12 oz single - thanks to Kevin for the chance to try this one. Pour is a very odd color. It has a watery pale look, but also has a slightly bizarre hazed, wheat-like look. The head is not really of any consequence and there is a thin film of froth on the surface. No lace. The color is very disturbing to me - it looks both washed out and cloudy. Strange. Nose has some dry, grainy alcohol and a little degree of sweet malt. There is a hint of bitterness that permeates the beer (good), but it also...
Notes on beers brewed by
August Schell Brewing Co., Inc.
Lakemaid
12 oz single from Kevin, thanks mate. Pour offers a slightly hazed yellow body and an aggressive dispensing yields a pretty decent head if truth be told. Obviously little retention and/or lace, but not bad considering everything. Nose and tastes do no more than a beer of this style and nature should. A sweet, grainy, vegetal note with limited bitterness and weak malts. Mouthfeel is average for the style and the beer delivers a thoroughly underwhelming experience pretty much across the board....
Schell’s Bock
12 oz single, thanks go out to Kevin for the chance to try this one. Pour is a slightly reddish brown, with some good clarity, a smallish head that is not retained all that well and does not really give much lace. The nose and tastes combine to yield a very nice malty, alcohol flavor that is compact and fairly short without fuss. The beer is pretty light with a straightforward approach that delivers a bready finish and some simplicity and depth that is uncommon. Robust, perhaps a little nutty...
Schell’s Dark
12 oz bottle, many thanks Kevin. Interesting. I actually really like the presentation. The clear glass with the dark contents look appealing and interesting to me, and frankly whilst completely understanding and not disputing the chemistry, I feel that the number of problems with skunking are generally overblown a little. Anyway.... ...a solid, chocolate brown colored pour with some great looking clarity. Carbonation is OK, but I wish that it provided a better head and some increased...
FireBrick
12 oz bottle, thanks go out to Kevin for the chance to try this. A mid-amber, cloudy pour with a thin head that produces some attractive if somewhat thin lace. The lace is a little watery, but is quite intricate. Bready, malt based combo of nose and tastes lead one into a fairly authentic Vienna lager taste. Pretty light in the mouth which may seem like a good thing, but to be honest it feels a bit thin and watery. More bread and sweetness in the back end and finish. Carbonation is pretty...
Oktoberfest
Copper haze with a lot of cloudiness, initial decent head, but this fades very quickly to leave no head and no lacing. Rather flat looking all around. Pretty bland in all departments. Sweet malts and a little bit of a bitter finish, but outside of that a disappointing Marzen.
Maifest
=== Updated Review 12/10 === Thanks go out to Kevin for the chance to try this beer again. Over five years later the label has changed (different color and now with a neck band commemorating Schell's 150th Anniversary) but the beer is much the same as the notes below. Still so significant alcohol and a disappointing head, but also still strangely drinkable with some good malts and decent flavor depth. === Original Review 09/05 === "Blonde" Doppelbock always seems to me to be a contradiction of...