Right when I saw this bad ratchet coming down the pipeline I had preconceived assumptions about its dankness.  Veil can do no wrong in the IPA game but the barleywine segment is a one trick pony of sorts, many breweries that can crush the Maris notes, that’s all they do. I don’t want to name names but I am sure you can think of a few. So HOW YOU LIKE THESE APPLES [brandy barrels]? The answer is a mixed ferm, because it attac but it also protec. On the one hand you have a robust nose bursting with twix bar, dark cocoa, rolo, and nougat. Your bullshit alert should be going off right now and I will confirm this is not a drill: THIS BEER IS NOT EXCEPTIONALLY LIFE LIKE.  That is not to say that this is deficient but it is well outside the barley strike zone.  If you approach this like the standard bearers of the genre, you will wince at the overt chocolate stouts roasty aspects.  The taste reminds me of those odd old ale meets imperial stout backblends where you want more of one or the other. It’s like a peanut butter and jelly lasagna where things would be improved if a dedication to a skill tree were employed. The taste serves up bakers chocolate, figs, caramelized raisin, and a lingering sweetness akin to peanut brittle. This is a tasty beer that warrants some caveats.