Victory Old Horizontal

Aroma: 8 | Appearance: 8 | Mouthfeel: 8 | Flavor: 8 | Overall: 8

12/02/06 Walk the Line Barleywine Festival, Dunedin, FL. 1998 vintage. The beer took on a copper hue with streaks of red around the edges. The head of foam was tan. The aroma was classic Barleywine with a dark fruitiness backed up by some caramel and a hint of hops. It was difficult to tell which type of hops they were just from the aroma. The flavor was first rate. The cherry and dark grape fruitiness mixed with the smooth creamy sweet caramel. There was an undercurrent of pine hops and a sense of alcohol.

Aroma: 3 | Appearance: 6 | Mouthfeel: 4 | Flavor: 2 | Overall: 3

Legend is built around the possible reasons why this is called old horizontal. 12 oz brown bottle brewed in my home state. Aroma is sweetish. Much darker brown than I expected. Hazy lighter maroon color. Fine rising stream of bubbles that make me anticipate a creaminess. Fast fading tan head that settles to froth. Very strong alcohol impact on the first taste. The creamy visual carbonation lies to its actuality, seems a little flat. I think many rate craft beers with a high alky content high right off the bat. Very strong, almost unbearable. Not easily enjoyed if drank like a beer. My uvula is crying about the bitter strength. I was always curious about this but I will not buy again. The flavor is enough to knock you horizontal. I am afraid that I can not really enjoy this onslaught. Just as intimidating as lagunus rown sugga, bells wheat love and blithering idiot. I will never get used to this style. Idiot is probably the best tasting of the four barley wines I’ve had. This beer finishes with thick syrupy tacky harsh lingers that hang on for what seems like too long. I probably should have rated this in the dead of night when no body was looking. My taste buds are just too girlie to appreciate these brews. I must admit, that I feel better now that I’ve consumed this!

Aroma: 7 | Appearance: 6 | Mouthfeel: 10 | Flavor: 8 | Overall: 9

Off white/tan head, minimal. Hazey copper hue. Malty, hop nose, some citrus also. Full bodied. Some malty sweetness but not overly. Piney hoppiness and some mintyness work work together well with the malt. Finishes slightly sweet with an oily mouthfeel, some alc. showing itself in the finish also. Lost a point or two in the appearence category.

Aroma: 8 | Appearance: 8 | Mouthfeel: 9 | Flavor: 8 | Overall: 8

This beer pours a deep mahogany color, very cloudy, and topped with a creamy film for a head. The aroma is bready malt, caramel, burnt wood, and leather. The mouthfeel is full bodied. The flavor is sweet bready malts, alcohol, and a spicy bitter finish. A good barleywine.

Aroma: 9 | Appearance: 8 | Mouthfeel: 9 | Flavor: 8 | Overall: 8

Bottle. Colour - pours a murky dark red colour with brown hues, topped with a foamy off-white cap that results in a little bit of lacing. Aroma - dominated by citrus and plums, bready malt, and earthy hops. Mouthfeel - full bodied, well carbonated. Flavour - very sweet and malty, alcohol can be detected on the tongue and in the stomach. Still quite flavourful

Aroma: 8 | Appearance: 9 | Mouthfeel: 7 | Flavor: 8 | Overall: 8

Pours clear coppery brown with a fairly thick golden tan head. Strong, sweet aroma has notes of caramel, malt and apple. Flavor is fruity and not quite as sweet as the aroma, adding some hops to the caramel and malt notes. Alcohol bite is strong enough to warn that this is a high-grav, but not overpowering. Texture is a tad thin but fairly fizzy. Sip it slowly or you’ll be horizontal.

Aroma: 8 | Appearance: 8 | Mouthfeel: 8 | Flavor: 8 | Overall: 9

Pours a very cloudy reddish brown color with a small yet dense light khaki head that reduces to a thin cap that leaves spotty lacing on the glass. Aromas of caramel, raisin, fig, prune, apple, molasses, brown sugar, toast, leather, floral, pine, and earth. Taste mirrors the aroma with a slight earthy pine bitterness on the finish. Light-medium carbonation and full bodied; with a creamy, fairly slick, and lightly sticky mouthfeel that is nice. Alcohol is well hidden with only a small warming noticed after the finish. Overall this is a excellent barleywine. Great balance and complexity of malt flavors; and very smooth to sip on. A highly enjoyable offering.

Aroma: 8 | Appearance: 8 | Mouthfeel: 8 | Flavor: 8 | Overall: 8

This beer seemed to be exactly what I expect and want this style to be. It was mindblowing but very good all around. A huge boozy malt bomb with just a tiny bit of hops for balance. Split a 12 oz bottle with pfoxyjohn and that was just the right amount. Thanks John!

Aroma: 8 | Appearance: 8 | Mouthfeel: 8 | Flavor: 8 | Overall: 8

Excellent beer for the stile.Warms you from the inside to the out.After six of these you go to bed and your woman wonders where the woody has gone.She will not buy this again.But I will

Aroma: 9 | Appearance: 8 | Mouthfeel: 9 | Flavor: 8 | Overall: 8

A truly outstanding barleywine and deserved as a standardbearer for the style. A beautiful reddish-brown pour, slightly hazy, with a white head. The aroma is roasted malt, caramel, vanilla, and alcohol. The flavour is sweet malt, some citrus, and dark fruits. It goes down well.