CulturAle Press

Sometimes We Just Stay Home and Drink: #11: The Veil Sleeping Forever, Imperial Stout, Richmond, Va.

Date:  June 8, 2019  —

The Story— The Veil has become a cult brewery – cans sell out almost instantly.  think of it as Virginia’s Alchemist. We’re skeptical about cult brews, but we were certainly impressed by this beer from The Veil.    We had the chance to taste this exceptional beer at the Blue and Gray beer event earlier in the year.

One of the highlights of the event is a bottle share– you bring in one or more bottles that you think most people in the room may not have tried and get to have a — respectfully small– sample of fifty or more beers that you’ve never seen.  It started years ago with a few friends and brewers and has grown to a small mob.  We try to bring something we’ve picked up in Massachusetts and hold back from the first rush.  There’s always a few beers than don’t get gobbled up that are prize winners for us and we can take a guilt-free portion size (about 10 cl each) to write up.

The Beer–  Very rich with very deep roast.  Lots of chewy chocolate with some fruit as it stays rich.  From Ellie: Wow so big, and rich with hidden booze and chocolate sauce.  One of our best this year.

Value —  Very good.  We don’t know what you’d pay for this at the brewery, but we’re sure it’s well worth it.

Values:  “fair” is a good beer at an above market price, “good” is worth the money, “very good” is a bargain, and “excellent” is a steal.

Sometimes we just stay home and drink beer — hundreds of them over the course of the year as we hunt for a new favorite.  The searching for the beer of the day never stops, so for a while, there will be fewer travel-oriented posts and just some to-the-point descriptions of beers we’ve enjoyed.

We’re often asked to share our tasting notes on over 33,000 beers; this blog is in answer to those requests.   Not all our notes, though.  The great beer writer Michael Jackson admirably followed the Thumper Rule, and we’ll try to do the same.  (“If you can’t say something nice, don’t say nuthin’ at all.”)   All the beers we post are from the top half of our ratings and most are from the top quarter.   Of greater value, we think, are the stories behind the beers, and we try to give you enough about the brewery, the style and the places to find great beer to help you on your own beer journeys.   At CulturAle Press we try to write books and publish posts that will help you “Drink Well and Travel Safely.”