Happy Birthday to you, Happy birthday to you... Happy Birthday dear Victory... happy birthday to you!
So, yea I heard through the grapevine Victory is now old enough to acquire a drivers license. 16 years old. Simply amazing. One thing that really hits home with that number is that I've been at my current company for 15.5 years. I started out at my company moved to West Chester, PA in June of 1996; just a few short miles from Downingtown. I knew very little about "craft beer" or microbreweries or anything like that back in 1996. Quite frankly, I knew little about beer back then other then I liked to drink it. Apparently, Ron and Bill knew a few things about the brewery industry and made magic happen. I've made it to the brewery a few times (not near as many as I would have liked); but every time was wonderful... Food was great as was the beer. Always an issue with me with brew pubs - usually good food or good beer; typically not both - these guys always seemed to make that happen. Today, I read a little link on their site that tells a GREAT story of their history. Once again, a brewer (or two) with a big dream make it happen at any cost! Congrats guys! Sometimes I miss living out there and Victory is one of those things that make me sometimes wish I still did.
So, tonight I decided to drink Golden Monkey (thank you to my wife for picking it up at Market District this morning). Their selection of Victory was a bit light - she stated they had V-12 , Golden Monkey and can't remember the third; at least that is all she saw. I've always been a fan of Victory, and even more so the Golden Monkey. I'm not just saying that because one of my followers works for Victory! NO, Really - read above that I have a really LOOSE link to the brewery ;) haha. In all seriousness, this is a great beer. It has so many components that I find needed in a quality beer. First, the pour is strong, and the head is heavy. It took awhile for the head to calm on the top of the glass with a vigorous pour. The head sticks to the side of the glass the whole time while you drink this. Putting this up to my mouth preparing for the first sip you get a huge sweet aroma to this brew. I'm not great at smells but I would definitely say that I'm getting a huge hoppy aroma to this glass. Its big and its beautiful.
The taste continues to leave you wanting more. Its big, its malty, its rich, its spicy. All the things that make beer yummy! The hops are balanced in this beer nicely but the malts are the big winner in this glass. It is big at 9.5% alcohol so I recommend sampling this one lightly. It is true to the name super GOLDEN in the glass. Its so pretty with the gold in the glass and silky white head covering the top and clinging the side of the glass. Even the carbonation in this beer is big. Ever sip brings large bubbles racing through the beer. I highly recommend going out and finding this beer.
Since seeing the birthday today, this has been a nostalgic day for me for the east side of PA. It happens from time to time. I'm actually drinking this beer out of a Manayunk Brewing Co. glass. It has been years since I've even thought of this brewery. I had gone a few times back in early 2000. I remember a bar in Manayunk that was call "Flat Rock". Man, its been even "longer" since I've thought of that place. I remember this was one of my first introductions to the city of Philadelphia - and any large city in general to be honest. It was a bit "rich" for my blood back then (and maybe even still to this day). But one thing I know is this place definitely knew its beer; or at least they had a HUGE selection as I remember it and always made me "feel a little funny inside" going into this place - this was before I knew I had a fascination with quality beer. Ok, I think my wife and I may need to plan an adult night/weekend out east here soon. Drop the kids off in York with my parents and spend some "quality time" out East... Where to go? Where to stay? What to do? SO MUCH TO SEE AND DO and SO LITTLE TIME.
Thanks for listening. Until tomorrow. Good night.
So, yea I heard through the grapevine Victory is now old enough to acquire a drivers license. 16 years old. Simply amazing. One thing that really hits home with that number is that I've been at my current company for 15.5 years. I started out at my company moved to West Chester, PA in June of 1996; just a few short miles from Downingtown. I knew very little about "craft beer" or microbreweries or anything like that back in 1996. Quite frankly, I knew little about beer back then other then I liked to drink it. Apparently, Ron and Bill knew a few things about the brewery industry and made magic happen. I've made it to the brewery a few times (not near as many as I would have liked); but every time was wonderful... Food was great as was the beer. Always an issue with me with brew pubs - usually good food or good beer; typically not both - these guys always seemed to make that happen. Today, I read a little link on their site that tells a GREAT story of their history. Once again, a brewer (or two) with a big dream make it happen at any cost! Congrats guys! Sometimes I miss living out there and Victory is one of those things that make me sometimes wish I still did.
So, tonight I decided to drink Golden Monkey (thank you to my wife for picking it up at Market District this morning). Their selection of Victory was a bit light - she stated they had V-12 , Golden Monkey and can't remember the third; at least that is all she saw. I've always been a fan of Victory, and even more so the Golden Monkey. I'm not just saying that because one of my followers works for Victory! NO, Really - read above that I have a really LOOSE link to the brewery ;) haha. In all seriousness, this is a great beer. It has so many components that I find needed in a quality beer. First, the pour is strong, and the head is heavy. It took awhile for the head to calm on the top of the glass with a vigorous pour. The head sticks to the side of the glass the whole time while you drink this. Putting this up to my mouth preparing for the first sip you get a huge sweet aroma to this brew. I'm not great at smells but I would definitely say that I'm getting a huge hoppy aroma to this glass. Its big and its beautiful.
The taste continues to leave you wanting more. Its big, its malty, its rich, its spicy. All the things that make beer yummy! The hops are balanced in this beer nicely but the malts are the big winner in this glass. It is big at 9.5% alcohol so I recommend sampling this one lightly. It is true to the name super GOLDEN in the glass. Its so pretty with the gold in the glass and silky white head covering the top and clinging the side of the glass. Even the carbonation in this beer is big. Ever sip brings large bubbles racing through the beer. I highly recommend going out and finding this beer.
Since seeing the birthday today, this has been a nostalgic day for me for the east side of PA. It happens from time to time. I'm actually drinking this beer out of a Manayunk Brewing Co. glass. It has been years since I've even thought of this brewery. I had gone a few times back in early 2000. I remember a bar in Manayunk that was call "Flat Rock". Man, its been even "longer" since I've thought of that place. I remember this was one of my first introductions to the city of Philadelphia - and any large city in general to be honest. It was a bit "rich" for my blood back then (and maybe even still to this day). But one thing I know is this place definitely knew its beer; or at least they had a HUGE selection as I remember it and always made me "feel a little funny inside" going into this place - this was before I knew I had a fascination with quality beer. Ok, I think my wife and I may need to plan an adult night/weekend out east here soon. Drop the kids off in York with my parents and spend some "quality time" out East... Where to go? Where to stay? What to do? SO MUCH TO SEE AND DO and SO LITTLE TIME.
Thanks for listening. Until tomorrow. Good night.
