2beerguys beer blog

Beer Profile: Victory Headwaters Pale Ale, Victory Village, Saison du Buff and Old Horizontal

Here are profiles for beers released by Victory Brewing Company.

If you have sampled them, please let us know what you thought.

Thanks

Sean
2Beerguys.com

http://victorybeer.com/

Headwaters Pale Ale Joins Victory Year Round
Last month we told you about a new beer on the horizon. We are happy to announce that Headwaters Pale Ale will debut for our 15th anniversary in February.

Reflecting over the years as we approach our 15th anniversary here at Victory, we can’t help but be struck by the realization that Downingtown has made a great home for Victory. From the enthusiastic throngs that crowd our brewpub to enjoy our creative, flavorful beers and cuisine to the natural charms of the area, we are blessed with good fortune. As the active community contributor we’ve been over those years, we recognize our opportunity to both utilize and protect these assets.

Chief among those assets is the pure water we receive from the East Branch of the Brandywine Creek that begins its journey to us just under 14 miles from where we brew with it. We’ll be celebrating this water (insert your lite beer joke here) with our anniversary beer, Headwaters Pale Ale, due to be released February 15, 2011. Now, considering that beer is the product of four simple ingredients and the three other than water rely on water for their existence, we’ve had a fair amount of latitude in paying homage to water in our beer. So, we’ve played all of our cards deftly, bringing the hops, malt and yeast in harmony, with our great local water as the conductor in Headwaters Pale Ale.

Victory Saison du Buff

Saison du BUFF is a collaboration conducted with two of the biggest names in craft brewing, Sam Calagione of Dogfish Head Craft Brewery and Greg Koch of Stone Brewing Company.

Details:

• Style: Saison
• ABV: 6%
• Availability: Dogfish Head / Victory / Stone, Saison du BUFF
  • Stone Brewing Co. – available late April 2010
  • Dogfish Head – August 2010
  • Victory Brewing Co. – late August 2010

Saison du Buff is brewed with parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme. This beer will be brewed three times, once at each brewery using the same recipe.

I hope you can taste the love (of this wonderful opportunity we have to create new flavors in the name of brewing) and respect (in terms of the allied minds and hearts doing the creative heavy lifting) in this collaboration. Cheers to all us who can appreciate such gifts. – Bill Covaleski, Head Brewer and Co-Founder

Click here for additional information.

Victory Village (Coffee Beer):

A collaboration between Victory Brewing Co. and One Village Coffee project, was released in August.

This coffee beer is not like your typical coffee beer in that we (Victory + One Village) decided to steer clear of the heavier stout or porter style and really expose the coffe flavor through a British style Brown Ale. The result: A coffee beer like no other. You have to taste it to believe it. It’s a beautiful, and uniquely balanced, combination of coffee and beer. Not too much beer to muddle the coffee flavor, not too much coffee to make an ‘adult’ Starbucks product.

It’s been a pleasure to work with the One Village team and are proud to support their unique vision of creating a ‘not-just-for-profit’ roasting house that supports the communities of their suppliers in developing countries around the globe.

Details:

• Beer type: Ale
• Alcohol: 5.1% abv
• Composition: Three English 2 row malts and two varieties of European whole flower hops
• Availability: Victory Brewpub in Dowingtown, PA starting August through September 2010 w/ very small distribution in the PA + NY markets.

Click here for additional information.

OLD HORIZONTAL – Get Horizontal with Someone You Love

A luxurious, warming barleywine rich with aromatic hops and dark, candied fruit character that hides its epic strength masterfully.

Details:

• Malts: Imported 2 row
• Hops: American whole flowers
• Alcohol by volume: 11.%
• Availability: Draft and bottles, December through January

Old Horizontal is the most laid back beer in the Victory portfolio. This Barley Wine tips the scales at 11% ABV and was tailor made for those cold winter days when you’re snuggled up next to the wood stove. It doesn’t get any cozier than this. Video