This bottle wasn't as cool as the Sam Adams one, but I decided to pick it up from the Beverage Barn because it was one of those Victory beers I heard of in passing but didn't really know a lot about. So I figured I would try it out for myself.Appearance: Pours as a thick brown lacquer with very little light passing through. Almost no carbonation and no head to speak of, as if I just opened up some used Mobil 1. Similar color to the Sam, but you can definitely tell the difference between a bock and porter.
Smell: Roasted, oakey malts with a tiny hint of spice or flowers. No bitterness or hops to speak of.
Taste: Deep roasted malts, but not overpowering, with some hops in there. I was expecting a little more. I'm kind of suspecting that its too cold and I may need to wait for it to warm up a bit before the beer's character really comes through.
Mouthfeel: Thick, almost chewy, and flat, pretty standard for a porter. Leaves a little something for you on the way down.
Drinkability: Porters don't lend themselves to being drunk in massive quantities and this is no exception. While the malts are good I was kind of hoping for a little something more. Seemed kind of generic and didn't really bring something special to the table. At a modest 8.5% abv its not the strongest beer out there but you can't drink too much of it. I'll give it a 6.5/10, which may be a little harsh, but its just not doing it for me. Try it, you might find something in it I missed.
Serving type: Bottle
Glass type: Sam Adams pint glass
