Roommates
The Veil Brewing Co. - Production Brewery

Not sure I’ve ever had two more different experiences with the same beer in a short period of time. Both cans had a little age on them (a little less than 4 months, then just over) so I’m probably not getting the intended experience, but that wouldn’t explain the change. Maybe the hops involved are the culprit — Sabro for sure, as that one does odd things to my palate, but possibly also the BRU-1 with which I’m not as familiar. Or maybe I had a really big beer before the first sitting that blurred the experience (can’t remember). Either way, this beer is a trip, though in the end the scoring changes were fairly small (aroma score up, taste score down).

Looks were fantastic on both tastings: orange-gold, attractive haze, big, creamy, bright-white head. Quintessential look. Less lacing than I would have expected given the head, but this is a 6% beer after all. Stellar looks nonetheless.

Aroma profile was shockingly mild and pedestrian on the first sitting, but bold and intriguing on the second. Lots of sweet citrus and ripe tropical fruits that really blast the nostrils. The Sabro comes on strong with a heavy dose of fresh coconut meat. The heavy fruit juices keep it in check, but it does lead to the inevitable pins colada vibe. A hefty dose of boozy fumes, too. Maybe some mellon and berries, as well? Hard to pinpoint with the heavy coconut note. Pleasant and interesting nose overall, though.

Unfortunately the Sabro (presumably) doesn’t work nearly as well for me on the tongue. There’s consistent fruit juices at play, but now they’re overripe and a little too sweet. The coconut now gives it a Citronella candle quality, combined with a barleywine-like bite and some starchy greens. It’s quite fascinating, and perhaps on a more fine tuned palate the different component parts would add up to a better whole. For me it’s just kind of an untethered overload. But there’s a wonderful, pithy, semi-sweet and slightly stanky aftertaste when the smoke clears — with just the tiniest note of the original raw coconut — that is actually quite lovely.

Mouthfeel was consistent across tastings: soft and velvety with a nice level of carbonation, but a touch thin on the hazy scale (though in line with 6%).

The scores won’t add up to a high overall grade, as the Sabro foils this one for me. But I would honestly try it again in the future if I could to keep trying to figure this one out. It’s quite fascinating, especially for a “small” 6% IPA.

Pours a hazy pale yellow with thumb sized cream colored head, good lace.

Aroma is light citrus notes, hints of tropical notes.

Taste is juicy citrus and tropical with definite skunk hoppiness in the finish, like a medicine type of bitterness that doesn't seem to go well with the rest of the beer. It does offer some hoppiness which I generally like the flavor is just a tad to medicine like for my tastes.

Mouthfeel is lighter side , a little dry , medium carbonation.

Overall ok but not something I would really revisit.