Victory Brewing (2020)

They made Golden Monkey a good beer. A change that was 15 years overdue. I'm definitely a fan of that.

Maybe they can do that for Hop Devil, too.

 

I've been hearing that there was a fairly recent GM recipe change but I have not seen any hard evidence of this. GM has been known to have these changes from time to time but the last one I had proof of was years ago.

Yes an HD recipe change is definitely an option but it's such a touchy subject because the Prima Pils change did not seem to be a hit with most people (I didn't mind it, though).

 

Same here. I was really liked it and was looking forward to it for the spring/summer.

I agree, I think they can tweak HD a little and still keep most folks happy who drink it (me) such that they did with Prima....of which I'm still a fan of even with that recipe change.

Hop Devil has always been a good beer, but a small tweak would not be off putting to me. That beer was a craft pioneer, it CANNOT go away.

 

I wonder if they wanted to tweak hopdevil they could put it out in a hopdevil mixed pack with 4 different recipes that would at least be interesting.

 

It was always my least favorite of the early-Aughts IPAs. Two-Hearted and 90 Minute both hold up much better as modern beers too.

 

I have been going to Victory on a regular basis since the doors opened in 2/96, when HD along with three other beers were introduced (Can you name the other three?). If the ABV management was stupid or arrogant enough to delete HD as a flagship beer and continue to release the latest fruit, sour, hazy du jour special, probably 50% or more of the regulars will abruptly stop patronizing Victory and become regulars at other nearby brewpubs.

There is many confusing things being said by V brewpub staff concerning what's being planned or changed. I know ABV has supposedly committed to revitalize and restart brewing and canning operations at the D'town brewery, including restarting cask-conditioning of Uncle Teddy and HD. So a decision to terminate HD beer would be an unwelcome surprise. But the biggest unknown will be the magnitude and extent that the Coronavirus will affect overall plans and operational and financial decisions!

 

Brandywine Lager
Prima Pils
Festbier
Was it St. v

 

No, it wasn't St. V, it was Mill Town Pale Ale. It was pedestrian at best, especially compared to HD. PP replaced the pale ale in late spring of 96. The pale ale was never to be brewed again.

 

Agreed, I still regularly buy these two. But I wonder how much they've been slowly tweaked over the years.

 

I never had that one. I use to borrow your personal cigar ashtray back in the early days when you weren't in, which was a rare occasion. Can't remember the bartenders name, but she would always offer it up, but say if Rich comes in, I'll need to give it to him. I miss the old Victory and especially Brandywine Lager.

 

Ehh, not sure I agree with that. Yes, Two Hearted does but only because it was always brewed as a WCIPA wheras HopDevil was a classic ECIPA. WCIPAs have always been more popular since day one.

90 Minute? Me personally? That beers' ship has sailed. So malt heavy and boozy when fresh I'm not sure exaclty how it holds up better as a modern beer than HD. Yes, HD is malty and dank and bitter but boy it still has a ton of fruit aroma and flavor in the profile. Put a 90 Minute and an HD on the bar in front of me, I choose HD every single time.

 

A few months ago I had an HD after not having one for a while and I will say that it was interesting to see how the malts and hops played off of each other in that way, you don't get that same experience from many IPAs because they can all taste pretty similar, HD is definitely different (but that unfortunately can be a double edged sword in today's market).

And HD on cask is great.

I would love to do an old-school IPA tasting sometime.

 

Hop Devil is definitely unique in today’s IPA scene, and when I see it fresh I grab some. That’s the problem tho in NEPA, rarely fresh. I wish they kept it in the variety pack. No Brainer is ok, it just doesn’t stand out in any way.

 

That lovely lady was Miss Amy....by far and away the best bartender that worked @ V. One of the first employees hired at Victory. I remember she asked if I would mind sharing my ash tray with others when I wasn't there. It was only a handful of people, so I didn't mind. I am glad you had opportunity to use it. A friend of mind purchased it in Cologne, Germany and gave it to me on his return.

As you stated, I truly miss the old brewpub atmosphere and clientele. And also as you said which I entirely agree, the Brandywine Lager was my routine go to brew for months after it opened. If I remember right, it was a Dormunder style lager. During initial fermentation, Ron and Bill experimented with open fermentation. The secondary laggering was always in closed tanks. It was a soft, smooth beer tasting beer with a biscuity flavor finish. But when Prima Pils was introduced in spring of 96, it changed everything for me. It was a unique Northern Germany style brew with a noticable hoppy flavor profile and remarkable aroma with a dry finish that beggged you "I bet you just can't have just one" which was always the case. PP and then the introduction of the varietal hop Braumeister Keller Pils in 98 became my new go to brew and has remained my brew of the day. In fact over this past weekend, I took advantage of a Victory weekend special...any three (3) crowlers for $10!!! So I had an easy decision....Sunday purchased 3 crowlers of Braumeister Pils.

BTW, I stopped smoking cigars over 15 years ago. I hope you did as well.

 

If you like cask, give a try on nitro....it's truly has a similar taste profile! Let me know & I join you.

 

Hop Devil is so bitter that it is unpalatable, or at least it used to be. 90 Minute is boozy and malty, no doubt about it, but it gets more fruitiness and less bitterness from the hops than Hop Devil on the palate, likely due to the extra maltiness there balancing out the bitterness.

 

While I'll no doubt agree HD is more bitter, I'm not sure bitter is out in todays beer world. Is it what it used to be? No, not with all the soft mouthfeel fruit forward IPAs, but I don't think bitter is bad. And even back in the day I never thought HD was bitter to the point of unpalatable, it was hoppy and fruity and and malty and bitter all rolled up in one.......and damn good at it too. Long live HD, you can't ever deny it is a pioneer beer.

 

Ah yes I have had it on nitro also and enjoyed it. Since we are all on quarantine maybe we need to buy some HD.

 

Agreed, all this talk has me thinking this is my next keg buy.

 

Nice! I will probably pick up a few/a six pack soon also.