Gila Monster Amber Lager

Brewed by August Schell Brewing Company
Style: American Dark Lager
New Ulm, Minnesota USA

This is a beer slected at Trader Joe’s. They have beer from brewer’s that you never see. This is an Amber Lager. The color was a clear amber with a nice head and no lacing. The caramel malts do dominate the flavors that you experience. It could use more hops. The finish was smooth and with some bitterness.

Amber pour with a tan head. Caramel aroma, Caramel taste, a bit malty, body was nice. I’d call this the prototypical amber lager.

Amber with a medium off-white head. Aroma of sweet malt, caramel, grain a bit overly perfumed. Taste pf sweet malt, caramel with a mild bitter cola like finish. Kind of watery and astringent.

Clear amber with a one finger tan head. Good retention. Aroma is caramel and grain. Lots of lacing remains on the glass. Earthy, dry, roasted flavors. Metal. Dry bitter aftertaste. Moderate effervescence.

Bottle. Grass, citrus, and pale malts. Sniff of caramel. Deep dark amber pour with lots of carbonation and a pretty, lacing and frothy beige head. Watery body, bitter and earthy but bushleague and unclean. Aftertaste is foul/nasty. Started out so much more promisingly!

On tap at beer tent in Winona, Minnesota. Alcohol was lowered to 3.2% which was unfortunate. Aroma was of malt, light caramel, and basically no hop bitterness. Flavor was quite watery with light malt and hop characters. Easy to drink beer but nothing to buy again. Drink a real beer because this is not one.

This beer pours a nice amber body with a plentiful white head. Nice creamy texture with plenty of caramel aroma and taste. It was a pretty nice beer for the price.

Bottle. Pours dark amber, small brief white head but nice lacing to the end. Aroma of fermenting yeast. Taste is slightly sweet to start, then metallic with caramel; finishes sour and tarry. Mouthfeel is thin.