Brew Review

Beer Review – Victory Storm King Imperial Stout

By on • ( 15 Comments )

I didn’t plan on having a beer last Tuesday night, or even writing up a review, but the smell of freshly baked chocolate cake (none for me sadly) was so overwhelming, that I suddenly craved an uber-dark beer. Luckily, I had recently picked up a mixed six pack from The Foodery that just happened to contain a bottle of Victory Brewing Company’s Storm King Imperial Stout.

Here is what Victory Brewing Company has to say about this beer:

And now for my take on this beer…

  • Appearance: Deep, walnut brown color. The head tops out at about one inch of tan foam, but then settles down to a thin layer that eventually disappears completely. Just a hint of lacing.
  • Aroma: Big hit of dark chocolate when you take that first sniff. This is exactly what I was looking for to keep me away from that cake! Some piney hop aroma creeps up, but that dark chocolate scent never goes away.
  • Taste: Medium mouthfeel with moderate carbonation. Bittersweet chocolate and espresso at the onset. Coats your mouth with rich, roasted malt flavors. Piney hops show up at mid palate. So as not to let you forget that this beer is quite potent, the booziness kicks in and leads you to a somewhat astringent and bitter finish.
  • ABV: 9.1%

I’m not sure if this beer has more or less calories than a slice of chocolate cake, but I will tell you this, the next time I am in a restaurant and am asked what I would like for dessert, I may seriously consider having a Victory Storm King (or something along these lines) in lieu of dessert. I really enjoy the balance of rich roasted malt and bitter hops, as well as how the booziness creeps up on you at the finish. This is a bold and delicious beer that I look forward to having again.

Categories: Brew Review, Victory

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15 replies »

    • LOL! I can honestly say that I have not yet had the Old Horizontal. That’s a barleywine right? I’m still on the fence about that particular beer style, but I definitely enjoyed the Sierra Nevada Bigfoot, so I will have to try a few more varieties before reaching a final verdict on the style.

      Glad you liked the shot! I try to have some fun with the pics to keep me from boring myself to tears. Gotta keep it interesting right? 🙂

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  2. I haven’t had this in a loooong time. I don’t know why. I should probably have one soon…maybe today. Ed’s right, too. Cool pic.

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  3. I had this at the Victory Beer Hall in Xfinity Live before a Phils game and it was fantastic. Of course, starting with a big ABV beer before the game was a dangerous move with what followed.

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    • I was always on the fence about Imperial Stouts, but ever since the Old Rasputin, Leinenkugel Big Eddy, and Green Flash Double Stout provided me with some “Aha!” moments, I’ve been enjoying them ever since.

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  6. Leinie’s did an Imperial Stout????? How did I miss that? Granted, you can’t really find it west of the Mississippi, but I get back to Wisconsin enough that I should have seen it. Intrigued.

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    • Oh yeah! Although I’ve found the Leinie beers to be so so overall, their Big Eddy Russian Imperial Stout is well worth seeking out. Limpd is a huge fan and buys it whenever he sees it on the shelf.

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    • Totally agree with you. A notch above Bud/Miller/Coors for sure, but never high on my list. Still though, Big Eddy RIS is worth trying. So what’s your favorite Imperial Stout so far?

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