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notalush

Richmond, VA, United States 🇺🇸 Member

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6.5/10 Appearance 8 Aroma 6 Flavor 6 Texture 7 Overall 6.5
500ml bottle - lightly hazy amber - fairly dry and mellow for the style - it has a creaky texture and a full body, with just enough warming alcohol to force a moderate pace - warming in the chest on the back end - there is honestly not a lot going on in the flavor - dry-ish, earthy malt, light dark fruit, moderate bitterness, slightly bready in the finish - not offensive and no obvious flaws - it’s just boring.
Tried from Bottle from Ellwood Thompson’s Local Market on 01 Jun 2026 at 23:10


7.8/10 Appearance 8 Aroma 8 Flavor 7.5 Texture 8 Overall 7.5
12 ounce at Scott’s Addition location - inky black with a moderate tan lace - nose is heavy on chocolate, coffee, and moderate bourbon barrel character - a nice blend of young and aged stout - coffee leads, followed by chocolate, whiskey, oak, toffee - overall impression is like an espresso truffle - finish is lightly a Racine but otherwise it is solid.
Tried from Draft at The Veil Brewing Co. - Scott's Addition on 01 Jun 2026 at 18:44

6.5/10 Appearance 7 Aroma 6.5 Flavor 6 Texture 7 Overall 6.5
Bottle - no batch number or bottling date despite there being a space for one on the label - clear dark amber - thick lace - very rough American-style barleywine - medium bitter, strong alcohol warmth, caramelized sugars, slight dark fruit and raisin, theme cherry - finish is warming to hot and moderately bitter - rough and in your face, without substantial complexity - but it gets the job done.
Tried from Bottle from Ellwood Thompson’s Local Market on 19 May 2026 at 22:43

8/10 Appearance 8 Aroma 8 Flavor 8 Texture 8 Overall 8
Bottle purchased from Ellwood Thompson’s in Richmond, VA - dark ruby pour - moderate, soapy lace - nose is deep red wine, rich oak, light acetic character, mild funk, light smoke and maple - complex and inviting - flavor is super dry and deeply tannic, with moderate acetic character and light lacto tartness - lots of red wine oak in the finish - smoke is basically absent in the flavor, though, which is disappointing - still, a solid, gentle, and nuanced sour, which is indeed a rare commodity these days - I did not read the bottling date when purchases, but I am looking at it now and it appears to be from 10/28/20, and if so, it is aging quite gracefully, especially if it had been sitting under the fluorescent lights of Ellwood Thompsons for the last 6 years.
Tried from Bottle from Ellwood Thompson’s Local Market on 19 May 2026 at 20:55

7.8/10 Setting 8 Selection 8 Service 8 Food 8 Value 7 Overall 8
I recently moved into Woodland Heights, so I am very close to this location - very similar stylistically and thematically to the Scott's Addition location - imagine you took the space of that location and then just made it s two-story building - part of a larger commercial development that includes a Blanchard's Coffee and Stella's Grocery, so you know this neighborhood has "made it" - much like their Scott's Addition location, they partner with a food vendor, which at the time of this writing is Y Tu Mama Tacos, which is friggin' delicious (and I say this having just moved from Denver, where we have some dang good tacos) - draft list is about as extensive as their flagship location, but the to-go beer is a little more limited - they are always slammed, but they have a good system in place that moves the line fast - my one gripe is that on weekdays they do not open until 4, but this seems to be typically of most breweries in Richmond - coming from Colorado, I was used to a lot of places being open for folks to have "liquid lunch," but you can't really do that here unless you go to the Veil's flagship location, which opens at 11 AM, and consequently, that location gets pretty busy on weekdays - good service and solid selection and Veil beers are always solid, IMO - recently, Vassen also opened a location right across he street, so between the two breweries, coffee, and yuppie grocery, you've got quite the bougie white people corridor here if you include Janet's bakery and Outpost (bikes, beer, and wine) right down the street - I won't complain, as I am a boudge white person - I'd say if you are visiting from out of town, hit the flagship location, especially because of how many other breweries are within walking distance from there - but if you happen to be on the south side, this is an oasis not to be missed.
Visited on 19 May 2026 at 17:18

8.1/10 Appearance 8 Aroma 9 Flavor 8 Texture 8 Overall 7.5
12 ounce at the Scott's Addition location - dark ruby, nearly black - nose is real close to the HotD original (more so than the apple brandy version I had a couple weeks ago) - lots of dark fruit, light smoke, chocolate, light treacle way in the back - slick mouthfeel and full body - flavors of dark fruit, tobacco, oak, light whiskey, slight oxidation - finish is warming, with some drying oak to balance the up front sweetness - except in the nose, it still does not quite compare the the HotD original, but it is dang good - now I just need the HotD website to start selling vintage bottles again!
Tried from Draft at The Veil Brewing Co. - Scott's Addition on 19 May 2026 at 16:25


8/10 Appearance 8 Aroma 8 Flavor 8 Texture 8 Overall 8
Can from the brewery - super cloudy gold - fairly bitter and dank for a hazy - a lot of cannabis character, lots of herbal character and tail end citric notes - bittersweet finish with lingering citrus - quite bitter and also quite refreshing for the style .
Tried from Can at The Veil Brewing Co. - Forest Hill on 18 May 2026 at 22:09

6.6/10 Setting 6 Selection 7 Service 6 Food 7 Value 7 Overall 7
Local Whole Foods equivalent - groceries are significantly more expensive than other stores in the area and they only sell organic produce - anyway, that it not what this review is for - small but well-curated beer section - with a smattering of imports you’d have a hard time finding other places (at least as far as I have seen, but I’ve only lived here for three weeks), including 3 Fonteinen, obscure Baltic barleywine, the first bottle of Nogne O I’ve seen in forever, an some South American beers - domestic craft section is fine, but the imports are what I found most interesting - despite the groceries being expensive as fuck for the area, the beer prices are reasonable - worth a stop in if in the area, especially since it is right off the highway and is in Carytown.
Visited on 13 May 2026 at 22:54