Gassy Jack Bitter
Victory Brewing Company - Downingtown

Beer Geek Stats
From:
Victory Brewing Company - Downingtown
 
Pennsylvania, United States
Style:
English Bitter
ABV:
4.9%
Score:
Needs more ratings
Avg:
3.64 | pDev: 11.26%
Reviews:
6
Ratings:
7
Status:
Active
Rated:
Dec 14, 2011
Added:
Jul 26, 2010
Wants:
  1
Gots:
  0
No description / notes.
Recent ratings and reviews.
Ratings by Bouleboubier:
Photo of Bouleboubier
Reviewed by Bouleboubier from New Jersey

4/5  rDev +9.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
New bitter from Victory. Brewpub exclusive, I suppose.

You kind of get over the fact that no American brewery will ever make a bitter that actually tastes like a true English bitter. If you've come across one, please tip me off.

What Victory made here resembles a bitter. It's quite drinkable, albeit, unique to itself - very Victory-like. Lacks the smooth, still feel of a true bitter. Medium-bodied and finishes a little too clean. The nose is moderately hoppy, more so than the average bitter and the hops have strong presence for its style in the flavor. The hop character is quite similar to HopDevil. Malty flavor but, once again, ever-so-slightly thin. Nice nutty taste throughout. Extremely sessionable. You won't be fooled into thinking it's an import but it's certainly enjoyable if not outstanding.
Jul 26, 2010
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 3 by GrindFatherBob from New York

Dec 14, 2011
Photo of bishopdc0
Reviewed by bishopdc0 from Maine

3.27/5  rDev -10.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Pours an amber brown color the head quickly dissipates to the glass edge

The aroma starts with a slight caramel and toasted malts.

The taste is very smooth with a very light carbonation. Toasted malts linger on the tongue. A sweet buttery taste enters and the carbonation is continuously subtle.

This is a good beer but it wasn't what i would call a bitter, plenty of caramel/crystal malts but more of a brown taste then an ESB
Jan 14, 2011
Photo of donniecuffs
Reviewed by donniecuffs from New Jersey

3.3/5  rDev -9.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Relatively recently at Rattle 'N Hum's Victory promo...about 2 months ago. Poured a reddish-amber, with no retention and little lacing; little visible carbonation. Smelled of caramel apple, pear, and very sweetly malty overall. Taste mirrored this; very sweet throughout, and dare I say one-dimensional. Feel was ok though; medium-bodied and smooth. Overall, this bitter was way too one-dimensionally sweet for me to session.
Dec 23, 2010
Photo of mdfb79
Reviewed by mdfb79 from New York

3.8/5  rDev +4.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Had on tap tonight at Churchkey in DC.

a - Pours an amber color with less than one inch of white head and light carbonation evident.

s - Smells of toasted malts, citrus, roasted malts, and some fruity hops.

t - Tastes of citrus hops and fruit, toasted malts, fruity malts, and a tiny bit of soap.

m - Medium body and low carbonation.

d - A decent beer, but no bitterness to it at all. Would give another shot but probably wouldn't seek out.
Aug 10, 2010
Photo of Seanibus
Reviewed by Seanibus from California

4/5  rDev +9.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Pours deep amber with a small, tight head. The aroma is malty and long, with toffee and brown sugar and a typical victory tight sting of delicate hops. The flavor is malty, toffeelike, with a toasty nut character and a subtle tight hopping that speaks of noble hops or a delicate english pub hop. The mouthfeel is a little prickly.
Aug 04, 2010
Photo of Kegatron
Reviewed by Kegatron from Pennsylvania

4.1/5  rDev +12.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
On tap @ the VBC on 7/24/10. Served in a pint glass. This was called an "American Bitter" at the brewery and is named after John "Gassy Jack" Deighton, a English born Canadian publican who introduced English Ales to the hardworking sailors and loggers of the Vancouver BC area in the 1860's.

Pours a clear dark copper, with a finger of off-white head. This maintains a nice degree of foamy richness to it, leaving a thick and foamy cascade of lacing behind which quickly slides down the sides of the glass. The aroma smells of bright hops, being floral and citric in the nose, with some pine and spice showing itself as well. Some doughy buttered biscuit character gives the nose some good balance here, while this overall has a pleasant moderate fullness to it.

Those American hops have a good aggressiveness to them, with pine, spice, and bitter citrus peel all giving this some bite. The English malts do a really good job of balancing the bitterness out while yet still adding flavor to the profile with some lightly toasted bready sweetness. Just like the nose, I'm getting a touch of diacatyl here as well. The finish is dry and spicy, with some lingering rind and resin left behind. The mouthfeel is medium bodied with a smooth crispness to the carbonation that lays the bitterness down on the tongue with a quick snap. Just very easygoing and quaffable nature to this that keeps me coming back after each sip.

This turned out really nice with those smooth English malts keeping this easy and flavorful in the mouth, while the American hops offer up a well balanced bitter bite. And that just under 5% ABV keeps this very sessionable feeling. Tasty offering here from Victory which is indicitive of the type of unique offerings that you can find on tap here in the restaurant.
Jul 26, 2010
Gassy Jack Bitter from Victory Brewing Company - Downingtown
Beer rating: 3.64 out of 5 with 7 ratings