Victory Otto
In 1987, when we arrived in Bamberg, Germany for the first time, St. Otto was not there to greet two thirsty travelers in a rented Fiat. He’d been dead for 848 years but we were alive, and our recent visit to the Belgian brewery of Orval only fanned the flames of our desire for fermented pleasures. the smoked malt(’rauch’)beers of this lovely town where St. Otto was once bishop were our siren song, luring us into deep, exotic flavors that we never before imagined in beer. Three decades later we wondered what smoked malt might add to a Belgian-style dubbel ale. Here it is, an Otto revival of sorts. We hope it helps rejuvenate some of our brain cells that were martyred in Bamberg so long ago.
3.3
213 reviews
Downingtown, United States
Community reviews
750 ml bottle. Got at Nikki’s in Providence, R.I. Murky brown color, no head. Smell is light smoked malt. Flavor is light smoked malt with some Light tones of malted wheat. Smoked brews aren’t my cup of tea. I keep trying them hoping I will like them, well for what it is, it maybe good. Not for this guy.
Heavily smoked nose, very very smokey but it has sort of a peach nose as well. Whoa. this is a lager, right? Very thin, all smoke 100% smoke whoa.
My bottle [750ml] shared with HogTownHarry, JoeMcPhee, jercraigs & mabel. Pours a hazy ruby-red with some sediment and an average size lasting frothy beige head. Some lacing on the glass. Aroma of smoke, almost meaty, along with caramel malt, fruit, light hops and the smell of markers. Nice flavour of smoke yes but it’s also quite fruity and yeasty -- different and enjoyable. Medium bodied. Man, I really liked this.
Bottle shared with friends. Definitely a good bit of smoke happening in this one. Like sticking your head in a camp fire. Smoked beers aren’t really my thing but I was glad I was able to try this.
2013-04-12. Lightly hazy brown body with a small tan head. Smokey iodine in the aroma, dominates over sweeter malt in the base. 5+ Flavour is similar - smokey iodine ruins a lovely sweet malt core. Light bitterness, the malt grows as it goes but it still finishes dry and smokey. Fruity malt comes out a bit as it warms up, the dubbel aspects are nice. Smooth average plus to medium bodied Palate is pretty nice. 3++ Pretty interesting but ultimately the smoke is very much not for me. Bottle shared by
Bottle courtesy of blankboy. Deep amber-brown pour. The aroma is rich and smoky. Nice beechwood character with a touch of spice and smoke. A little bit of fruitiness behind the smoke along with some light clove. A bit of peat and a lot of fruit with a nice peppery character. Tasty and pretty lovely.
750ml bottle. Slightly hazy deep ruby-amber, average lasting tan frothy head. Aroma is fruity and smokey. Taste is quite Islay - fruit in the background, some bitterness. Light body, astringent, quick finishing. Lovely
Oddly boring smoked beer. Kinda meaty and nutty with medium sweetness. Im not sure what there is to like or dislike with this. Boring which is strange for a smoked beer.
Just a smoky brown ale, very smokey and not much else, ok but very onedimensional
Bottle: Deep caramel, dirty, moderate frothy tannish head, spotty lacing. Smoked malt nose, slightly meaty, but also a bit of band-aid. Smooth on the tongue, smidgen of smoked meat, but overall its a lot of that band-aid like plastic like so many other American examples. Needs to be smokier with more meaty attributes. Body and mouthfeel are moderate. Plasticy finish. Luckily it isn’t too strong, but it does give off that medicinal band-aid like flavor.
Bottle. Pours a very dark brown with a moderate off-white head. Nose has some strong smokey notes to it with just a hint of sweetness underneath. Taste is very slightly sweet, but has some bitter smokiness to it.
A very drinkable smoked beer, with complexity. I think having for 1.5 years helped (note on bottle said 5 year shelf life).
Moderate smoke aroma. Smooth mouthfeel. Lasting small head.
Smoked cherry raisin chocolate malts throughout. Don’t think smokeed ales are anyone’s go to beer but this was interesting. I drank it all myself with a half rack of ribs. Probably not a better way to drink it food wise.
Pours a deep amber. Smell is smoky with a note of applejuice. Taste is smoke with a malty ash aftertaste. 2.8 mainly because the unique style, but kind of unpleasant to drink, more so than the other smoked beer I have tasted. Probably just didn’t suit my taste.
Serving: 750 ml. bottle from State Line Liquors. It pours a straight forward brown color with a small tan head. The nose is mostly dark malt with a hint of smoke on the back end. The flavor follows suit with slight earthy notes, a hint of wood, and a little malt sweetness. Medium bodied with average carbonation. A little more smoke presence would do wonders for this brew, but it’s still pretty decent.
Bottle shared by drabmuh. Thanks Matt.
The beer is light brown with a half inch of tan head that leaves sparse lacing. The aroma is smoke, peat, campfire. Just what one would expect from a beer of this ilk. Good flavor. A notch below the authentic examples of the style, particularly Aecht Schlenkerla, who reigns supreme. That said, this is a fine rauchbier from an American brewery, albeit one that is about as close to Germany as possible...maybe there’s something to that. Medium bodied, with a lasting smokiness on the palate. Recommended.
Serving type: bottle
Reviewed on: 11-12-2011
A - Pours a cloudy red-orange with a finger of frothy off-white head. The head fades down at a normal pace leaving behind some nice lacing.
S - Aroma is a mix of sweet caramel malts, dark fruits, Belgian yeast, smoke, vanilla, and some spices.
T - Starts off with a mix of sweet caramel and darker malts with some dark fruits, and some spices. Through the middle, the smoke comes through with some more Belgian yeast flavors including some more spices and some dark fruits. The finish is a mix of sweet caramel malts, smoke, dark fruits, Belgian yeast, spices, and a hint of booze.
M - Medium-full bodied with moderate carbonation. Feels smooth with a sweet, smokey, and warming finish.
D - Very drinkable. Good complexity and balance. The smoke on top of the dubbel is a nice touch.
Smoke and a hint of wood in the nose. Pours a cloudy tea color with an off-white mostly diminishing head. Taste is a combination smoke and sweetness. Hints of honey combined with a woody smokiness provides a smooth bodied and soft carbonation beer. Overall, very drinkable but not one that I would want to one after the other.
Bottle from the BA Buffalo Bottleshare. Pours dark mahogany shade amber with small foamy off white head. Bready and smoke in the nose. Taste contiurs with the smoke adds slight toffee and biscuit. Full body but drinkable.
My Bottom Line:
Beechwood smoke and light bread evolve in a dryish mouthfeel, leading to a peppery ending.
Further Personal Perceptions:
-A veil of foam covers the hazy red.
-Carbonation feels natural, which is perfect for this type of refined flavor profile.
-Drinkability is quite high despite this brew’s strength.
-Body is lean and clean.
Bottle.
750ml bottle. Hazy ruby amber with a dark biege head. Peat and smoke, some memories of montreal smoked meat, smoked malts, bit of nuttiness, some brown sugar. Moderate carbonation and body, light bitterness, becomes nice and dry with a pleasant smoke ending.
Doesn’t work for me. Pours pale brown with an initial head hat fades to nothing and no lacing. Aromas of campfire, some sour, maybe some background brown bread. Tastes are similar. Light body with medium carbonation.
Kind of a weak smoked beer to be honest. Scent is rather bland, has a little smoke/tobacco. Has a nice smoke flavor, but very light body.
I prefer to age smoked beers a year to cut the edge off of the smoke, and as relatively low of a review this beer gets on average I felt that it might help to let it age a little before I reviewed it to help not only mellow the beer out, but also allow the characteristics to blend more. Because I haven’t had this beer fresh before, I won’t be able to tell whether or not aging really helped this beer.
It pours an almost foggy deep brown, walnut color with a thin, slippery off-white head and lacing. Its aroma is definitely interesting. It smells like what it is: a Dubbel. But with an odd character in the aroma that reminds me more of a toy store than smoke. It might be the combination of smoke and Belgian candi sugar that makes this smell something like a combination of baby wipes and toy plastic - regardless, it’s not that impressive of an aroma. What a shame. Well, if you think about it, adding smoked malts to a Belgian Dubbel should really only be done in moderation. Otherwise, you’re asking for trouble.
The flavor is an accurate reflection of the aroma, but with one difference: a lingering finish of baby wipes and toy stores. In the mouth it’s somewhat soft and creamy, but the intense result of the smoke and sweet and yeasty Belgian ingredients invade your palate’s attention and really spoil the drink. I wish I liked this more, but I just don’t. It will be a little difficult to finish this. After a while, though, once the weird finish wears off, you actually catch a glimpse of something cherry-like wafting its way up your sinuses... something that reminds me of cherry throat lozenges. Ah, well. I tried.
The least smoky "smoked" beer I’ve ever had, though it’s still quite tasty. Most of the smoke is in the aftertaste. Otherwise, it’s more caramel, raisin and orange.
A long-lasting, dense beige head covers the clearish copper hue. Attractive beechwood smoke nose, pretty fullsome and fitting the gently candied, fruity, caramelly, chocolatey even. Frankly, all those flavours fit the smoke to a T. It is perhaps a bit sweet, but then again, a dubbel base with 8% alcohol should not be expected to be as drinkable as a marzen. Warming up, its fruitiness evolves towards orange, adding a gentle complexity, both in the fruit and spice registry. Well, it seems that I’m finding this better than most, but I guess it’s no surprise for a smokehead. Pleasant carbonation, actively cleansing the tongue and helped in doing so by a soft leafy bitterness. Good stuff and original.
Bottle. Moderate malt notes of cereal, nutty and caraeml, light cooked orange and meat for the hops and yeast, with date and faint notes of smoke and cola. Head is small, fizzy, off-white with some slippery lacing and is mostly diminishing. Color is hazy to start, murky on the last pour, copper. Flavor starts slightly sweet and moderately acidic, then finishes moderately acidic and heavily bitter. Palate is medium, watery with a lively carbonation. This Smoked beer smells nice and rich, the flavor is a tad "dirty ashtray-ish", but overall it is a very tasty beer.
Brown bottle, 1 pint 9.4 ounces, purchases at Beer World on a trip to TAP NY with Luc Bourbonnière, savoured on August 19 2012; eye: dark brown with a light reddish hue, clear, light effervescence, coffee head that turns into a tiny ring, no lacing; nose: smoke, slight fruity, roasting; mouth: smoke, slight fruity, roasting, light meaty, finale in smoke with light salty presence, average carbonation, thick texture; overall: fine
FRANÇAIS
Bouteille brune, 1 pinte 9,4 onces, 8,1 %, achetée chez Beer World lors d’un voyage à TAP NY avec Luc Bourbonnière, savourée le 19 août 2012; œil : brun foncé avec un léger reflet rougeâtre, limpide, légère effervescence, mousse café qui se transforme en un petit anneau, pas de dentelle; nez : fumé, très léger fruité, torréfié; bouche : fumé, très léger fruité, torréfié, léger viandeux, finale en fumée avec légère présence salée, carbonatation moyenne, texture épaisse; en résumé : bien
Tastes like a relatively generic Belgian with a little bit of smoke flavor. I think it might be too cold too. Schlenkerla is way better.
750ml bottle: This one pours a clear, coppery color. There was a huge frothy head on it that died off rather quickly. Bit of a Belgian thing going on with the aroma. Bready, some sweet caramel and a bit of spice. Just a bit of smokiness. The taste is also quite good. Some smokiness, hint of the caramel, and a touch of bitterness. I usually find smoked beers to be overpowering with that flavor, but this was nicely balanced.