Resolution Celebratory Ale
Victory Brewing Company - Downingtown

(16 oz can, best by Mar 26 25; purchased 4-pack off shelf... poured into my Bella Vista glass - I forget the name of it...)

L: pale amber liquid with a mild haze; dense foam which recedes into a thin cap... looks lovely, laces lots

S: fruity nose with hints of passion fruit, dried apple/pear, and yes perhaps some pomegranate (molasses), which vaguely reminds me of my homemade grenadine

T: sort of a lightly spicy Belgian blonde base beer with pale candy sugar notes... candy-like, fragrant jelly(bean) flavor which won't go away in the aftertaste... not residually sweet but in fact rather dry... over time, some sultana or white grape builds on the palate, kind of chardonnay with a splash of perry?

F: 7.5% abv has historically been the ideal sweet spot for me because the alcohol always seems hidden just enough not to bite or burn, but this one does pack a soft singe that stokes and spreads with each sip... this almost drinks like a (p)lush dubbel, just so damn smooth and sedating

O: not at all what I was expecting, but I'm immediately a fan... the bottom red and green colors of the label drew my attention and I thought this might be a spiced red beer but, upon opening this second can, only now I see the damn pears on the top half of the label... if we're calling this an American blonde ale, it's certainly one of the more interesting, characterful takes (2398)

This one is milky amber with chaotic carbonation racing upwards (SRM 5-7). One half inch of creamy, off-white head slowly settles to a thick blanket, leaving patches of lace on a North Mt. Rainier pint glass.

The aroma is more fruity than malt centered. Pears, honeydew, and cantaloupe are set against honey.

The flavor is sweetish with a bitter bite. Pomegranate is definitely present, with apricot shortly following. It is very dry and the finish becomes strongly astringent. As it warms, bitterness comes through like green apple skins.

It has a medium to light body and the texture of scratchy nylon. Alcohol is as expected and the carbonation is lively.

This beer strays from the style, but is otherwise tasty and well suited as an after work wind down. I enjoyed it on a mild, late winter afternoon.

This was the last beer that I picked up last year, as I found it at the Bottle King in Wayne. Haven't had anything from Victory in ages and I wanted something different from the usual holiday fare. Indeed, this fit that billing, although it wasn't quite what I expected...

Quite dark for a blonde ale, the pour to this was quite lovely as the liquid was honey-hued and topped off with a massive head of thick foam. That settled down wonderfully as the lacing left behind was concentrated in a thick ring near the top of the liquid. Loads of pomegranate and honey were in the nose as this felt like a fruitcake fro the get-go. Thankfully, this wasn't something to stash away and give to someone else as this was quite tasty and more importantly, filling. More bread than pear was in the taste as the amount of spice was lighter than I anticipated.

The alcoholic presence was suppressed and there was a hint of tartness in the back, as a bit more carbonation would have made this much more lively. Best by March 26 of this year, this held up well as there wasn't any visible sediment that had to be swirled out. Nothing typical about this but it was a pleasant change from the ordinary as this was one of the few American Blonde Ales that felt like a meal in a can!

This celebratory ale should not be confused with a holidsy or winte ale that is dark and full of spices and fruit flavors. This is a relatively easy drinking ale that had a hint of pear & melon for me. Cannot say there was anything legendary here, but definitely a different ale if u get a chance to try.

16 oz can. Pours deep with tall, long-lasting, fluffy white head, nice lacing and lively carbonation. Aroma is of citrusy hops, ripe fruit and bready malt. Body is full and crisp. Taste is of piney hops, pears, raspberries and bready malt. Finish is long and dry. Very good brew.

Best By: 3-26-25

A - Slightly hazy medium gold color with a thin layer of creamy foam, carbonation is light.

S - Honey malt base that is almost Belgian in nature along with some light pear over the top.

T - Light honey malt base with pear and juicy pomegranate over the too and ending on the sweeter side with light bitterness.

M - Solid medium body with gentle, soft carbonation and finishes really dry.

O - This is an odd one and will probably be one of those love it or hate kinda beers.

Interesting flavor profile. Very pear forward in aroma and flavor. Hints of an IPA but less hops. At 7.5% imperial blonde ale is probably the best description or possibly fruit and field beer with the pear flavoring.

Maybe I got a bad pack, but I did not detect much of the advertised fruitiness, only a massive and off-putting bitterness that didn’t fit with the type of ale it was attempting to be. Plus, there was a hint of urinal cake/Christmas artificial spice like the wreaths outside of supermarkets. As the beer warmed to room temp, the bitterness mellowed, but still didn’t fit the description.

Pours a golden straw color with over a finger of head. The nose is straight-up pear-like. Pears also figure predominantly in the flavor profile. The essence of honey serves as a modest accompaniment. But, the finish isn't super sweet, like one might expect. Rather it is mildly dry based upon a flavor note that is hard to place. The body is quite light for a winter ale.

Thought I picked up a 4-pack of Victory Resolution Baltic Porter but instead I hastily threw this the cart. This is NOT the porter....this is a "Celebratory Ale", which didn't have a classification, so I reviewed this as an American Blonde Ale.

Poured chilled from a can into a 16oz pint glass. Appearance is pale straw color or blonde. Small head with some lacing on the glass. Slight cloudiness to the beer and good amount of co2 bubbles.
Aroma is wild berries, pear, maybe some melon.
Taste follows the aroma with a punch of tart berry, crisp ripe pear, sweet honey, honeydew melon.
Mouthfeel is medium. Crisp but pillowy creamy mouthfeel. Good amount of co2 bubbles dancing around on the palette.
Overall, not what I thought I was buying but I'm not disappointed. This is a fruity sweet beer. Has some hop bitterness but it is faint and dampened out by the malt and fruity sweetness. It is a refreshing brew and certainly enjoyable. I could see having this as a dessert beer following a big holiday dinner. Don't think I could sit down and consume more than 1, or 2 at best, in one sitting. Not bad though by any means.