Victoria Ale
Allagash Brewing Company

Victoria AleVictoria Ale
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From:
Allagash Brewing Company
 
Maine, United States
Style:
Belgian Pale Strong Ale
Ranked #69
ABV:
9%
Score:
88
Ranked #14,488
Avg:
3.92 | pDev: 9.44%
Reviews:
155
Ratings:
506
Status:
Active
Rated:
Aug 01, 2022
Added:
Apr 29, 2006
Wants:
  20
Gots:
  93
Victoria Ale was inspired by a visit to Victoria Mansion, in Portland, Maine and the visual references to Bacchus, the god of wine. The brewer's decided to fuse the worlds of beer and wine. Over two hundred pounds of Chardonnay (Vidal Blanc in 2010) grapes were brought in, crushed on site and added directly to the mash. Victoria Ale's aroma is fruity spice, and the taste presents subtle notes of green banana, black pepper, and fresh-crushed mint. With a focus on the subtle, wine-like character of the grapes, the 9.0% ABV brew boasts a pale copper color, Belgian yeast influence, and a medium body with a long candied fruit finish with hints of honeydew melon, and, of course, white wine grapes.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by everetends:
Photo of everetends
Reviewed by everetends from Alabama

4.37/5  rDev +11.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5
Picked this up at Arbor Place Beverage a few weeks back. Hadn't heard much about the beer at that point so I figured I'd give it a shot. Bottle was $14.99 I believe, which is a bit out of my usual price range for a bottle but I decided to live dangerously. Served up in an oversized wine glass.

A: Really nice pop of the cork at opening. No trouble gettin the cork off, no fighting but no explosion either. Pours a pretty clear, yellow with some orange hues coming through. Almost honey colored, a little lighter but absolutely darker than a pale yellow. Got about a finger of head on each pour. No gushing or excessive build up. Sadly, the retention is a bit weak. Falls quickly to a thin ring of bubbles. Color is off white. No lace builds on the glass sadly. Don't know if it is due to the glass or because this beer has some weight to it on the glass, creating a thin film on the glass with each sip. Probably hurts lace. Still a good looking brew.

S: Really nice white wine aroma coming out the glass. Smells like a cross between a chardonnay and reisling. Has that dry nose of chard, but a sweetness and fruitiness of reisling. Getting some apple notes behind the grapes which really work well here. Almost a champagne type yeast coming across in the nose, but the yeast is definitely there. Pale malts are weak and overtaken by the grapes. Only gripe is the alcohol is present big time in the nose. It doesn't hide or shy away from the fact that this sits at 9% at all. Doesn't kill the experience though, very good aroma that is making me hopeful for the flavor.

T: Taste is much like the nose. Yet again getting that chardonnay/reisling blend thing going on, and it works. Nice and dry grape flavor working with a sweet grape flavor at times. Apples and pears match up with the sweetness greatly. Tons of flavor from the grapes. Very impressive. Yeast gives the beer some heartiness for sure, but nothing too heavy or overly heavy. Not really getting any notes of malt or what not, probably just blending in nicely with the grape and fruit flavors. Little bit of spice coming across at times with some clove and pepper. Yet again alcohol makes its presence known, and toward the end of the bottle it seems to get a bit taxing. With that said, its still great flavor. It all works, but the alcohol could be tamed just the slightest notch.

M: Sitting at a perfect medium in body. Has a nice weight to it, but nothing to heavy. Much like a good Chard, maybe a touch heavier. Carbonation is big and crips, prickly at times. It seems just a touch too high, which is a bit shocking. Nice and dry on the palate with just a touch of sweetness. ABV is bringing the heat, and it actually comes across higher than 9% at times. Aftertaste is all grape and fruit.

D: This bottle was killed pretty quickly by myself and my girlfriend. She really enjoyed it. Makes a fantastic wine substitute if you want to shake things up at a dinner party. Great flavors that just work so well with the aromas. My only complaint is the carbonation and the alcohol being a bit too much in the aroma, flavor and feel. All in all though, just a great beer. Tastes are so on point and enjoyable. I will buy this again, even at that price.
Jan 24, 2010
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 4 by LAM01833 from Massachusetts

Aug 01, 2022
Photo of MikeWard
Reviewed by MikeWard from Pennsylvania

3.96/5  rDev +1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
750ml bottle into a tulip. 2010 edition, therefore 11 years old. Must be the oldest beer I've ever had.

Dull burnt orange body, glowing around the edges. Faint carbonation. Head quickly shrinks to a tiny ring, no lacing.

Aromas are quite delicate, sweet, white wine, a faint pepper note.

On tasting, it's fairly warm, boiled candy is the strongest flavor. There is a white wine presence, no spice taste. Clean, goes down easier than it probably should.

Mouth about medium, finish warm sweetness. There is the lightest of bitterness on the tip of the tongue right at the end.

Overall, an interesting, smooth, sweet sipper. Holds up well after 11 years.
Jun 14, 2021
Photo of maddogruss
Reviewed by maddogruss from New Jersey

3.74/5  rDev -4.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Based on notes from 2011. Had on draft.
A: pours golden, orange body with small white head with ok retention and lacing
S: funky, banana ester smelling; olive notes
T: grape, juicy taste with some, sweet; some alcohol notes
M: medium bodied and smooth; pretty solid
D: nice mouthfeel and taste combo; nice drinking beer overall; pretty solid
Nov 25, 2020
Photo of andypeters1971
Reviewed by andypeters1971 from Georgia

4.56/5  rDev +16.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5
Very comparable to Dogfish Head's Midas Touch. I know some people call this and its ilk one of the wine beers, but they are much much closer to beers than wines. Still, you definitely get a sense of wine grapes that are in it. Nothing short of outstanding. Would probably put this on my desert island list of beers.
Jun 15, 2020
 
Rated: 3.84 by jaxon53 from Connecticut

May 04, 2019
Photo of TMoney2591
Reviewed by TMoney2591 from Illinois

3.71/5  rDev -5.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
Served on tap in a snifter at Consume.

Another one of those beers that I saw for ages on the shelves around me but could never pull the trigger. Thanks to Consume, the gun is thankfully taken away from me (if that makes any sense...and I doubt it does...sorry...). This stuff pours a mostly clear sunrise brass topped by a finger or so of lightly off-white foam. The nose comprises white grape must, green apple zest (can you zest an apple?), light Belgian yeast, and a touch of cracked wheat. The taste brings in more of the same, with more yeast-borne spices (particularly the pepper and clove) and a vein of booze running along the back corner. The body is a straight medium, with a rather light moderate carbonation and a fluid feel. Overall, I feel I slept too long on this stuff, but I'm also glad I was kept to a relatively small amount.
Aug 23, 2018
 
Rated: 3.68 by Tbone2131 from Connecticut

Dec 15, 2017
 
Rated: 3.71 by Roberto11232 from New York

Sep 30, 2017
 
Rated: 3.75 by krome from Illinois

Aug 29, 2017
 
Rated: 3.75 by jgunther71 from Illinois

Aug 28, 2017
 
Rated: 4.08 by GravityKills from Massachusetts

Jul 02, 2017
 
Rated: 4.21 by Biggiekrock627 from Maryland

Jun 28, 2017
 
Rated: 4.18 by emerge077 from Illinois

Jun 23, 2017
 
Rated: 3.75 by paulish from New York

May 05, 2017
 
Rated: 3.93 by N1Nkasi from Connecticut

May 03, 2017
 
Rated: 3.65 by Lucular from Maryland

May 02, 2017
Photo of bylerteck
Rated by bylerteck from Canada (ON)

4.29/5  rDev +9.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Draught
The Publick House
Boston
Apr 26, 2017
Photo of cjgiant
Reviewed by cjgiant from District of Columbia

3.97/5  rDev +1.3%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
On tap:
Pours golden with a bright white cap. It appears the bottom of the goblet is etched or something as the current of bubbles can be seen and is mildly mesmerizing. Swaths of lacing.

Nose is apple pulp being made in the orchard, with a bit of barrel wood and cracked grain providing the base. A little bit of citrus funk accent joins in, as well as an indistinct sweet note.

Taste starts with a simple malt cracker note, upon which comes some candi-like sweetness. The grapes and wine come next as a one-two punch. I almost feel like I could judge the wine as a light grassy/citrus wine (wonder if it is). The sweetness and light acidity bump around briefly before a sweet strawberry note settles the score. This actually has a surprisingly creamy mouthfeel by mid-glass (lightly prickly initially).

My first few sips I felt the sweet and wine notes clashed too much. Given time for the beer to warm or my palate adjust, I found them coming together better. It ended up a tad on the sweet side, but enjoyable nonetheless.
Apr 22, 2017
Photo of q33jeff
Reviewed by q33jeff from New Jersey

3.8/5  rDev -3.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
**
04/16/17

On tap at good dog bar.

Interesting.

LOOK: white wine

AROMA: chardonnay grape for sure, apple, maybe some slight wild yeast/grassy smells.

TASTE: Less belgian character than I would have thought, Lots of wine/grape character.

FEEL: light body, above avg carbonation.

Interesting mix of beer and wine. Need to seek out the sister (brother) beer Victor.

**
Apr 18, 2017
Victoria Ale from Allagash Brewing Company
Beer rating: 88 out of 100 with 506 ratings