Schell Snowstorm (2009 - Baltic Porter)

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

Bottle, pours a murky, red-brown body with a creamy light brown head. Aroma of caramel and lightly roasted malts along with a hint of cocoa and toffee. Flavor is more of the same with a more prominent cocoa flavor. Body is on the light side; slightly watery near the finish. Smooth, slick mouthfeel with a light fizzyness. Light roasted malt finish with a slight bitter cocoa bite.

This isn’t a great example of a Baltic Porter, but it’s a great beer among Schell’s beers, which are usually regional-mass-market drivel. It doesn’t approach the richness that you would expect in the style, but it is balanced per se and gives a substantial hit of roasted and caramel flavors. Very drinkable, which is saying something for Schell.

12oz bottle courtesy of buebie poured into a tulip. This one pours super dark brown, I’m almost tempted to say black, but not quite. It’s got a small but very thick head that remains a cap for much longer than I expected and left very good lacing. The aroma is highly roasted with black malts and some bakers chocolate coming through. There is some underlying molasses sweetness and licorice as well. The taste has an initial sweetness from the caramelized sugars and dark chocolate, and the taste seems to be sweeter than the aroma in general. There are some roasted coffee hints in the background but it’s not as prevalent as I was expecting. The mouthfeel is medium bodied and extremely smooth. It’s probably a little lighter than the best Baltic porters out there, but its very good, especially given the lighter ABV. Very drinkable.

A dark brown beer. The Schell’s yeast is very perceivable in the flavor and aroma. Heavily roasted grains are the primary quality of this beer. Some lager yeast. I prefer the flavor while the beer is chilled, but the aroma opens up as it warms.

In the bottle and on tap at Crescent Moon. Pours black with a thick beige head. Has a mild coffee roasted aroma with just a bit of chocolate. Body is medium thick. Has a tempered chocolate malted sweetness of big Baltic Porters, but in a much milder form. This is likely as big as a Schell’s gets. Very tasty and drinkable.

Bottle served in Bells snifter: Pours deep brown, near black with ruby highlights topped by small creamy tan head and left good lace upon the glassware. The aroma has multilevel layers of vapours that change as it warms, starts with cocoa bean, black strap molasses, tobacco, and anise then becomes more vanilla bean, coffee, herbal hops and charred oak. The taste is rather sweet and syrupy at first with a noticeable chocolate covered plum overtone. Just like the nose, the palate changes as it warms and brings out some bitterness (coffee, hop, and smokey wood tannins). In the end it does come across a tad muddled. The mouth feel is medium-bodied and soft, there is a metallic finish which I do not care for. Overall, a good beer but do not come looking for a classic Baltic Porter. There are some classic characteristics but undertones are there which are unwelcoming.

I look forward to Schell’s Snowstorm as the bite of winter hits us upper midwesterners. Always a different style and something unexpected. This year, a Baltic Porter, is quite good. Flavors of rich milk chocolate, lightly roasted malts, and fruits. Warming and tasty. A nice one.

Bottle. Pours black with a medium-dark brown head. Aroma could be a little stronger but is a pleasant mix of roast malts. Taste is of bittersweet coffee. Very thick and creamy as a baltic porter usually is. Excellent beer.