Victory Red Thunder

I picked up a bottle of Victory Red Thunder, a red wine barrel-aged baltic porter, from Al’s of Hampden. The beer pours a dark brown color with red hues and a frothy cream colored head. The aroma consists of chocolate, toasted malts, red wine, oak, and hints of vanilla. The taste is bold with strong chocolate and toasted malts hitting on the front end with some coffee interlacing. A red wine dryness and flavor arrives on the finish with oak and vanilla hints. The after taste leaves a bit of alcohol lingering on the tongue and more red wine, and that alcohol definitely comes back in the burps. The alcohol content is 8.5% ABV. I’d say that this was definitely a winner from Victory, as the baltic porter benefited very well from the red wine barrel aging process. The red wine interlaced well with toasted malts and chocolate, complementing each other nicely.

Troegs Scratch 67- Brotherly Suds #3

Troegs recently tapped their Philly Beer Week 2012 collaboration Brotherly Suds #3, so I stopped in to give it a taste. The beer is a Vienna Lager and was brewed with brewers from Iron Hill, Sly Fox, Stoudt’s, Yards, and Victory. The beer pours an amber color with a frothy white head that leaves a little lacing on the glass. The aroma consists of caramel, lemon, and grass. The taste is smooth and sweet with caramel before a delicately balanced bitterness comes into play. Lemon, grass, and pepper all come out and dry the finish, leaving a light residual film on the tongue. The alcohol content is 5.2% ABV. This was a well done beer that had a nice balance of flavors, with none overpowering the others. It was refreshing and easy to drink, which is perfect for the summertime.

Victory Smokin' Oats

I ordered a glass of Victory Smokin’ Oats while at Al’s of Hampden. The beer pours a black color with a frothy tan head. The aroma consists of toasted malts, chocolate, caramel, and smoke. The taste is dry and smoky on the front end before chocolate and toasted malts come out and provide a backbone. There is a hint of caramel on the finish, but it only lasts for a second or two. The alcohol content is 5.8% ABV. I thought this beer was pretty similar in taste to Otto, although not quite as malty. Therefore, the smoke stood out a little bit more and made it more intense, but it was a nice beer.

Victory Otto in Oak

I picked up a bottle of Victory Otto in Oak from Al’s of Hampden, the bourbon barrel aged version of Otto.  The beer pours a dark amber color with a frothy beige colored head. The aroma consists of smoke, bourbon, vanilla, oak, caramel, and campfire. The taste is smoky and meaty with a bit of caramel accent. The bourbon warms up the finish with hints of vanilla, but the beer lacks a little in body. The alcohol content is 8.1% ABV. This was a nicely smoked beer with plenty of bourbon and vanilla accents. For the most part I liked it, although I thought the body was a little lacking.

Victory Ranch R

I went out with some friends to watch the Penguins game at the new Arooga’s Draft House and Sports Bar, and the first beer I ordered was the Victory Ranch R. The beer pours an amber color with a frothy white head. The aroma consists of tangerine, grapefruit, lemon, spruce, and pine. The taste is bitter and oily with lots of orange flavors. There are hints of bitter tangerine and grapefruit in the background, and the beer is speckled with pepper and a nice spruce profile. The alcohol content is 9.0% ABV. I put this in the solid performing Double IPA category. It has a bit of a sweetness to it, but not from caramel flavors; it comes from the orange citrus flavor. Following that, it gives an excellent oily and bitter finish to it as the hops envelop the mouth.

Victory Otto Ale

I picked up a bottle of Victory Otto Ale from Wegman’s in Mechanicsburg while I was grocery shopping. The beer pours a reddish-amber color with a frothy beige colored head that leaves some lacing on the glass. The aroma consists of toasted malts, smoke, wood, campfire, and caramel. The taste is dry and smoky, but not overly so, with a solid caramel based. There are hints of the wood used to smoke this beer with, as well as a bit of pepper. The alcohol content is 8.1% ABV. This was a well done smoked beer, as the smoke does not take over the flavor nor does it completely dry out the mouth. Rather, it provides a nice accents to a sweet caramel base.

Victory V-Twelve

My fiancee picked up a bottle of Victory V-Twelve for us to share with dinner one night (lasagna). The beer pours an amber color with orange hues mixed in a frothy white colored head. The aroma consists of Belgian yeast, cherry, orange zest, and biscuits. The taste is smooth and hot with an alcohol burn up front, but it’s not too damaging to the taste buds. Sweet Belgian yeasts dance on the tongue with orange and raisin flavor with hints of fig and pine. Grassy and peppery hops come out in the finish and linger on the tongue for a while. The alcohol content is 12.0% ABV. This beer definitely has a candy-like profile, but the spicy finish and warming alcohol burn balances out the sweetness nicely.

Victory Headwaters Pale Ale

I picked up a six-pack of Victory Headwaters Pale Ale from Al’s of Hampden. The beer pours a golden color with a frothy white head that laces to the glass. The aroma consists of lemon, grapefruit, grass, earthy hops, and a caramel base. The taste is smooth but a little bitter with grapefruit and pine hops. The finish has some lemon citrus accent with an earthy hop balance and a little bit of grass. The after taste, pleasantly enough, leaves some caramel flavors behind with sour grapefruit. The alcohol content is 5.1% ABV. The Headwaters Pale Ale is a wonderful pale ale with a great citrus compliment built upon a caramel base, all with an earthiness that ties it all together.

Victory Dark Intrigue

I picked up a bottle of Victory Dark Intrigue at Theresa’s Next Door Bar for half-price as party of their inventory clearance. The beer pours a dark brown color with a very frothy tan head. The aroma consists of lots of bourbon, oak, chocolate, and a hint of vanilla. The taste is bold and prominent with lots of bourbon that dries out mouth significantly. After the bourbon comes some chocolaty smoothness and toasted malts. The finish is dry and toasty, but also warming. The after taste leaves some chocolate nibs on the tongue and is quite pleasant. The alcohol content is 9.1% ABV. I really thought the bourbon aging brought the Storm King alive and added much needed complexity. The dry bourbon flavors work well with the chocolate and toasted malt flavors, and the hint of vanilla rounds out the experience.

Victory St. Boisterous

I picked up a bottle of Victory St. Boisterous from Al's of Hampden as part of a mixed six-pack. The beer pours an orange-amber color with a thick foamy white head. I took notice as to how creamy the beer looked as it was being poured. The aroma consists of sweet malts, some caramel, and fresh hops. The taste is smooth, round and sweet with lots of caramel on the tongue, balanced by some orange and tangerine, and finished with a bitter and fresh hop bite. The alcohol content is 7.4% ABV. Victory has provided an excellent Helles Bock, which happens to be one of my favorite styles, that is well balanced and has plenty of flavors for the tongue to decipher. The entire experience is enjoyable, from the fresh smell, to the sweet start on the tongue, a great citrus balance, and the bitter bitey finish.

Victory Wild Devil

At TJ's in Paoli I ordered a glass of Victory Wild Devil to finish out my meal and give my mouth some sweet and sour flavors after a spicy buffalo chicken wrap. The beer pours a golden orange color with a thin filmy white head. The aroma consists of sour cheery with a light wheat background. The taste is bitter and sour with plenty cherry on the forefront, a light hop balance, and a caramel undertone. The alcohol content is 6.7% ABV. I have really been coming around to sour beers, and I find this one somewhat easy to drink. However, others in my party did not agree and did not enjoy their pucker faces, so it may be a little intense for the faint of heart.

Victory Village

I stopped into Teresa's Next Door Cafe to get a glass of Victory Village, a collaboration with One Village Coffee. Most coffee beers are presented as a stout or porter, but Victory took a brown ale and mixed in some fresh coffee. The beer pours a brown color with thin foamy off-white head. The aroma is big on fresh ground coffee and it very much smells like a coffee shop. The taste is smooth roasted malts and a good helping of coffee. On the finish, there beer is smooth and creamy, not bitter at all from the coffee. The alcohol content is 5.1% ABV. The Victory Village is really delicious and different due to being a brown ale. I hope they bring it back and bottle it for all to enjoy, because this is one of the most solid beers I have tried, especially in the coffee category.

Saison du Buff: A Comparison

I had the pleasure to be able to try all three versions of Saison du Buff from Victory, Stone, and Dogfish Head at the same time. I thought that this would be an interesting comparison to do and see if there are any variations in the three versions, especially since I did notice a few in my individual reviews of each beer. All versions were brewed with the same recipe but at each brewery's location. Therefore, a difference in water or brewing method could change the beer slightly.

When the beers were poured, the Stone version maintained head longer and was much more foamy The Victory version had almost no head compared to the other two. The Dogfish Head version had a good lacing. Looking at the colors, the Victory is slightly lighter in color and seemed more filtered and translucent. In the aroma, the Dogfish Head version is completely filled with citrus while the others are not, Stone had more butter and rosemary, and Victory hits more with sage and a slight butter accent.

I thought that in the taste, none of the beers had a big citrus profile except for Dogfish Head. There were faint hints available on the Stone version with the after taste. The Victory version finishes lighter and is not as intense on the tongue, but it did hit with sage more on the finish. The Stone version was a little more hoppy and hit with rosemary and the Dogfish Head version was slightly more citrusy with lemon and orange. Stone lingers on the tongue with the hops and on finish, Stone is the driest, Dogfish Head is the sweetest, and Victory is the smoothest.

In my opinion, I would rank Dogfish Head number 1, Stone number 2, and Victory number 3. The rank does not say that the Victory version was not a good beer; it was just the least intense beers of the three. I really enjoyed this tasting, especially with three friends and sharing opinions back and forth on the three Saison du Buff versions.

Victory/Stone/Dogfish Head Saison du Buff

My coworker Paul gave me a bottle of the Victory / Stone / Dogfish Head Saison du Buff (brewed at Victory) to try. Having had the other two versions, I jumped at the chance. As with the other two versions, the beer pours an orange-yellow color but this one had almost no head. The aroma consists rosemary, butter, and sage. The taste consists of a smooth and lightly buttery taste yet crisp with orange and lemon flavors and a nice spice bit consisting of thyme, parsley, sage, and rosemary. The finish is a little peppery with a faint citrus accent The alcohol content is 6.8% ABV. Out of the three versions, I think this was my least favorite, but I still really enjoyed the beer. Without the other two versions, this would be a great beer; it's just I enjoyed the Stone and Dogfish Head versions more.

Dogfish Head/Stone/Victory Saison du Buff

I ordered a glass of the Dogfish Head/ Stone / Victory collaboration (brewed at Dogfish Head Brewery) Saison du Buff while I was at the Dogfish Head Brew Pub in Rehoboth Beach, DE. The beer pours an orange-yellow color with lofty bubbly white head. The aroma consists of orange and lemon with a strong kick of flowers, thyme, and parsley. The taste consists of a smooth and lightly buttery taste yet crisp with orange and lemon flavors and a nice spice bit consisting of thyme, parsley, sage, and rosemary. This version had a more citrus profile to it when compared to the beer brewed at Stone Brewery, with orange and cream coming out in the process as well as a splash of lemon.The finish is a little peppery and dries the mouth a little bit. The alcohol content is 6.8% ABV. I think I may have slightly enjoyed this version better than the Stone version, only because of the heightened citrus profile that accompanied it.

Victory Summer Love Ale

While at the Flying Pig Saloon in Malvern, PA, my buddy Matt ordered a glass of Victory Summer Love Ale and he gave me some of it to try. This beer was created by Victory in collaboration with the Philadelphia Visitors Bureau. The beer pours a golden color with a thin foamy white head. The aroma is citrus, consisting of orange, lemon, and big helpings of grapefruit, and a bit of grass. The taste is light and sweet with a big pink grapefruit flavor. The finish on the Summer Love Ale is slightly bitter due to the grapefruit accents. The alcohol content is 5.2% ABV. I thought that the Summer Love Ale was overly delicious and very refreshing.

Victory Hop Wallop

Following my enjoyment of drinking Victory Hop Wallop on cask at Al's of Hampden, I ordered a glass of the non-cask conditioned Hop Wallop at McGrath's in Harrisburg. The beer pours a golden color with a foamy white head. The aroma consists of sour hops, lemon, and gym socks (I know, not all that appealing). The taste is lemony and sour with a butter lining. The alcohol content is 8.5% ABV. While I enjoyed the Hop Wallop, I thought it was much better on cask. The aroma I think may have thrown me off a bit at first, but I did really enjoy drinking it.

Victory Storm King on Cask

Another beer that Al's of Hampden was running a $2 special on while celebrating the addition of a beer engine was Victory Storm King. The beer pours a black color with a foamy tan head that's very solid. The aroma is chocolate and cream. The taste is oak and sweet chocolate with a bitter chocolate finish. There is also a a bit of cream mixed in there due to the beer engine and light hop bite. The alcohol content is 9.1% ABV. I was very impressed with the Storm King, especially on cask. The creaminess added by the cask worked really well with the chocolate and I think that the cask brought out the oak flavors even more in the beer.

Victory Hop Wallop on Cask

I stopped into Al's of Hampden to get Victory Hop Wallop on cask . Al's was running a special for $2 pints of cask beers to celebrate adding a beer engine to their capabilities. The beer pours a golden color with a frothy white head. The aroma is lemon and wheat. The taste is creamy and lemon with a good pepper taste. There is a piney bite on the back of the throat in the finish. The alcohol content is 8.5% ABV. The Hop Wallop was excellent and I think pouring it on the hand pump helped added a creamy flavor to the beer, which balances really well with the lemon and pepper.

Stone/Dogfish Head/Victory Saison du Buff

I was able to request a couple of bottles of the Stone/Dogfish Head/Victory collaboration (brewed at Stone Brewery) Saison du Buff. It was a bit hard to track down, but from what I heard, it was well worth the search. The beer pours an orange-yellow color with lofty bubbly white head. The aroma consists of orange and lemon with a strong kick of flowers, thyme, and parsley. The taste consists of a smooth and lightly buttery taste yet crisp with orange and lemon flavors and a nice spice bit consisting of thyme, parsley, sage, and rosemary. The finish is a little peppery and dries the mouth a little bit. The alcohol content is 6.8% ABV. This beer is not your conventional saison, but it sets the bar high for any other saisons created. The amount of spices thrown into this brew really make this multidimensional and an overly flavorful experience.