First Impressions of Young Lion Brewing Company

At this point it almost goes without saying that the beer scene in Canandaigua, NY is very exciting. For the past few years, Naked Dove Brewing Company has been one of my favorite local breweries. Their Russian Imperial Stout, 45 Fathoms Porter and Windblown Amber are absolutely incredible. In fact, I love the Windblown Amber so much, it was served at my wedding. With the addition of Three Huskies Brewing, Twisted Rail Brewing Company and the brand new Young Lion Brewing Company, it is going to be a great summer to brewery-hop down by Canandaigua Lake.

As I surveyed the menu of Young Lion beers with my wife Alicia and friend, Paul, I was excited about trying three beers in particular: the India Pale Ale, the New England Style India Pale Ale and the Czech Pilsner. My wife was excited about the Citrose Gose and Paul was willing to try everything. I'll start with the bad news. The India Pale Ale just did not work for me, Alicia or Paul. It seemed muddled and had a lackluster, astringent finish. I will be looking to revisit it down the road but as of right now, I felt it was the weakest of the Young Lion brews available. The New England Style IPA was a significant step up from the IPA. It was dank, citrusy and enjoyable. I am looking forward to seeing how future batches of this beer develop. As far as the Czech Pilsner goes, we all instantly fell in love with it. It is the kind of beer that compliments warm weather and sitting by the lake perfectly. It's bready, crisp, clean, refreshing with just the right amount of spice. At 5.2%, it is very sessionable. It reminded me of Steam Whistle, which is one of my favorite pilsners. Of all the beers we had in the flight, this is the one we all ordered a second round of. From a personal standpoint, this is a beer I could see becoming a mainstay in my refrigerator. 

I also really enjoyed the Citrose Gose and the Double IPA. The Citrose Gose is another light, refreshing, easy drinking beer that did not have nearly the amount of tart or salt that many in the style do and that worked for me, as well as Alicia, who as I mentioned before is a big fan of the style. The Citrose Gose is another beer that is perfect for a summer day by the lake. The Double IPA was a hit for Paul and I. It is nicely balanced and a bit too easy to drink at 8.8%. This beer has a lot of potential to be one of the best double IPAs in the area.

Overall, myself, as well as Paul & Alicia, see a lot of potential for the Young Lion Brewing Company and we are excited to watch them grow. On a personal note, I am also counting the days until I have cans of the Czech Pilsner in my refrigerator as an everyday drinker.

To discuss this blog or all things beer like my Facebook page

Look for me on Instagram & Untappd and Twitter @ACraftyLook

For more beer reviews check out: http://www.acraftylook.com

Thanks for reading. Sláinte!