Richmond’s The Veil Brewing Company has only been open since April, but it has already built quite the reputation for stellar beers. Brewer Matt Tarpey worked at The Alchemist, Cantillon, Hill Farmstead and other notable breweries, so it should be no surprise that one of Virginia’s youngest outfits was able to hit the ground running. It didn’t take long for eager beer drinkers to line up hours in advance of Tuesday can releases hoping to snag as many four-packs of that week’s suds as possible. One of those recent releases is Broz Night Out: a 100% Citra-hopped Double IPA.
The Veil’s Master Master Shredder Shredder recently ranked 14th out of over 240 IPAs in Paste’s blind tasting, so I had high expectations the moment I started pouring. Broz Night Out pours a slightly hazy golden orange color. I say slightly because it’s nowhere near as hazy as some of the New England IPAs that breweries are churning out these days. There’s also a perfect white head that’s thick and pillowy at the beginning before fading to an opaque ring around the outside and a transparent layer over the center of the glass.
With this Double IPA being 100% Citra hopped, you expect a heavy dose of fruit in the nose and Broz Night Out definitely delivers. There’s also a good amount of grassy earthiness from the hops. In fact, the aroma here is not unlike taking a whiff of Citra hops straight from the bag. It’s potent and dank, but it’s awesome. Citra hops are usually a crowd pleaser and The Veil used them to craft a juicy hop bomb here. Broz Night Out has very little bitterness too, so people who don’t like that quality about a lot IPAs might enjoy the flavor profile of this one.
At 9.0%, there’s a some heat up front, but that quickly fades to sweet citrus fruit, subtle maltiness and more of that earthy flavor from the hops. Even though the ABV makes a statement when you first take a sip, this beer is crazy drinkable for a Double IPA. I had to force myself to slow down while drinking it, and about half-way through the glass I started to notice the booze. It’s not the orange juice-like beer that I’ve had from the likes of Tree House and others, but there’s plenty of fruit flavor and that high ABV is well-hidden.
Despite still being a relatively new brewery, The Veil is creating quite the buzz on the East Coast. Thanks to eager traders, cans are making their way around the country. Right now, you have to make the trip to the brewery to get some without a little help, but fresh cans are typically released every Tuesday, where you can find at least two and sometimes as many as four beers available in the aluminum vessels. If you’re into IPAs, it’s definitely worth the trip, especially if you can make it to a release earlier in the week. If you can’t visit anytime soon, chances are you’ll be hearing a lot more from these folks in the months to come.
Brewery: The Veil Brewing Company
City: Richmond, VA
Style: Double IPA
ABV: 9.0%
Availability: Limited brewery-only, 16 o.z. Cans
Billy is the host of The Brewcast, a beer podcast that never records on a regular schedule. You can follow his drinking habit @beardbrews on Twitter.