Schell FireBrick

Brewed by August Schell Brewing Company
Style: Vienna
New Ulm, Minnesota USA

Pours dark amber with a 1 finger creamy off white head. Nose is pretty weak, straw, caramel, toast and planty hops. Flavor is very stale bread and straw heavy with some grain, caramel and metallic notes. Hops are herbal with a hint of citrus. There is something about this beer that sort of falls apart about mid-taste. It starts out o.k. though a little tinny, but after 2-3 seconds it tastes like an equal mix of a decent Vienna, a stale pils and tap water aged in an open tin can. And thats pretty much the finish. The mouthfeel and carbonation are just right for the style though, and to its credit it does manage a faily crisp finish, with the aftertaste mainly of herbal hops..

This is a beer that I was pleasantly surprised with. A friend bought a case of this on a whim, it being on sale at the local liquor store. Not a huge malt flavor kind of guy, but this one was surprisingly easy and enjoyable to drink. Cannot beat it for the price. It has become a staple when the wallet is a little light.

Ugh what a mess of a beer this is. Aroma was pretty weak but smelled like vegetable soup. Pour was a nice enough dark amber with no bubbles but a one finger off white head. Taste was a mixture of puke, vegetables and dark malt. Stale beer aftertaste. Terrible vienna and just barely drinkable.

Pours a Dark golden color with a huge foamy tan head. Good lacing Aroma of malts and caramel. Flavor - sweet caramel in the beginning with a slight hoppy finish. Flavors are a bit muted or lacking. meh.

Having spent a fair amount of time in New Ulm, I have had one of these multiple times over multiple years. Often it is a very nice, complex beer with citrus and malt and bread and spice, something that tastes just right, and sometimes everything sort of clashes and I don’t want to finish it, and of course everything in between. For me it is fun just to have one when I get the chance to see what hits me. I have given in it’s average rating, but really goes from a 2.0 - 3.8 or so.

12 oz bottle. Pours a very nice deep amber color with a toffee/beige colored head. Nice head retention and decent lacing. Aroma is of caramel, malts. Very nice. Very nice taste! Lots of malt and caramel sweetness and a little dash of hop bitterness to balance it out. This is a big bold flavor! Very wonderful, and the mouthfeel is just right. It starts out like it is going to be a big heavy beer but finishes very light and refreshing. Odd for a beer with this much flavor. It’s a winner in my book!

Wow, I’m surprised I’m the only one that’s going to give this beer a lousy rating but... Nice color, this Texas Longhorn burnt orange. But that is the only redeeming value I can give this beer. For my palate, I just couldn’t drink it. It is rare when I actually pour a beer down the drain but after drinking about 3/4 of a bottle that is exactly what I did.

Similar to the caramel bock but with a little bit more of a roasted character. Smooth and lightly bitter. Could use a little more flavor overall. Not bad. May drink again.