Victory Variety Pack Round-Up: PrimaPils

Brewed By: Victory Brewing Company in Downingtown, Pennsylvania 

Purchased: 12oz bottle from Victory's Variety Pack bought at Binny's in Chicago, IL; 2014

Style/ABV: American-style Pilsner, 5.3%
Reported IBUs: ?

I realize that reviewing Victory's heritage brews is like reviewing Sierra Nevada's Pale Ale or Anchor Brewing's Anchor Steam. Here's the thing. The four beers contained in this Variety Pack (PrimaPils, HopDevil, Headwaters Pale Ale, Golden Monkey) are classics in their own right. But the times, they've been a-changin'. So it reasons that what was once a classic might be viewed differently today than in retrospect. You know. Plus this is my blog/LiveJournal. If you don't like it, suck on deez nuts. But  About Victory: 

Victory Brewing Company is a brewery based out of Downingtown, Pennsylvania. The brewery was founded by Ron Barchet and Bill Covaleski, two avid brewers and lovers of beer. Although Victory opened on February 15, 1996, the duo were brewing brewing beer long before opening their own company. You can read more about their accomplishments on the brewery's about page. The brewery uses German malted barley and European and American whole flower hops (the use of whole flower hops is one unique aspect of Victory). Victory is currently working on expanding to Parkesburg. For more information about Victory, check out their website or their Facebook page. 

The PrimaPils is literally a classic, with the BeerAdvocate review dating back to 2002. This overly-hoppy American-style Pilsner is brewed with imported 2-row German malts, and a fuck load of whole flower German and Czech hops. 

Victory PrimaPils

This is an admittedly good looking beer, with a bright lemon-yellow body and a finger of nicely defined white head. Head retention and lacing both excel, courtesy of the hops.

The aroma is aggressively hoppy and floral, with overt flowers and grass smashing your nostrils like Mike Tyson's Punch-Out. Embedded with the floral, Sweet Tart-candy-like aroma, are some serious malt characters. I'm getting cracker and biscuit on the nose for sure. There is also a suggestive minerality note in here. 

On the taste: a lot, actually. This is fairly complex, albeit overly hoppy to a fault. This beer drops a ton of floral, Sweet Tart hops. The hops are laid down with a solid backbone of deep biscuit and cracker, and some nice minerality. This beer is oddly familiar, but I can't place it...it is also incredibly unique. The grains do stand out, imparting fantastic aromas of a brewery making beer. 

In terms of depth, this is far-reaching and has a long duration. It's complex, and it also drinks well at 5.3%. I'd call this light-bodied, refreshing, and carbonated. I think as the style goes, this could tone the hops down a notch and ratchet up some of that complex malt base. Still, this is an effective delivery for floral hops up front, a mineral-driven biscuit and bready middle, and a back end that finishes clean, grassy, and dry. This beer has held up well over the years, and is still relevant in 2014. It's very much an American interpretation of the style.

Rating: Above-Average (4.0/5.0 Untappd)

I'm feeling a Light Above-Average on this. This is actually not my favorite American Pilsner, but it is a good beer...this beer must have been quite the revolution 10 years ago, and I see why it is historically rated so highly. For me, this is almost too hoppy, which throws off some of the malts. But the malts still come through in here in a big way, so if you are looking for an aggressively hoppy American Pilsner, you really need not look further. Pair this beer with pizza, because that's the best thing to pair this style with.

Random Thought: And so begins the Chicago Bears meltdown of 2014.