Victory–Dark Intrigue, Cans, V-12, Wild Devil & More Questions Answered

From Victory Blog:

After last month’s question and answer blog post, you all seemed inspired to send in more questions than ever. It was great to hear from so many Victory beer drinkers and brewpub visitors. We did our best to compile and answer as many of your questions as possible. Keep reading to see if your inquiring mind can be put to rest.

Keep those questions coming! Send them to [email protected] and we will address them in an upcoming blog. If we missed your question this time around, feel free to submit it again. We will do our best to address every query.

Q: Will Dark Intrigue be coming back this year?

A: Yes! In fact, Storm King Stout has already been poured into the bourbon barrels and begun the barrel-aging process. We were thrilled by the popularity of this brew last year, so this year we’re more than doubling our batch. You can get yours at in the retail store at the brewpub on “Dark Wednesday,” the day before Thanksgiving. Fun fact: Last year, we sold 80 cases in just 43 minutes!

Q: Does it truly matter what glass I use (assuming I’m not talking about a coffee mug or sippy cup)? How do I know which kind of glass to use for different styles of beer?

A: We firmly believe that the glassware you use when enjoying beer does make a difference. The experience can be entirely different based on the shape and size of your glass. The shape of the glass directly impacts the amount of aroma you can capture, the color you see and the size of the gulp you can take. Using the coordinating glassware for a specific beer style will allow you to enjoy the full experience as the brewmaster intended. For a good reference to match your beer style and glass, check out this guide from Beeradvocate.

Q: Have you considered canning your flagships?

A: Per CEO and Brewmaster, Ron Barchet: “We already package in cans: 5.16 and 15.5 gallon returnables.” Joking aside, it is something we have considered and it is a possibility down the road. However, at this time, we do not have the space in our tight facility to add another packaging line.

Q: I love all your brews! The 1st one that I tried was V-12. Will this ever be available in 6 Packs?

A: We are glad to hear you enjoyed it! V-12 is a special beer that deserves the regal, 750 ml corked package in which it currently lives. We bottle condition V-12 within the large bottle, which adds to its complexity over the long term. It is also important to note V-12 has a pricey production cost, which makes it hard to price competitively for a 6-pack market.

Q: I was wondering if you could give a status update on WildDevil?  It is hands-down my favorite beer.  Is there any chance of seeing it again?

A:

While we can’t give you exact release dates for the next batch of WildDevil, we can tell you that it will make an appearance again some day. We consider WildDevil to be so wild that we never know when it’s going to be peeking its head back out. There is no specific date for release, but Bill and Ron have heard your request (and the request of others) for the return of WildDevil and it will likely be brewed again sooner than later. Rest assured; WildDevil will live again.

Q: I was wondering, what are Bill and Ron’s favorite mash-ups of their own beers?

A: 

Ron occasionally likes to combine Victory Lager with Bockbier, or he enjoys Festbier with a splash of Prima on top. For some of Bill’s favorites, check out this video.

Q: Would you consider doing a year-round Dunkel similar to say a hofbrau or ayinger? You seem to tackle the German style well and there are so few good American dunkels.

A:  Thank you for the compliment. We enjoy our Dunkles here in the winter, when we do a single, draft-only batch. Sadly, our love of the style hasn’t translated to the masses. We bottled it for several years in the late nineties and early 2000s, but the sales couldn’t sustain the brand. With the ever-evolving tastes of craft beer consumers, we are hopeful that the demand and appreciation of the style will grow and someday allow for us to package it again. For now, look for it in our brewpub every winter.