Two Roads & Industrial Arts Bloomerang NEIPA

I am a fan of Industrial Arts Brewing Company and I am a fan of Two Roads Brewing Company. Both make really nice New England-Style IPAs with both Wrench and Too Juicy respectively. So, I was excited to hear about their most recent collaboration, Bloomerang, a New England-Style IPA with hibiscus. When I mentioned last week that I left the bottle shop with fresh hops, the beer I was most excited to try was Bloomerang.

From the first pour, I loved what I saw. The hibiscus gave the hazy IPA a pinkish-hue that made it reminiscent of grapefruit juice. The aroma was floral with lemon, passion fruit, berries, melon, bready malt, and an herbal spiciness. What I liked here was how strong the presence of the hibiscus was. It gave Bloomerang a blast of lemon tartness. Even though this is a trait that hibiscus flowers add to the beer, it is very strong here. It overshadows the grapefruit, pine, melon, berry, bready flavors that play more as a compliment here to that tart lemon note, than shine on their own. The strength of the lemon goes right into the finish that is dry and herbal.

With so many variations of New England-Style IPAs, Bloomerang certainly breaks from the norm, providing a really interesting and creative take on the style. While I did enjoy it, one can of it goes a long way. After my glass was empty, I was ready to look for something else to drink. That might sound a bit harsh but this is a bold, tart take on a NEIPA. I really did enjoy it but it is by no means a sessionable beer. If you are looking for something different, it certainly delivers on that, I just do not see Bloomerang working for everyone.

Overall rating: 3.5/5


Rating Scale:
1. Repugnant and undrinkable
2. Acceptable but forgettable
3. Good, worth a purchase
4. Excellent, a step above the norm
5. Truly Exceptional. Drop everything, BUY IT NOW!

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Thanks for reading. Sláinte!

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!