HMS Victory ESB
Dry Dock Brewing Co.

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From:
Dry Dock Brewing Co.
 
Colorado, United States
Style:
Extra Special / Strong Bitter (ESB)
ABV:
5.9%
Score:
90
Avg:
4.11 | pDev: 8.52%
Reviews:
8
Ratings:
23
Status:
Active
Rated:
Mar 24, 2017
Added:
Apr 18, 2007
Wants:
  1
Gots:
  1
No description / notes.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
 
Rated: 4.83 by evanwoertz from California

Mar 24, 2017
 
Rated: 3.75 by Moose90 from Washington

Nov 26, 2014
 
Rated: 3.5 by Sound_Explorer from Washington

Jul 03, 2014
 
Rated: 4 by jaydoc from Kansas

Nov 14, 2013
 
Rated: 3.75 by gueuzedreg from Colorado

Jun 18, 2013
 
Rated: 4 by VFRAZ from Colorado

Jun 06, 2013
 
Rated: 4 by claspada from New Jersey

May 28, 2013
 
Rated: 4.25 by Haybeerman from Colorado

Feb 06, 2013
Photo of Thorpe429
Rated by Thorpe429 from Illinois

3.37/5  rDev -18%
look: 4 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.25
On tap at Dry Dock. Bread crust and moderate hop bitterness. Quite dry. Pretty light. Not bad, but I'd prefer some of their other offerings.
Jan 09, 2013
 
Rated: 4.25 by CAcker from California

Dec 23, 2012
Photo of GilGarp
Reviewed by GilGarp from Colorado

4.25/5  rDev +3.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4
Served cold in a 16oz pint glass at Fresh Craft.

HMS Victory is a redish brown amber with great clarity and a very thin layer of head.

Aroma is sweet and malty with a little.bread and caramel.

Flavor is perfectly balanced with sweet toasted caramel malt and earthy British hops.

Mouthfeel is really nice on tap. Medium body and well-judged carbonation.

Overall a great sipping session beer. Perfect for a mild winter day.
Dec 04, 2012
 
Rated: 4 by metalgdog from New York

Jun 29, 2012
 
Rated: 4.5 by carteravebrew from Colorado

Jun 15, 2012
 
Rated: 4.5 by fightingb77 from Colorado

May 27, 2012
Photo of StonedTrippin
Reviewed by StonedTrippin from Colorado

3.85/5  rDev -6.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
nice amber ale style on tap at bicycle cafe on 17th and lafayette. pours a firey red amber color with a one inch butterscotch color head that fades away slowly. smells malty but not sweet, not bitter either though. flavor is very english malty up front with a pronounced hop bitterness at the end. it fades away slowly into a pleasant caramel aftertaste. feel is nice, very mildly carbonated but fuller on the body. really nice feel to feature the malts. they had this listed as an amber ale, and i tend to agree with that categorization, but it does have that classic bitter finish. this beer would go great with some fresh warm pretzels with german mustard. thats all i wanted with this. will drink again
Apr 14, 2012
 
Rated: 4 by rbrefbeerman from California

Mar 31, 2012
Photo of hopfacebrew
Reviewed by hopfacebrew from Colorado

4.35/5  rDev +5.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
On tap at the brewery the beer is served in a pint glass and arrives a translucent brown copper color with a 1 finger white head, good retention and lacing throughout. The nose is a pleasant blend of floral earthy hop character, toasted malt, and a hint of biscuity sweetness. Very well balanced, very inviting. The flavor follows suit with a blend of the earthen hop character, toasted malts, and again a gentle biscuit base. Extremely well balanced. Medium bitterness. Finishes crisp and clean with a lingering hop sweetness on the tongue. Medium bodied and well carbonated. Overall, this is a great beer, likely the best ESB I've ever had. Highly recommended.
Mar 27, 2012
 
Rated: 4.5 by Mizorie from Colorado

Mar 06, 2012
Photo of Domingo
Reviewed by Domingo from Colorado

4.25/5  rDev +3.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5
Who knew that there was a (literally) world class ESB in Aurora?
Arrives a medium to deep brown color and it almost always has a proper 1/3" head on it, but without going overboard and giving you a short pour.
The key to this beer in both smell and taste is balance. A toasty toffee/cookie-like sweetness kept in check with UK hops that offer an earthy and herbal counterpart. It's herbal and earthy at the same time.
Infinitely drinkable and an excellent pairing with hearty food, as you can find it at a few restaurants in the area or grab a growler at the brewery itself.
It's as good as anything I've had in the US, and while it's not on cask, it's still comparable to the UK originals as well.
This is a style that has grown on me and this is an absolutely wonderful example of how good it can be.
Plus, $3 pints and $8 growlers make this a steal.
Jun 24, 2009
Photo of sevopie
Reviewed by sevopie from Colorado

3.83/5  rDev -6.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Appearance - Ruby Golden with a fluffy off-white head.

Smell - Very earthy and malty with a hint of hops in the background. Also, a touch of caramel.

Taste - Also very malty, grains galore, with the hops making an appearance here, but only to add the touch of bitter. Not quite balanced, but still works very well.

Mouthfeel - Like most of Dry Dock's beers, oily smooth with carbonation on the lighter side.

Drinkability - The maltiness actually sits very well here, this one drinks fairly easy.
Aug 21, 2008
HMS Victory ESB from Dry Dock Brewing Co.
Beer rating: 90 out of 100 with 23 ratings