Millstream Schild Brau Amber - Millstream Brewing Company

hardy008

Minnesota

2.84/5  rDev -20.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.75

Pours dark amber with an off white head with decent retention and lacing. Smells like light caramel malt, with some hops for balance.

Tastes like light caramel malt with grassy hops. There is a decent balance between hops and malt sweetness, but nothing extraordinary.

Medium bodied with light carbonation. Not bad, but nothing to get excited about either. I will pass on this one in the future.

Serving type: bottle

01-12-2013 04:54:01 | More by hardy008

312HopBomb

Illinois

3.93/5  rDev +9.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Pours a deep clear honey color with light tan head. Light spots of lacing.

Aroma of honey, earthy, slighty spicy european hop and medium roast caramel malt.

Clean, crisp malt and more earthy hop with pepper bite. Nice german flavor.

Medium mouthfeel and well attenuated.

An above average vienna lager.

Serving type: bottle

11-23-2012 21:06:32 | More by 312HopBomb

Vixie

Illinois

3.6/5  rDev +0.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Pours a nice copper color with a bit of a tan head that doesn't stick around too long.

Smell is mainly malt, little bit of yeast as well.

Bit sweet, notes of caramel and toffee. Has a bit of nuttiness, and some hop bite at the end.

Not a bad feel, carbonation is a bit high, making itself known on the tongue.

Not a bad beer overall. Others in this style have more hops presence than this one, which is a positive to me. It is a touch sweet, but the nut flavor and hop bite at the end balance it nicely. Easy drinking and worth a try.

Serving type: bottle

10-01-2012 01:34:00 | More by Vixie

KarlHungus

Minnesota

2.9/5  rDev -19%
look: 2 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

This beer pours a cloudy orange-amber color. The head is one inch in height, and recedes quickly into minimal lacing. The aroma is of caramel malt with a fairly strong sourness to it. It smells more like a Berliner Weisse than a Vienna Lager. It's not a bad aroma. On the contrary it is actually quite pleasant. It just isn't what a Vienna Lager should smell like. The taste is a lot less sour then the aroma, but there is still a faint hint of sourness in the background. Up front there there are some nice caramel notes with some light floral hops. I think I would like it a bit better if the sourness were a little stronger. The mouthfeel is medium bodied with low carbonation for the style. Overall, I'm not sure if something is off or if the brewer really did intend on this beer beings slightly sour. Either way I can't see myself drinking this one again.

Serving type: bottle

04-16-2012 00:12:26 | More by KarlHungus

kjyost

Manitoba (Canada)

3.83/5  rDev +7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12 oz bottle acquired as part of a mixed pack from Princeton Liquors in Maple Grove, MN. Poured ~4C into a Duvel snifter.

A: Slightly hazy, reddish brown with a great stiff 1+ finger white head that drops to a lasting small cap that leaves little globs of lacing.
S: Nutty with some biscuit. Initially (and off & on throughout the pour) a strong soapy / buttery aroma dominated that seemed off.
T: A very clean beer with a solid malt profile with caramel, biscuit and bread malts. A hint of hop bitterness plays against an otherwise smooth sweetness.
M: Biting carbonation with sweetness and bread flavours that linger.
O: A solis, sessionable lager. Worth buying.

Serving type: bottle

03-01-2012 23:58:45 | More by kjyost

jsprain1

Minnesota

3.25/5  rDev -9.2%
look: 2 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

A- Slightly reddened amber. The head was one and a half fingers, white, at first, but it fell flat very quickly.
S- The aroma is very pleasant. Toasted bread, slightly doughy, with a bit of fruit. It smells very much like Fat Tire. Blindfolded, on aroma, I wouldn't know the difference.
T- Here it loses its punch. Bready, but lighter bread than the aroma made me think. There fruit is there but very mild. A touch of sugar cookie.
M- Very light. The flavors finish quickly, without much lingering flavors. Carb is medium-low.
O- An ok beer but other than the aroma it more or less disappointed me.

Serving type: bottle

01-21-2012 04:11:11 | More by jsprain1

gatornation

Minnesota

3.9/5  rDev +8.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

from a 12 oz bottle

A- pours a mostly clear light amber color with a 1 finger white head a bit of lacing

S- baked bread malts and caramel

T- caramelized malts first and toffee with baked bread some citrusy hops

M- crisp and clean with medium carbonation its sweet and slick on the palate

O- tasty with a < 5% ABV, i could drink this one again , recommended

Serving type: bottle

01-15-2012 22:18:50 | More by gatornation

jera1350

Minnesota

3.88/5  rDev +8.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A clean copper/light amber color with a soapy head that quickly shrinks down to a tight ring around the glass. A hair of lacing.

Very, very bready with some light caramel sweetness.

The taste is quite bready also with a nice sweetness, a touch of toffee and hint of hops. Some alcohol is mildly noticeable. Pretty clean taste.

Has a nice lightly chewy body. Feels bigger than an under 5% beer. Some prickly carbonation with a very dry finish.

This is a very nice and easily drinkable beer. Not at the top for the style, but overall, a beer that would easily be sessionable.

Serving type: bottle

01-13-2012 02:24:45 | More by jera1350

knepper

Wisconsin

3.75/5  rDev +4.7%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Look: Pours a deep gold to orange with a thin white head.

Smell: Toasted malts, a hint of light-roasted marshmallow, tart fruit, and vanilla.

Taste: My first impression is of a slightly above average Oktoberfest. The beer is smooth, light bodied, full of biscuity, toasted malts, and ultra drinkable. It does come in a bit fruity though; maybe cotton candy like? A pinch of spice from the hops compliments the finish along with that lager sulphur-like quality. I'm detecting a bit of apple and white grape juice in there as well. For a beer clocking in at below 5%, I have to give Millstream credit for pulling out tons of flavor from the malt bill. If you're looking for a beer to pair with brats/kraut or chili, look no further.

Serving type: bottle

12-11-2011 01:29:25 | More by knepper

robboyd

Indiana

3.48/5  rDev -2.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Not a bad brew overall. It pours a deep amber color with a white fizzy head that took some time to dissipate.

It has a real generic smell to it. Malt is the primary smell, maybe a touch of sour fruit.

Taste is again somewhat average. It certainly has the malted punch that my nose picked up. The fruit tones aren't there as much but it is slightly sour. It's not complex so I wouldn't call it balanced but it is enjoyable. It's good in it's simplicity.

Serving type: bottle

11-01-2011 23:14:31 | More by robboyd

TheManiacalOne

Rhode Island

4/5  rDev +11.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Acquired via trade from cpolking so a big “Thank You” goes out to him. Poured from a 12oz bottle into a US tumbler pint glass.

A: The beer is a dark gold color, with a short off-white head that fades slowly and leaves a thick lace on the glass.

S: The aroma contains caramelized malts, lager yeast, a good amount of hops and a touch of fruit.

T: The taste starts out with sweet flavors of caramel and some citrus followed by some bready flavors of lager yeast and a hearty but not too heavy malt character. The hops presence is decent for the style and creates a good balance. The after-taste is slightly sweet.

M: Smooth and crisp, medium body, medium carbonation, finish is slightly sticky.

O: Tasty, goes down very easily, not too filling, mild kick, good representation of style, this is a nice solid beer worth pounding for while.

Serving type: bottle

10-19-2011 02:43:16 | More by TheManiacalOne

DesMoinesMike

Iowa

3.23/5  rDev -9.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

I seem to be consistantly disappointed by this brew. It looks good but has kind of an odd, slightly sour smell to it. The taste has some good malt character but that same slightly sour essence detracts from that too much for me to enjoy it. The body is good but the sourness seems to linger. I've had a bottle before that I drained because it was so bad. This would most likely be a good beer if Millstream did better quality control on it. I've haven't had this problem before with their other brews.

Serving type: bottle

10-12-2011 16:14:07 | More by DesMoinesMike

woosterbill

Connecticut

3.88/5  rDev +8.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

12oz bottle, notched December (presumably 2010), into a Duvel tulip. Big thanks to mnbearsfan for hooking me up with this, my first Iowa beer: state tick #39.

A: Clear deep amber body under a finger of fine off-white foam. Mediocre retention, but nice delicate lace. Pretty good.

S: Nothing but maltiness: big nuttiness, light caramel, and a hint of fruit. Lacking in complexity, but quite pleasant.

T: Rather sweet, with toffee, figs, and hazelnuts being the major players. Very rich maltiness, with a nice crisp finish. Impressively clean and devoid of off notes from the yeast. Enjoyable.

M: Highly carbonated, somewhat prickly, light-to-medium body. Ok, but not particularly great.

O: I wasn't expecting much from this one at all, as it's a 9-month-old bottle of a style I've never really fancied. Happily my low expectations were far more than met: this is a well-made, thoroughly enjoyable amber lager. I'd gladly drink it again.

Cheers!

Serving type: bottle

09-22-2011 22:44:35 | More by woosterbill

rundocrun

Iowa

4.08/5  rDev +14%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Pours light brown with copper highlights. Not much of a head. Light lacing on the glass.

S - Smells of caramel, plums and milk chocolate. A very pungent beer! Almost like a less intense cousin of some old ales that I've tried.

T - Has a huge malt presence! Toasty grains and sweet brown sugar can be found all the way from start to finish. Very slight bitterness toward the middle. Has a crisp, refreshing character to it, which is unexpected because it smelled so syrupy and candy-like.

M - Light body with good carbonation. Has a sticky finish.

Serving type: bottle

06-15-2011 04:28:01 | More by rundocrun

Beerandraiderfan

Nevada

2.93/5  rDev -18.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Pours a good amber color, with good clarity, minimal head, this looks the part of a Vienna Lager. Aroma was lacking that vienna malt sweetness to look for in this style. Wasn't bad put off bad, but was just, meh.

Taste, smooth and the malt content seems to be just right, thin enough, yet chewy. Would have liked to have seen just a little more hop zest, 20-30 ibu, instead of what tastes like 10-15. But its probably more in the tradition of a good Vienna or oktoberfest. Plenty of that nutty caramel thing going on in the mouthfeel, but it just is too middle of the road for me.

Serving type: bottle

05-10-2011 16:48:53 | More by Beerandraiderfan

TheQuietMan22

Iowa

3.28/5  rDev -8.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Appearance: Straight pour into a becker glass. Not the correct beerware, but it will do. The color is a light amber/copper. One finger of white head developed and dissipated almost immediately to leave a spotted lacing and ring around the edge.

Smell: Mostly caramel and toffee, but there is a hint of chocolate to give it a little darker richness.

Taste: Mirrors the aroma and is very straightforward. Caramel, toffee, and a hint of chocolate. There is a subtle hop bitterness at the end of each sip.

Drinkability: Not much complexity, but it is tasty, rich, and very drinkable. As an Iowan I hate to say this, especially since this beer just won a gold medal at the World Beer Cup: when it comes to Vienna style lager, I think Trader Joe's Vienna Style Lager beats Schild Brau. By a hair, though.

Serving type: bottle

03-05-2011 05:36:57 | More by TheQuietMan22

msjacilynn

Minnesota

3.3/5  rDev -7.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Reviewing from old notes: 9/9/10

A: Pours clean amber with an orange tint.

S: Nut and mild nut but very weak in terms of aroma.

T: Caramel, bourbon and sweet malts...decent amber.

M: Medium and well carbonated.

D: Not my favorite but would drink again.

Serving type: bottle

03-02-2011 16:00:30 | More by msjacilynn

JMad

Texas

3.63/5  rDev +1.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I poured a 12 oz bottle into a pint glass...

The liquid was a very light amber/ copper color with a thin white head. It smells mostly of sweet caramel malt, there is a hint of nutty malt and it's a little yeasty. I could taste some apricot, also toasted bread and sweet caramel candy. The body is light - medium and the carbonation kind of bites the tongue and it leaves the mouth sticky. The Schild Brau has very rich flavor for a lager, I would love to be able to get this on a normal basis.

Serving type: bottle

02-19-2011 17:56:58 | More by JMad

rings

Michigan

4.15/5  rDev +15.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4

Millstream's flagship Schild Brau Amber is a Vienna style lager. Deep copper in color, it pours lovely with a full head that sticks to the glass as you sip. The initial sip is malty and sweet (for a lager), with a gentle rolling bite of bittering hops. With another swirl of the glass and a sample sip or two, there's a spicy herbal aroma at the nose--I suspect dry-hopping--that opens up a small dinner party in your mouth ...not the Animal House type, but the cocktails and good conversation type of party. The layers are complex and interesting. Very clean, well balanced with an excellent body for two-row malt.

Quite simply, this is outstanding.

Serving type: bottle

02-11-2011 20:43:00 | More by rings

richkrull

Wisconsin

3.23/5  rDev -9.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Pretty good beer. I was surprised that it's brewed in Iowa - the label doesn't seem to fit that. Interesting name as well.

Nice amber color, good taste and feel. A little bit of a bitter aftertaste. Almost no head at all when pouring. It's worth a taste.

Serving type: bottle

12-29-2010 02:21:54 | More by richkrull

mdwalsh

Iowa

4.22/5  rDev +17.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

My first Iowa Beer.

A: Very thin head on this one, something I've noticed in all beers from this six pack. Nice active carbonation though, THe beer is a slight orange/copper (or red, it's very light sensitive) haze with nice lacing.

S: Heavy on the nutty malts, I also get some caramel and some earthy hops. No yeast aromas, but the more I smell, the more bready it gets. But it isn't too strong, just intricate.

T: Still heavy on the nutty/caramel malt, but there is a slightly sharper bite, possibly from roasted grain, but more I think from hops. Still no yeast flavors, totally clean in that regard. As I drink more, it swings back to a residual sweet, toffee taste. There's a mineralness here as well that doesn't add anything good or bad, just a uniqueness.

M: Nice carbonation, medium body: good, but not too sharp of a bite.

D: sessionable (relatively), but interesting as well.

Serving type: bottle

10-15-2010 15:08:17 | More by mdwalsh

FreshHawk

Illinois

3.5/5  rDev -2.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A - Light, crisp copper, orange color. Smaller than average, foamy, bubbly, active head. Below average retention with just a small patch of lace left.

S- A lot of toasted malt with caramel and toffee coming out strong. Also a bunch of apple and floral aromas comes out. Hints of toasted bread, but not much.

T - Similar to the nose with a lot of toasted caramel malt and plenty of apple. Some spicy, earthy hops along with some herbal and floral hops as well. They definitely play second fiddle to the caramel malt though. Some mineral and toasted bready flavors come out, but they are definitely an after thought. Some grainy and earthy/nutty flavors mid to finish sip.

M - Lighter side of medium body with around average carbonation. Fairly crisp with a sticky feel.

D - Pretty drinkable beer with a decent mix of flavors. Pretty standard for the style.

Notes: An average/middle of the road beer. Not bad but not outstanding. A lot of malty flavor with a decent hop flavor.

Serving type: bottle

09-23-2010 23:41:15 | More by FreshHawk

brewmandan

Iowa

4.83/5  rDev +34.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

I know I like bock brews the best, but this brew is my top favorite brew from Millstream Brewing Co. (their bock beer trails in a close second). At least once or twice a year, my wife and I visit the Amana Colonies when we visit her sister, of whom lives in Cedar Rapids (not too far away from the Amana's). We always go to the colony where there the brewery in located, which I think is in Middle Amana. Great beer!

Serving type: bottle

05-11-2010 22:31:32 | More by brewmandan

scruffwhor

Illinois

3.43/5  rDev -4.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Thanks again to Nick G. for the Iowa beer hook-up.

Pours a nice clear copper color with a quick dissolving head of off-white. But pretty good bubbling though.

The aroma is grainy and dry caramel malts with maybe a little astringent, just cut gardening plant hop aroma for balance.

The taste starts caramel, crystal, and biscuit malt. Then moves to a somewhat musty hop middle. But the nice grainy, malty flavors ring true throughout the whole flavor profile.

The palate starts malty and ends malty. But the middle has a weird, musty hop palate that doesn't bridge the gap between sweet and bitter very well. All and all a nice session lager that I wouldn't mind buying again.

Serving type: bottle

03-22-2010 00:29:44 | More by scruffwhor

ckeegan04

Texas

3.63/5  rDev +1.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A - Orangish brown, a touch darker han expected. Big, foamy, khaki colored head. Moderate lacing left on the glass.

S - Clean, somewhat sweet aroma. Earthy and floral notes come through as the beer warms.

T - Light sweetness backed by an earthy hop note. Floral tastes come through more and more as the beer warms. Hints of caramel.

M/D - Light to medium bodied and very crisp feel. Very easy drinking.

Serving type: bottle

02-11-2010 19:08:01 | More by ckeegan04