Victory Brewing - Moonglow Weizenbock

Tonight I'll be drinking Moonglow Weizenbock from Victory Brewing in Downington, PA.  Weizenbock is a style you don't see around that often, especially in the US craft beer market.  It's essentially a dunkel-weizen beer brewed to doppelbock strength....you could call it an imperial weizen.  Moonglow is brewed with imported German malts, german whole flower hops, and yeast that also originated in, you guessed it, Germany.  It registers 8.7% alcohol, and it's being served out of a 12oz bottle.

The beer is a muddy-dark reddish brown color with a massive layer of tan foam.  There's a bit of sediment floating around, but not as much as I expected.  The aroma is...huge.  Tons of bananas, other fruity esters, all carried on alcohol fumes.  Also some sweetness - combination of dark fruits and sweet caramel malts.  The first couple sips, I had a hard time tasting the beer, it was pretty overwhelming.  After getting acclimated, I notice plenty of wheat malts up front.  Peel that away and you get layers of unripened bananas, toasted malts, and some spices.  Some herbal hop bitterness comes in to help balance things out.  Alcohol breaks through towards the end, and it brings a nice burn to the finish.

Overall Rating:  I wasn't sure what to expect with this brew, but it turned out to be pretty good.  Big, bold, with lots of german funk.  As it warms, there is a slight medicinal taste that isn't great, definitely takes away from the experience.  But not bad.  B+

Victory Brewing - Baltic Thunder

I am not happy with the weather today.  It rolled in with waves of black clouds...brought that eery pseudo-darkness that seems completely unnatural in the middle of the afternoon.  Then came the downpour, combined with a strong wind that completely de-leaved all the trees around my house.  So, now I have a yard full of leaves that I will have the pleasure of raking this weekend.  Mother Nature can be a real bitch sometimes.

Tonight I'll be drinking a Baltic Thunder porter from Victory Brewing in Downington, PA.  This is an imperial porter with lots of EU influence - brewed with german lager yeast, European whole flower hops, and a German malt base.  There is plenty of thunder behind it with 8.5% alcohol.  Puns are fun.

This brew comes in a 22oz bottle with a label that includes a picture of the Baltic god of thunder, which looks more like the cowardly lion from the Wizard of Oz.  Seriously, look at that photo and tell me that isn't the cowardly lion!  The beer is a dark, ruby-black hue that lets just a bit of light through it.  In fact, when you hold it up to the light, that's when the ruby-red really comes through.  The aroma is rich and sweet, with green apples and sweet grapes.  Also bitter coffee beans, toffee and sweet molasses come through.  The taste starts off with loads of sweet malts - semi-sweet chocolate seems to be the primary player within that big malt backbone.  Also some burnt wood, charcoal, with some gritty roasted coffee making its way through towards the finish.  Maybe a hint of raisin in there but I really have to search for it.  The finish is gritty, with an almost-powdery chocolate finish.  The alcohol is noticeable, but pleasant, it adds a nice warmth to the beer.

Overall Rating:  This was a great porter!  More chocolate than I expected, but it worked well with the other flavors of the beer.  As far as 'dessert' beers go, this beer will go near the top of my favorites.  A-

Victory Brewing - Summer Love Ale

Tonight I'm going to be reviewing Summer Love Ale from Victory Brewing in Downingtown, PA.  This is a summer seasonal that classifies as an American Blonde Ale.  Brewed with german malts and a combination of american and german whole hop flowers, this is another European-influenced take on an American style brew. 

The label on the bottle has a summer baseball theme, and the back of the label has a little story which I have pictured below.  After a rough pour, the beer leaves an inch of frothy white head.  Very little lacing left behind.  The color is pale gold/straw, clean and very clear.  The aroma is full of lemongrass, some sweet orange zest, and honey on toast.  Also a touch of sugar in there.  The flavor starts off crisp and zesty, with lemon peels and citrusy hop bitterness.  In the background, there is a toasted bread maltyness with honey sweetness on top of it.  An herbal grassiness also plays a part in there.  The body is light, with a medium amount of carbonation - perfect.

Overall Rating:  Light, refreshing.....at it's core, this is a hoppy pilsner.  Terrific brew for a baseball game or a day on the beach.  Give it a try!  B+