Lock3
The Veil Brewing Co. - Production Brewery

There's a nice West Coast hop aroma immediately after cracking open the pint can. It has the expected piney notes. All sixteen ounces from the can next visited the inside of a clear glass liter mug. The pour created a modest off-white head, resting on top of a golden-amber liquid. It's on the dull side and cloudier for some in the West Coast IPA category. For the nose, there's more than the hops. A solid hit of bready sweetness adds to the complexity of the smell. This smells delicious. In the mouth, this initially brings a mouthfeel that's softer and smoother than many in its style. Be not alarmed, that sharp biting hop character isn't compromised and this finishes nicely bitter, dry and clean. The sweetness from the grains only gives an auxiliary taste layer. Likely, it contributes to the wonderful transition to a remarkable finish. It's not at all distracting from the hops. This tastes so good it probably isn't a factor that the head didn't last and the glass lacing was next to none. Overall, this is an excellent beer that holds true to the West Coast style. There's enough bite here for any hop head. It also brings, along with a commendable mouthfeel, some subtle layers which give it a fuller taste than many beers.

From the bottom of the can: "PKGD ON 01/29/2024"

Appearance: The body is a light shade of gold with a slight haze to it. Although the beer is hazy it still has clarity to it given that there are no visible solids. It has a short white cap which is fuzzy in texture. The head stands pretty well. There are a few sparse blotches of lacing on the glass.

Aroma: It has a light grapefruit aroma which is nice.

Taste: Up front there is a light bit of orange mixed with some alcohol and a strong grain flavor. The middle of the palate has an even stronger grain flavor but it is joined by a bitter grapefruit flavor which gets a bit stronger in flavor towards the back of the palate. There is an alcohol note under all of the flavor. The aftertaste is grapefruit pith. The flavors are pretty strong in the beer which is nice. At times there is a bit of a grassy finish but it depends on the sip.

Mouthfeel: It feels a bit thick and slick on the palate with a light chewiness. Bitterness is strong which is good, but it feels at odd with the body.

Overall: The label on the can states that this is a "WEST COAST STYLE TRIPLE DRY-HOPPED INDIA PALE ALE BREWED WITH CENTENNIAL, SIMCOE & CITRA." The hop character is definitely there in a strong, bitter, citrus note. As a whole the beer feels pretty good but the body feels too heavy and the presence of alcohol degrades the drinking experience a bit. It wouldn't be that big of a deal but the label states that this is "6.5% ALC. BY VOL." which seems pretty low for that much alcohol presence. As a whole it's a pretty average IPA.

I could drink it again but there's nothing about this beer that makes me want to buy it over a standard, widely produced IPA. I don't recommend for or against it.

Pours a murky amber color with not much (eggshell-colored) head, but the side of the glass is absolutely caked with lacing. The aroma brings not only the citrus and tropical fruits, but also the pine. It's also just a touch catty, evoking Simcoe in a good way. On the palate, the flavor profile feels a bit restrained to me. The focus is on grapefruit peel, pine, as well as a touch of malty sweetness. It definitely errs toward the bitterness over juicy hop flavors - perhaps limiting its appeal to dorks like me who can stomach bitter-ass IPAs. What I ultimately notice is that the hop oils and resinous qualities are more palpable in terms of feel, rather than taste. There is a touch of back end wetness that keep the hop oils from torturing the palate, giving a slightly biting finish that falls short of being harsh. Carbonation is middling. Eh, it's not The Veil's finest work, but it's far from bad. Call it fine to good - people who miss Stone's Ruination IPA will dig this one. Personally, I won't seek this out again.

 

 

 

PKGD ON 01/29/2024. Poured into a Samuel Adams Perfect Pint.

A: Slightly hazy lemonade yellow with 1-finger foamy white head with below average head retention but scrappy lacing.

S: Pungent fruity citrus (orange, tangerine, grapefruit) and tropical fruit (guava, pineapple) with herbal honeysuckle

T: Flavor is not quite as punchy as the aroma with more citrus than tropical fruit and much more herbal, green hop notes. Clean with minimal floral ester. Bitterness is medium.

M: Medium body with even carbonation and mildly dry finish and slight astringency in the finish.

O: A nice “soft-California” style WCIPA but a little astringency and more green hop notes hold Lock3 back.