Schell Shocked Grapefruit Radler Review

Name: Schell Shocked Grapefruit Radler
Style: Radler
ABV: 4.6%
IBUs: N/A

Well, it's time to wrap up my Summer Seasonal beer series with something a little closer to home. I'll be looking at something from the August Schell Brewing Company called Schell Shocked Grapefruit Radler. According to the brewery's website, this was originally released as a draft-only beer back in 2012 before being bottled and canned a year later.

Like many of the beers I've looked at here, I've seen this everywhere but haven't gotten the chance to look at it. In fact, the last time I saw this prior to attaining this last week was in the middle of this past winter at a store here in town whose selection doesn't exactly have a high rate of product turnover. Aside from being a summer seasonal, no one wants to drink 8-9 month old beer unless you're aging it or are into that sort of stuff.

Appearance - A fairly clear pale yellow color with a light amount of carbonation. The head is about one finger in width and is quite soapy, along with the lacing which is also quite soapy and rather sparse.

Aroma - Grapefruit sweetness, some pale maltiness, grains, a light amount of floral hops and even a touch of earthiness. Not overly sweet like I was expecting.

Taste - Tangy and sweet grapefruitiness upfront, followed by pale malts, light orange peel & lemon twist and some light grains. The aftertaste is fairly dry, save for a strong tanginess that lingers on the back of the palate.

Out of all the Radlers I've had, this one is definitely my personal favorite out of the bunch. The flavor is nice and refreshing and there's something about the grapefruit aspect of the flavor that gives it a certain crispness, giving it the edge to stand out more. As such, I can see myself drinking this on a hot summer day in any given situation. If this is available in your area, I'd highly recommend checking this out.

Schell Shocked - 8.5/10

Schell's Stag Series: Cave Aged Barrel Aged Lager Review

Name: Schell's Stag Series: Cave Aged Barrel Aged Lager
Style: Black Lager
ABV: 7.7%

Let's go back in time all the way to......2013, when I first started this blog. One of my earlier reviews I did was Schell's Stag Series: Barleywine. It was a good beer but it was a little underwhelming for what it was.  Two years later, I have the newest in the Stag Series, which is a Cave-Aged, Barrel-Aged Lager.

For those of you wondering, back before we had refrigeration, beer would have to be fermented in cool places like cellars & even caves to protect it from warm temperatures. Schell's has taken this a step further and aged it in barrels as well. Hence why the name of this beer is so incredibly long.

Appearance - Initially it has a very dark, almost black, color. However when held up to a light, it takes on a clear dark crimson color, with no visible carbonation to speak of. The head is about one finger in width, khaki color, and has some pretty good retention. The lacing, however, is quite soapy and really has no retention to speak of.

Aroma - Roasted barley and vanilla notes in the front and some oakiness and chocolate malts in the back. Encompassing this is a distinct smoky and marshmallow aroma that compliments the nose wonderfully.

Taste - Vanilla, Chocolate Malts, Oak, Marshmallows, Roasted Barley, Caramel Sweetness, and Bitter Hops; All in that particular order. I'll be honest, there is a lot going on here in the flavor all at once and I'm finding it a bit hard to keep up.

Wow, I'm impressed with the sheer complexity of the overall flavor and it's from a lager of all styles! I know this is a limited release beer but I would love it if Schell's made this a seasonal release because I know I would be buying this every year. Until then, one can only savor while it lasts and hope it isn't just a one-off deal.

Schell's Stag Series: Cave Aged Barrel Aged Lager - 9.5/10

Schell's Snowstorm (2014 Edition) Review

Name: Schell's Snowstorm (2014 Edition)
Style: Grand Cru/Belgian Strong Ale
ABV: 6.5%

Every winter, Schell's Brewing releases their Snowstorm Ale, which changes style every year. Last year it was a Belgian Golden Ale, and now this year it is a Grand Cru; Which is a term normally used to describe wine but it's also used to describe something that has no set category. However I've seen this also described as a Belgian Strong Ale, so I will be using both terminologies in the description.

Snowstorm pours a clear dark orange color with a mild amount of visible carbonation. The head is quite fizzy at first but retains a thin foamy appearance throughout. I am not picking up on any lacing though.

The nose has a nice aroma of coriander & orange peels upfront followed by citrus hops and caramel malts in the back.

The flavor treats you to a nice mix orange peel, belgian yeasts and coriander; While the second half of the flavor is citrus hops, spices and a caramel maltiness. The flavor is surprisingly complex for what it is.

I have to say that this was quite good. I like the flavor and the overall drinkability; It's beers like this that make me look forward to the annual Snowstorm release. Be sure to pick this up while it's still in rotation

Schell's Snowstorm (2014) - 9/10

Schell's Arminius Review

Name: Schell's Arminius
Style: Pale Lager
ABV: 6.5%

Well the wedding is done and I'm officially a married man! Now that the dust has settled, it's time to get back to looking at some beers. Recently I've been watching August Schell Brewing Company starting to get creative with the beers which they have beeb releasing. From their Stag Series, to the 30th anniversary variety packs and recent canned releases.

Which brings me to Arminius, the newest release from Schell's, which is named after a prominent chieftain who united the tribes against the Roman Empire in what is now modern day Germany. Arminius has the distinction of defeating the Roman Army and holding off their invasion and all of this happened about 2000 years ago. Since New Ulm is a town that possesses a strong German heritage, they erected a statue in his honor, which is also referred to as "Hermann the German."

Also please forgive the lack of glassware in the photo, I had to make due with what the hotel had to offer.

Arminius pours a fairly clear pale yellow color with a fairly low amount of carbonation. The head is moderate in terms of volume but it's hard to gauge because the glass I'm using is quite small for what it is.

The aroma is rather though as I'm picking up on some nice citrus hops and even a bit of floral hoppiness too. There's also some pale malts in here as well but it smells very sweet and there's even a bit of a berry sweetness in the nose as well.

The flavor has some very nice citrus hop notes and some floral hoppiness to back it up. The berry sweetness I picked up on in the nose is more prevalent here and adds some dimension to the flavor. The aftertaste is a citrus hop and berry bittersweet flavor on the very end of the palate; Other than that, it's fairly dry and doesn't linger around for very long.

The body is pretty light in terms of weight and the carbonation is also very mild. It's a very easy drinker and it fits perfectly with the flavor.

Schell's has never been a brewery that has really left a lasting impression with me in regards to any of their beers. With that said Arminius is, hands down, one of the best pale lagers I've ever had! It's has a nice & robust, yet not overly complex flavor, it's easy to drink and it's crisp. I've heard that Schell's is making this part of their year round line up, which makes me happy because this is a very welcome addition!

Schell's Arminius - 9/10

Schell's Deer Brand Review

Name: Schell's Deer Brand
Style: Adjunct Lager
ABV: 4.8%

Tonight I have Schell's Deer Brand, a beer which many would consider to be a staple beer of the August Schell Brewing Company. That is, of course, if you don't count Grain Belt which is also brewed by Schell's and is also the same style, which is an adjunct lager.

Deer Brand pours a pale clear yellow with a thin filmy head that fades fast. The visible carbonation is rather mild in appearance and the lacing is non-existent.

The aroma consists primarily of pale malts, flaked corn, yeasts, barley and a mild but noticeable earthiness. Unlike most adjunct lagers, this one doesn't possess a smell which I would consider to be offensive.

The flavor is more or less the same as the nose but with a sweeter taste and greater emphasis on flaked corn and a pretty dry albeit mildly sweet aftertaste. None of the cooked vegetable/adjunct ingredients are blatantly present here. Also the earthiness present in the aroma is nowhere to be seen here.

The palate as a whole is pretty lightweight and the carbonation is fairly moderate in terms of intensity. You'll have a pretty easy time drinking this.

Of all the adjunct lagers out there, this is by far my favorite which is saying alot. It's cheap yet I don't have to worry about that offensive taste that I expect out of other adjunct lagers. Keep in mind, however, that if there is a better selection available, I'm going to overlook this without a second thought. However if you're on a tight budget and/or your selection is limited, then you can't go wrong with this.

Schell's Deer Brand - 7.5/10

Schell's Snowstorm (2013 Edition) Review

Name: Schell's Snowstorm (2013 Edition)
Style: Belgian Ale
ABV: 7%

During the late months of the year, August Schell Brewing Company releases their annual Snowstorm beer and what's unique about this beer is that it's a different style each year. Back in 2011 it was a Scotch Ale, in 2012 a Biere de Garde and now this year it's a Golden Belgian-Style Ale.

Snowstorm (2013) pours a clear golden yellow color with a fizzy head which is quick to fade away. There is no lacing to be seen here and amount of carbonation is fairly high.

The aroma has a strong clove scent to it along with some pepper, spices, yeasts, bubblegum and pale malt notes.

The taste is a bit maltier with some bubblegum, yeasts, cloves, pale malts and a mild caramel sweetness.

The palate is moderately weighted with some stronger carbonation. It's kind of crisp but this would be better if the carbonation was more subdued.

Even though the 2011 edition of Snowstorm is still my favorite, this is still pretty good and a solid Belgian-Style Golden ale overall. I would say this is worth picking up a sixer because even if it isn't perfect, it's still a great winter seasonal!


Schell's Snowstorm (2013 Edition) - 8.5/10

Schell's Barleywine Review

Had a long week at work, and today is technically the start of my weekend. To start things off, I have one more on my list of Barleywines and it comes from another Minnesota Brewer: August Schell Brewing Company or Schell's.

Schell's is known for producing Grain Belt and their other lineup consists of the usual styles ranging from Vienna Lager to Amber Ale, which aren't too interesting but they do have some pretty sweet seasonal beers. Recently they started releasing their Stag Series, which is their limited release series. So far, they have released a Rauchbier, Pilsener, Dark Ale, Altbier, Farmhouse/Saison, Burton, and their lastest release: Barleywine.

While it's incredibly awesome to see them trying out new styles, Barleywine is one of the last styles I would expect from Schell's. I mean, they are the same company that makes Grain Belt after all.

Stag Series Barleywine pours a clear amber color with a fairly brownish head and a high amount of carbonation. The lacing it leaves behind is moderate in volume.

The nose has some nice and sweet caramel, toffee, fruity and floral hops; None of which are particularly strong but each scent is pleasant in their own right. The flavor has a moderate citrus hop profile, along with caramelized malts, barley, toffee, and grapefruit. The flavor is rather moderate and controlled, but at the same time, well balanced.

The body has some moderate weight to it and the carbonation is quite mild despite my earlier observations of the high carbonation; So it's surprisingly easy to drink!

I can't say that I'm surprised that this Barleywine wasn't the strongest based on my expectations. Anyone looking for a Barleywine that'll knock you on your behind should look elsewhere. However, if you're new to the Barleywine style of beer and want to get into it, this is an excellent beer to start out with as it's not too strong and very well balanced in terms of flavor.


Schell's Stag Series Barleywine - 8.25/10

Schell's Goosetown Gose Review

Name: Schell's Goosetown Gose
Style: Gose
ABV: 5.2%

Schell's Goosetown is named after the Goosetown area of New Ulm, the city in which Schell Brewing is located. To honor this neighborhood, they have brewed a Gose style beer in their honor.

One thing I wanted to say before starting this review is that I am very unfamiliar with the Gose Style, so please forgive me if my opinion is somewhat off. From what I gathered it's a unfiltered wheat beer which is has coriander and salt added in. It's also a fairly old German style beer, but if this is inaccurate, please let me know

Goosetown pours a clear yellow color with a filmy head and a moderate amount of carbonation. Pretty clean and filtered look.

Nose has some cereal grains, yeasts, light honey & coriander notes. Pretty subdued scent, but it smells suspiciously like a Budweiser. The flavor is pretty consistant with that flavor with grains, light honey, and cooked corn. Again, it tastes like an adjunct lager and is pretty bland. The body is pretty lightweight but the carbonation is rather sharp.

As a Gose, I really can't make a determination if it's good or bad as I'm not familiar with a style. As a beer, I found the flavor to be quite plain; In other words, I wouldn't really recommend this beer. It could've been worse, but the shear blandness of the flavor makes it hard to really recommend

Schell's Goosetown Gose - 5/10

Schell's Maifest Review

We have a couple of prolific breweries here in Minnesota, namely Surly, Schell's & Summit. I feel that these three will have more company in terms of brewery size and production in the next few years. The August Schell Brewing Company AKA Schell's, has been around since 1860 and is almost as old as the State of Minnesota itself. They are more widely known around the country as the brewery that makes Grain Belt.  To us Minnesotans, they are known to release many craft beer regulars and seasonal releases.

Since spring is finally here in Minnesota, I feel it is appropriate to review a spring release from Schell's, namely their Maifest, which is a Helles Bock/Maibock style beer or "Light" Bock if you want to be really technical. Summit also has a Maibock style Spring Seasonal beer so I will try to review that in the near future.

Maifest pours a fairly hazy orange color and moderately carbonated. The head is somewhat soapy but leaves  behind a thin film on the surface and the lacing is somewhat sparse along the sides.

The aroma has some caramel, yeast, barley and mild floral hop notes that give it a slightly earthy scent. The flavor is surprisingly hoppy on the front of the palate, but it finishes with a mild yeasty and caramel taste with a Earthy-Barley aftertaste.

It's a pretty light beer with only some moderate carbonation, so it feels crisp on the palate and makes it somewhat refreshing.

The flavor was a bit too hoppy for my liking and the earthy finish didn't exactly help out either. It's still a decent beer and goes down easy but if I wanted a Maibock badly, Summit would be my first choice hands down

Schell Maifest - 7/10