I suppose it was inevitable. Everybody needs a “session IPA” these days it seems. Even the Victory Brewing Company of Downingtown, Pennsylvania had to get onboard with their Victory 19 Anniversary Session IPA. How would this beer pan out in comparison to the legendary Hop Devil IPA, surely one of the best India Pale Ales ever brewed?
We shall see. Victory 19 Anniversary Session IPA is a seasonal beer for Victory and they say it is available from January to March. I think such beers are better suited for the hotter summer months, but to be fair I am sure the supply will last through the spring. My bottle has an “enjoy by” date of June 5th 2015 and I drank it on April 30th. I don’t know if the beer will be back in 2016 or is a one-off.
From the label:
Welcome to our birthday bash! As our gift to you, we’ve brewed this crisp and easy drinking session IPA – full of hop flavor – for you to enjoy all night long. So put this beer to your lips and start shakin’ what your mama gave you – the party is just getting started.
Ingredients from the website:
Malt: Pilsner, CaraPils
Hops: Simcoe, Citra, Chinook
Victory 19 Anniversary Session IPA has an alcohol content of 4.5% by volume and it runs $9.99 a six-pack here in Atlanta.
Victory 19 Anniversary Session IPA pours to a pale yellow color with a thick pillowy head and a light citrus hoppy nose. Taking a sip, the beer is thin on malt up front but then that's typical for this (non) style. The hops are citric and lightly resiny but for me they don't seem to jive right with the malt. There's light passion fruit and pineapple too and a drying grassy bitterness at the last but the beer is unbalanced and a bit astringent even. All in all it’s an off beer for me, even considering the style. I'd suggest a single to try, but this is not one I would re-buy. Certainly not one I would pay $9.99 a six for again.
A rare thumbs down for a Victory beer. I'll stick to Hop Devil friends.
And remember, try a new beer today, and drink outside the box.
*Pricing data accurate at time of review or latest update. For reference only, based on actual price paid by reviewer.
(B)=Bottled
(D)=Draft