Tag Archives: Victory Brewing Company

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Golden Monkey by Victory Brewing Company

Victory Golden MonkeyI’ve been drinking a lot of IPAs and stouts lately, so I decided to pick up something different. I had some vague recollection of previously drinking Golden Monkey, a tripel from Victory Brewing Company, and enjoying it, so I decided to give it another go.

Golden Monkey is bright yellow with a slight orange tint and it’s quite clear with minimal haze. It pours with an average amount creamy, off-white head, but retention was fair at best and there was almost no lacing.

The nose is reminiscent of a Hefe, but a bit more harsh. There is a lot of yeast, spice, and barley in the aroma. There is also a bit of fruitiness present as well. I would call it tangy, citrus scent.

Golden Monkey boasts an excellent balance of sweet citrus, spices, and hops. The initial taste reminds me, again, of a Hefe, but it is much more aggressively hopped and much more spicy. The yeast flavor is strong, but not overwhelming.  True to style, this beer is highly alcoholic (9.5% ABV), but is hidden devilishly well behind the balancing act of other flavors. There is very little burn from alcohol, but the hops give this beer a bit of a dry finish.

The initial sweetness makes this a very drinkable beer, and the dry finish leaves you wanting more. At 9.5%, that’s a dangerous, (or perfect, perhaps) cycle. This isn’t an extraordinary beer, but it is a very good beer and pretty true to style. If you like tripels  give it a shot, and if you’re new to tripels, this might be a good place to start.

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Victory Hop Devil IPA

It’s no secret to any regular readers of this blog that was love IPA’s, and Victory Brewing Company’s Hop Devil just might top the list.

This beer pours a hazy golden, amber color with plenty of creamy white head that lingers on the class quite well. The aroma full of spicy, citric hops that stings the nostrils a bit, with grapefruit being a prominent fixture. Hidden beneath the onslaught of hops is a surprising sweet smell with perhaps a bit of honey.

I love when I try a new beer and the first sip blows me away. This beer does just that. Hops, hops, and more hops! The spicy citric hops unleash an bombardment of awesomeness whilst the sweet malts work quietly in the background. While this is a very aggressively hopped beer, it’s incredibly smooth and easy to drink. The bitterness from the hops bites hard on the palate but it’s nicely balanced with the smoothness and the subtle sweetness of the malts. Unlike some other IPA’s I’ve had, Hop Devil lacks the warm alcohol taste on the finish, for which I’ll score another point in the Win column for this beer.

Simply put, Hop Devil a top-notch, world-class beer. It’s crowing achievement is maintaining incredible drinkability despite being so over-hopped. Victory makes the most of it’s extreme use of hops by allowing the strong citrus notes shine without being unbearably bitter. This is truly a masterpiece and a must-try for every IPA lover, if not for every beer lover.