Hop Wallop
Victory Brewing Company - Downingtown

 

 

 

 

 

Reminded of this beer by the How many Beers of Fame have you reviewed? post. Surprised that I have not reviewed this before, have probably had a case of this. Miss this beer.

 

 

A smooth drinking IPA that pours into a gorgeous golden haze with about a 2 inch white frothy head. The head lingers for a while in the glass which is great. The beer gives off wonderful hoppy.earthy aromas with a tropical twist. The taste follows the nose giving pine and floral like notes, but with some tropical fruit notes too. This definitely packs a wallop at 7.5%, but does drinks more like a session. Could definitely have more than one, but I would not advise, as the alcohol could sneak up on you. Enjoy the drinkability and smoothness of this wonderfully crafted IPA!

 

 

 

I’ve been saving this bottle for a few years only to pull it out after a Hop Devil. It is still one of my favorites. Great flavor, color, nose, and flavor. Victory excels again.

 

 

Appearance:
Liquid gold. Pure, clean, and translucent. Looks like an ale you'd expect to see in the tavern of a great dwarven kingdom, just don't drink too deeply, or too greedily. Puffs up a layer of choppy white foam that disappears after introductions are over, living on only as a pattern of sticky, striated lacing.

Bouquet:
Floral, earthy notes but their aroma is dainty and distant, like flowers far away on a mountain. Traces of dried pine occasionally waft in on that far-off mountain breeze. Pleasant, but falls profoundly short of being impressive.

Feel:
A cold, babbling brook of bubbles cascade gently on this light-bodied ale. Crisp with a dry, tangy finish that promises to linger but ends up dipping out early.

Taste:
Bright, semi-sweet pine, quiet notes of pepper, and a wisp of lemongrass all stand before a crackery malt backbone.

Overall:
Meh? It’s pleasing, refreshing, and there's nothing wrong with it but it’s meek and doesn't add anything new to the genre. A serviceable, middle-of-the-road IPA that'll never stand out but sometimes that's just what the menu calls for.

Pours golden yellow with a 2 inch white head with good retention. Heavy lacing to end.

Strong aroma of pine, grapefruit, earthy, floral.

Taste is resiny, pine, slight spiciness, including pepper.

Medium bodied, light carbonation. Dry, bitter finish.

This is a damn good IPA! One of the best.

 

 

Had this several times before my dad gave me a 6-er about two weeks ago. I have one of these left but here are my thoughts now.
Poured into a tulip, the appearance was a semi-dark yellow branded color with some transparency about it. Some carbonation seem rising at a modest pace. Lace coats in a semi-dusty way but clingy.
The aroma had a strong citrusy pithy/bitter rind character strolling in for a balance with some bitter piney hop tones. Malts seem barely there.
The flavor leaned towards the bitter side with a touch of sweet pine dry needles arranging underneath. Mild pine tree aftertaste, fairly dry.
The mouthfeel was pretty dry running along my tongue. Holding it's own as its scraping like what I remember of old school IPA's/DIPA's. Sturdy carbonation and good for the style. Sure is a sipper. Finishes bitter through dry pine tree notes.dry
Overall, not for the faint of heart, this is what old school DIPA's seem to have started out as. This is one I would come back to preferably for me.