brownish-red color, quickly-dissipating white head. The aroma is malt with dark fruit and apricot notes thrown in. Taste is crystal malt with apricot, dark fruit, and bready characteristics as well. Alcohol dominates the aftertaste, but it thankfully doesn’t overwhelm the beer. Surprised this is called a Belgian Strong Ale here, I thought it was a Quad. Regardless of the style, it’s a very good beer.