As an American amber lager, Yuengling traditional lager offers a flavor profile quite similar to other lagers, but with a bit more body and character.
Yuengling traditional lager is defined by its crisp flavor with present malty and hoppy flavors. This beer is a great pairing for salty, spicy and fatty foods thanks to its crisp and effervescent body and gentle caramel aroma.
Read on to learn more about Yuengling’s flavor profile, food pairings, and serving recommendations!
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Tasting notes and flavors for Yuengling
Yuengling’s Traditional Lager is a type of American Amber Lager, a type of lager that features more hoppy bitterness and malt than lighter lagers. Like all lagers, amber lagers feature a crisp and drinkable flavor profile best served cold.
American Amber Lagers are similar to other American lagers, but feature a stronger malt and hops character. This medium-bodied beer can have much more advanced flavors than a typical lager, but is still expected to favor drinkability and a crystal clear appearance with no haze.
For a more in-depth picture of this style’s profile, let’s consider the Brewers Association’s style guidelines for adjunct American-style Amber Lagers in the following categories:
- Taste
- Aroma
- Appearance
- Mouthfeel
Taste
American Amber Lagers are crisp and refreshing, with some noticeable malty and hoppy characteristics. Here’s the complete breakdown of the flavors you can expect from a bottle of Yuengling:
- Bitterness: Very low to medium-high
- Malt: Low to medium-low malt flavors
- Hops: Very low to medium-high hoppiness from Cascade and cluster hops
- Carbonation: Medium-high carbonation
Aroma
The aromas in Yuengling match up pretty closely to the flavor profile.
Malt aromas present a medium-low caramel scent that blends with the slight hoppiness from the cascade and cluster hops used in Yuengling’s Traditional Lager.
Appearance
American Lagers are known for their outstanding clarity, courtesy of the lagering process. The thin but sparkly white head will stand out against the pale gold beer.
Overall, you can expect the following visual characteristics from a glass of Budweiser:
- Color: Golden Copper (9 SRM).
- Opacity: Crystal clear, with no chill haze.
- Head: Frothy, off-white white head with low retention.
- Lacing: Impressive but short-lived lacing
Mouthfeel
Like most lagers, Yuengling will have a light, clean, and crisp mouthfeel. American Amber lagers have slightly more body thanks to the increased use of malt, so expect a medium-bodied beer, lightened up slightly by the medium-high carbonation.
Yuengling recipe and ingredients
Although the true recipe is a trade secret, many homebrewers have tried to duplicate the taste and look of Yuengling over the years and several great clone recipes exist that get pretty close to the original.
Like most American Amber Lagers, Yuengling’s recipe is fairly simple and focuses on base malts along with a bit of Vienna and Caramel for color and flavor. Then, add in just a touch of hops for light flavor and bitterness.
Here is a popular Yuengling clone recipe:
Ingredients
- Briess 2-Row Brewer’s Malt (5 lbs.)
- Vienna Malt (2.5 lbs.)
- Caramel 60L (1 lb.)
- Cluster hops (.25 oz.)
- Cascade hops (.25 oz.)
- Wyeast Pilsen Lager 2007
Brew Instructions
- Mash grains at 152°F for 60 minutes.
- Ferment 48°-56°F for two weeks.
- Condition at 40°F or below for at least four weeks before bottling or kegging.
Yuengling Style
Yuengling’s Traditional Lager is an American-style Amber Lager. Like other lagers, this style gets its crystal clear appearance and mellow flavors from its long, slow fermentation and conditioning process known as lagering.
Amber Lagers get their deeper color from the higher amounts of malt used in the brewing process. In combination with a higher hoppy bitterness, this style offers a deeper flavor than many lighter lagers.
Yuengling ABV
According to Yuengling’s website, their traditional lager has 4.4% Alcohol by Volume.
This is a bit lower than the Brewers Association’s preferred ABV for American-Style Amber Lagers, which usually range between 4.8% and 5.4% ABV.
Yuengling calories and nutritional information
Here’s a rundown on the nutritional value of a 12 fl oz (or 357g) bottle of Yuengling Traditional Lager:
- Calories: 153
- Fat: 0 g
- Sodium: 14 mg
- Total Carbohydrates: 13 g
- Protein: 1.6 g
How to drink Yuengling for the best flavor
There is really no wrong way to drink a beer as long as you enjoy the flavor but there are some objective points to be made around the preferred temperature, glassware, and even whether or not it is better when drinking draft, cans or bottles.
Temperature
The ideal temperature to serve American amber lagers such as Yuengling is between 43-45 degrees F. While some flavorful beers are enhanced at warmer temperatures, lagers excel as a cold, thirst-quenching beverage.
Because amber lagers have low bitterness and medium-high carbonation (both qualities that become more pronounced at colder temperatures), a colder serving temperature can highlight this beer’s crisp effervescence while preserving the heavier malt aromas.
Bottle, can, or draft?
As with most beers, the best serving container will usually be a can or keg, including Yuengling. Both of these serving containers are hermetically sealed and let in no air or light that might damage the beer.
If you’re deciding between a can or a draft, your choice will have to come down to how fast your Yuengling Traditional Lager is being served; kegs tend to be the best choice, but only if served quickly.
Meanwhile, cans’ small serving size allows for a more relaxed drinking experience.
Type of glass
When deciding on a glass to serve your Yuengling traditional lager, you’ll want to highlight the beer’s best qualities. A wide glass will allow for easy drinkability while highlighting the malty aroma rising with the carbonation.
The best glasses for serving Yuengling will include pint glasses, Becker glasses, or tumblers.
What kind of foods pair best with Yuengling
Yuengling will serve as a great counterpoint to many of the same kinds of food as lighter lagers. However, the heavier malt and hops character will allow this amber lager to support fuller flavors.
Look for salty, spicy, or fatty foods for a great pairing, including:
- Grilled Steak
- Spicy Shrimp Ceviche
- Cheeseburger with caramelized onions and french fries
Is Yuengling a good beer to drink?
Yuengling is a great choice to pair with pub fare. The medium-bodied amber lager is a particularly great choice for late August and early fall, when lighter summer lagers seem a bit too light.
There are many circumstances in which Yuengling Traditional Lager will excel, where more intense flavors would be out of place. Whether it be a specific food pairing, sunny fall weather, or a simple desire to enjoy an easy-to-drink amber-colored lager, there are countless reasons to reach for a Yuengling!
Almost every beer has its place when enjoyed responsibly. But do be sure to store and serve your amber lager in the best conditions:
- Use a cold glass from 43-45 degrees Fahrenheit
- Drink your beer fresh, preferably from a keg or can, or a properly stored bottle
- Serve in a large, widemouth beer glass like a pint glass or a tumbler
- Optionally enjoy salty, fatty, or spicy snacks
Follow these recommendations for the best possible amber lager experience!
Is Yuengling a craft beer?
Based on changes to the Brewers Association’s definition of craft beer, Yuengling recently became the country’s largest craft brewery. But while this change has positively impacted Yuengling’s business, it does little to impact the reality of the company’s production methods.
Although Yuengling is technically considered America’s largest craft brewery, the company does not feature many of the traits associated with the designation. As an old and established name with a vast market, Yuengling is less innovative than smaller craft breweries around the country and is less involved in local community-building efforts.
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