Scarlet Sunset
Victory Brewing Company - Downingtown

 

 

 

 

Had this beer at the brewpub in doylestown. Served in a tall pint glass; on draft, cool.

A. Off white head; thick and a nice toffee clear body.

S. Campfire smoke and some sweet grain.

T. Woody grilled flavor. Hops there but subdued.

M. Medium.

D. Really nice not overwhelming smoke beer. Very distinctive for the style.

Reviewed from my notes. This was my first beer at Novare Res' Victory Event. I couldn't pass up this rarity; plus, a smoked wheat beer?!

A: It appears cloudy brown with a tan foamy head. The liquid is darker at the top and lighter (nearly tan) at the bottom.

S: It has a good dark wheat aroma. There is a little smoliness to keep it interesting.

T: Good wheat flavor profile. Cloves, a hint of overripe banana. Some smoked malts, but none of that bacon/char you get from a lot of smoke beers. There is a little phenol alcohol at the finish that lingers.

M: Full bodied with good carbonation. Not too much coat but a lot of tingle.

D: This is a very drinkable offering from Victory that is also quite filling. I hope this large pour I was served doesn't limit the rest of this event for me [it didn't limit the number of beers I ordered, but after one more I decided I had had enough alcohol to stop reviewing for the night].

I had this on tap at mahaffey's in baltimore served in a mug.

The beer lives up to the name appearance wise, like fire in the glass-deep scarlet almost as dark as blood. the cap is thin light beige. The smell is slightly sweet w/ smoky smell under the caramel malt w/ mild nutty notes and sweet mild fruit tinge w/ more caramel detected than anything. The feel is smooth with malt sweetness and light roastiness. The smoke adds a slight dry edge to the otherwise malty and sweet ale w/ mild warmth and semi-dry finish with a medium body throughout.

The flavor is mild with the smoke, more full bodied malt flavor than smoked. I would suppose they didn't want to oversmoke the beer so they gave it a good amount of malt body. I enjoyed the mild nutty and sweet caramel flavors with slight tinges of woody hops. This beer was one that I enjoyed but might not get a second serving of - the first was pretty drinkable, but in the realm of smoked beer it was just above average.

Imbibed at Kegs For Kids Chicago 2010 - taken from notes.

Appearance -- Pours a murky ice coffee hue of brown with a sudsy tan head.

Smell -- Woodsmoke, cracked wheat, banana, and a mild whiff of clove.

Taste -- Rich woodsmoke and cream of wheat at the forefront with an abundance of yeast notes, specifically clove oil and banana.

Mouthfeel -- Medium in body with mild carbonation. Not much to talk about.

Drinkability -- I wouldn't call this my cup of tea, but this is truly unique: a smoked hefeweissen. I would gladly try this again, but probably only for the uniqueness. My only real quip is that the smoke really overwhelmed the delicate yeast notes; a gentler hand with the smoked malt addition would have done this beer well.

Please note: This review is for Scarlet Sunset. This is a completely new beer, it is not the same as Scarlet Moon or Scarlet Fire, etc. Please do not relocate this review.

My first "first review" on this site, nothing but my own palate to go on! This was described at the brewery as a "Smoked Wheat Beer."

A: Quite pleasant in a weird, manly way. Pours with a light brown head and a murky brown-grey body that sort of reminds me of pan drippings from a perfectly cooked burger. Very murky and cloudy, and very inviting if you're into this sort of thing.

S: The smell, like with anything that's been smoked, is the star. Mine poured with a lot of head, but the aroma of savory smoke and burnt malt permeate through it all and became the star. There is quite a bit of grilled fruit character coming through, sort of like a kabab being cooked in Hawaii. You can smell this beer from across the room. Bravo!

T: Beautiful smoked character overwhelms, and it's so lovely that it makes up for fact that aside from come cerealy wheat character and chipotle character, there's a lot of flavor competing with the smokiness. Still though, the cleanest and most inviting flavor I've ever experienced in a smoked beer.

M: The mouthfeel is pleasant and doesn't overwhelm. The savory character is complimented by the same generous carbonation that Victory is often notorious for.

D: I had one of these with grilled cheeseburgers with adobo sauce and corn on the cob, and when I finished I could hardly imagine drinking another for dessert. It's a perfect pairing with a meaty, savory meal though, and it is instantly a brewery-exclusive, fill-up-your-growler star, and a welcome addition to Victory's "Scarlet" family.

The perfect thing to bring to a barbeque if you're in the vicinity of the brewery.