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Oak Horizontal
Victory Brewing Company - Downingtown
- From:
- Victory Brewing Company - Downingtown
- Pennsylvania, United States
- Style:
- American Barleywine
- ABV:
- 10.5%
- Score:
- 90
- Avg:
- 4.04 | pDev: 11.39%
- Reviews:
- 67
- Ratings:
- Status:
- Retired
- Rated:
- Feb 26, 2021
- Added:
- Dec 28, 2012
- Wants:
- 17
- Gots:
- 58
No description / notes.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by Knapp85:
Reviewed by Knapp85 from Pennsylvania
4.18/5 rDev +3.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
4.18/5 rDev +3.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
This poured out as a nice mohogany brown color with a thin white head on top that faded quickly leaving some tiny bubbles around the edge of the glass. Not much lacing of any kind here. The smell of the beer is big, lots of malt, it's sweet with some booze in the nose also. There are hints of spice and some vanilla also. The taste of the beer is sweet with a subtle oakiness to it that fades into a dry bitter finish. The mouthfeel of the beer is smooth, it's got a light carbonation to it that really faded nearing the end of the glass. The beer has a good amount of body to it though and really coats the mouth well. Overall it's a damn good brew, I enjoyed it quite a bit.
Mar 12, 2013More User Ratings:
Reviewed by Jadjunk from Georgia
3.81/5 rDev -5.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
3.81/5 rDev -5.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
"Represented by a snoozing moon, our Old Horizonta Barleywine-style ale is a substantial brew that has been serving as a winter warmer since 1996. Now it has finally earned a little rest of its own. We brewed up some batches and put them to bed in oak barrels that once held bourbon. During this three-month nap, the newly named Oak Horizontal enjoyed a transformation of flavors as the rich sweetness of the ale combined wit hthe oaky, vanilla flavors of the barrels to become a truly dreamy brew." Brewed in the style of an American Barleywine aged in bourbon barrels. Available in 750ml. bottles and on limited draft. Special release version of Old Horizontal Barleywine, released 2013.
Poured from a 750ml. bottle to a snifter glass.
(Appearance) Pours a frothy cream head of a buttery white color over a densely hazy muddy copper body. Retention is below average and lacing is light and patchy. 3
(Smell) An evident bourbon-oak impact creates drying notes, soft tannins and subtle vanilla-bourbon aromas atop a smooth and accessible Barleywine base of bread malts, smooth caramel, soft grains and delicate dark fruit sugars. Potency is moderate. 3.75
(Taste) The flavor has an incredible wave of bourbon oak up front, strong combinations of raw and toasted oak barrel with potent vanilla and bourbon flavor in tow, giving way slightly on the finish to the barleywine Old Horizontal recipe, which largely drifts underneath the intensity of the oak character as a sturdy malt base, without contributing much to the beer otherwise. It's actually quite enjoyable if you like an oak and bourbon-led beer, as this one certainly preserves and displays those character very well without much combative Barleywine flavors. 4
(Mouthfeel) Texture is slick, moderately residual, smooth, medium dry. Carbonation is modest, generating a light frothiness and a softly crisp finish. Body is medium for the style, medium/heavy overall. Balance is moderately oaky dry and grainy over sweet. Alcohol presence is moderate, and there are no off characters to note. 3.75
(Overall) This is probably Victory's best oak-aged variant in their 750 ml. line, from the ones I have sampled to date. The oak and bourbon flavor is incredible, very potent and strong in delivery, leading this beer over the barleywine base, but I find the Old Horizontal Barleywine to be rather evenly balanced without stark highs and lows, so this experiment is welcome by me as an opportunity to compliment and amplify the flavors of an old classic, and ultimately recommended. Even with a few years of maturation in the bottle- it turns out to be very enjoyable. 4
Victory Brewing Company's
Oak Horizontal Aged In Bourbon Barrels
3.81/5.00
Feb 15, 2016Poured from a 750ml. bottle to a snifter glass.
(Appearance) Pours a frothy cream head of a buttery white color over a densely hazy muddy copper body. Retention is below average and lacing is light and patchy. 3
(Smell) An evident bourbon-oak impact creates drying notes, soft tannins and subtle vanilla-bourbon aromas atop a smooth and accessible Barleywine base of bread malts, smooth caramel, soft grains and delicate dark fruit sugars. Potency is moderate. 3.75
(Taste) The flavor has an incredible wave of bourbon oak up front, strong combinations of raw and toasted oak barrel with potent vanilla and bourbon flavor in tow, giving way slightly on the finish to the barleywine Old Horizontal recipe, which largely drifts underneath the intensity of the oak character as a sturdy malt base, without contributing much to the beer otherwise. It's actually quite enjoyable if you like an oak and bourbon-led beer, as this one certainly preserves and displays those character very well without much combative Barleywine flavors. 4
(Mouthfeel) Texture is slick, moderately residual, smooth, medium dry. Carbonation is modest, generating a light frothiness and a softly crisp finish. Body is medium for the style, medium/heavy overall. Balance is moderately oaky dry and grainy over sweet. Alcohol presence is moderate, and there are no off characters to note. 3.75
(Overall) This is probably Victory's best oak-aged variant in their 750 ml. line, from the ones I have sampled to date. The oak and bourbon flavor is incredible, very potent and strong in delivery, leading this beer over the barleywine base, but I find the Old Horizontal Barleywine to be rather evenly balanced without stark highs and lows, so this experiment is welcome by me as an opportunity to compliment and amplify the flavors of an old classic, and ultimately recommended. Even with a few years of maturation in the bottle- it turns out to be very enjoyable. 4
Victory Brewing Company's
Oak Horizontal Aged In Bourbon Barrels
3.81/5.00
Rated by spinrsx from Canada (ON)
3.42/5 rDev -15.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5
3.42/5 rDev -15.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5
2012 vintage. Was flat and oxidized.
Jan 30, 2016
Oak Horizontal from Victory Brewing Company - Downingtown
Beer rating:
90 out of
100 with
341 ratings
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