Schell's Schmaltz's Alt - August Schell Brewing Company

PieOhMy

Minnesota

3.25/5  rDev -13.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.25

Poured into imperial pint glass.

A Dark ruby. No transparency. Fat tan head. Fades quickly but a little foam and lacing remain on the surface.

S Just what they were going for - Malty. Sugar. Small hint of fruitiness, apple and pear.

T Sweet malts right up front. Chocolaty and toffee flavors that I do not pick up in the scent. A subdued bitterness hangs around slightly but no strong lasting aftertaste.

M It is a little chewy but more on the light side. Smooth watery finish.

O The initial flavor, the malty backbone and the sweetness is nice but there really isn't much holding this together. The flavor dies to quickly. I got this as part of variety pack, which is good because even though this is an OK beer, I would not by this in a six or twelve pack.

Serving type: bottle

05-18-2013 02:19:46 | More by PieOhMy

JamesMN

Minnesota

3.15/5  rDev -16%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3

Appearance: Slightly murky hazelnut color with a frothy light brown head.

Aroma: Bready malt with hints of toffee. Some yeast but quite a clean aroma overall.

Taste: Starts with some bread and lots of caramel malt flavor. Real light on bitterness with no placeable hop flavor. Disappointed in the finish and aftertaste which give a really metallic tinge like sucking on a penny along with the flavor of blue cheese. It's unfortunate because the lead up to the finish is pleasant.

Mouthfeel: Just above medium in body which is quite an accomplishment for a 5.1% ABV beer. Low carbonation and a bit cloying in its dryness. Average drinkability.

Final Thoughts: Definitely ruined by the aftertaste. I have a hard time believing there was anything wrong with the bottle though because the rest of the sixer was consumed by my friends who didn't seem to take issue with its flavor. Would I drink it again? Maybe, at the brewery.

Serving type: bottle

03-02-2013 03:47:30 | More by JamesMN

Serick507

Minnesota

4.04/5  rDev +7.7%
look: 4.75 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

Enjoyed from a bottle into a silo glass

A: Deep ruby red (when held to light), touch above black (when not), small cream head, moderate amount of streaming bubbles, nice lacing

S: Faint, clean choc and caramel malts

T: Jumps out at you, very malt forward, bready, roasted chocolate, coffee and caramel malts, grassy/ hops at on the finish.

M: Medium with just the right amount of carbonation for me (medium carbonation)

O: Love the Schell's style of malt forward, this one doesn't disappoint, bold, deep, interesting but simple, flavors, brewed the old style way. Done right. Great for cold nights. Very Good Altbier!

Serving type: bottle

02-16-2013 05:49:05 | More by Serick507

Mora2000

Texas

3.58/5  rDev -4.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Thanks to swalden28 for sharing this bottle.

The beer pours a dark, clear brown color with a tan head. The aroma, as expected, is very malty. I get a lot of bread and toffee, with not too much else going on. The flavor is also very malty. There is a lot of toffee and caramel, with a little bit of chocolate thrown in. There is also a touch of grass from the hops. Overall, the beer is very dry. Medium mouthfeel and medium carbonation.

Serving type: bottle

06-03-2012 03:09:10 | More by Mora2000

falloutsnow

Illinois

3.53/5  rDev -5.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

Beer from Brix in Omaha, NE
"042012" stamped on bottle - best by April 2012?
Poured into an Ayinger willi glass

With Schmaltz's Alt, Schell's has produced a solid version of the style that makes an interesting blend of toasted and roasted malt characters with some modest hop contributions. While I enjoyed the beer overall, I thought its aroma and taste could be more pronounced and still not do the beer any harm.

Able to pour a fairly tall, ~4cm head of light tan, small and dense bubbles; this creates a very fluffy-looking and pillowy mass of foam. Head descends gradually, leaving spots of lacing with it, and ultimately fading to a 0.2cm cap atop the body. Body is a dark brown when out of light, holding it up to light reveals a deep ruby-mahogany color.

Aroma has some bread character mixed with fairly sweet, moderately dark malt. Not detecting nuttiness, yeastiness, or estery ale notes, and the scents I do pick up are a bit muted. I feel this area could be improved upon, at least in my bottle.

Taste is a mix of a brown ale meets porter: mild char, cocoa, burnt sugars, and tanginess from roasted malt flavors meet equally mild caramel and toasted malt flavors. Slight metallic notes, nuttiness, and some hops must be contributing to the mild tangy, spicy taste. An altogether noticeable and pleasant taste profile, but still a bit too subtle for me.

Beer is medium to medium-light in body, with a medium-level of carbonation that is still quite soft on the palate. The resultant mouthfeel is generally smooth and creamy, well-flowing. Finish is dry, making you want another sip.

Serving type: bottle

03-01-2012 16:21:28 | More by falloutsnow

cagocubs

Illinois

4.03/5  rDev +7.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from bottle into pint glass.

A: Pours light brown but darkens as glass fills. The brown hue is complimented by a 1.5 finger ivory/bone white head that retains nicely and also laces.

S: Roasted malt, some strong bread scent, and some sweet caramel/dark fruit tones.

T: The roasted malt and dark fruit sweetness are present. The taste has lasting effect. Some roasted sweetness make this an interesting drink.

M: Wet throughout the sip but it gives way for some nice drying. Aftertaste is pleasant.

Serving type: bottle

02-26-2012 23:26:30 | More by cagocubs

c1377

Illinois

4.47/5  rDev +19.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

EYE
dark burnt amber

NOSE
toasted malt

BUBBLE
slightly foamy

MOUTH
not quite creamy

TASTE
bready, toasted malt; just a nip of CO2; slight warmth; a hint of toffe; and ever so subtle hop

This brew simply avoids bitterness, and compensates with extra malt character. Like eating crackers when you were a kid... sometimes simple is tasty!

Serving type: bottle

01-24-2012 05:25:06 | More by c1377

dbossman

Nebraska

3.55/5  rDev -5.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A: Beautiful dark brown with a slight reddish tint; head is thin--though foamy at first--but steady and lacing is gorgeous

S: Very bready with some faint dark fruits and toffee but mostly bread--some slightly burnt malts and a bit subdued but the bready aroma does get more complex as the drinking progresses

T: Roasted malts and quite bready--not as sweet as I imagined--it actually finishes surprisingly dry; some dark fruits, coffee, and toffee in end but mostly bread

F: A touch thin but still a decent amount of creamy texture

O: A nice interpretation of the style and a great bready beer that you can drink a few of

Serving type: bottle

01-18-2012 01:09:04 | More by dbossman

Pintofbrown

Iowa

4/5  rDev +6.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I had this alliterative alt in the closest thing I have to a stange glass.

Appearance- This dark chocolate colored body has barely enough room to allow slim, ruby highlights through. The filmy, soapy head got to almost a finger in width and has decent retention. The foam is a sandy brown in color.

Smell- The buttery malt that comes through coincides with a faint grassy hop. There is even a sweet toffee and vanilla scent present. It may be soft, but the scents are very complimentary.

Taste- Something about this drink gives it a tangy tinge. The flavors are very malty and have hints of cherry, roasted malt, and some nuttiness.The finish has an earthy character and grassy hop feel.

Mouth feel- This medium bodied alt has great carbonation that allows the beer to just slide over the tongue. The creaminess factor is pretty impressive. I wish it stuck a little more to the cheeks and extended the flavor profiles.

Overall- This alt has a nice balance of sweet and roasted malts, that does not let either get too out of hand. The balance also allows for a tangy note to come through that adds a nice touch.

I think that this balance could also be interpreted as making the beer too muddled, and I do agree that some of these flavors could be more pronounced than they are. Schmaltz's Alt shows, once again, Schell's really knows how to craft solid beers.

Serving type: bottle

01-17-2012 03:16:57 | More by Pintofbrown

stealth

Minnesota

3.95/5  rDev +5.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Got this from dragomni (thanks!)

Nice dark amber with red-edges pour. Smells like toffee and malt, and tastes about the same. I really enjoyed the subtle caramel taste behind everything. Nothing outstanding overall, but I certainly wouldn't turn it down again.

Serving type: bottle

01-12-2012 09:22:14 | More by stealth

jera1350

Minnesota

4/5  rDev +6.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

The deepest shade of amber possible. Could call it brown. Nice little cap of tan colored foam on top with some sticky lacing.

The nose is a nice mix of grainy and caramel malt with some earthy and floral hops.

A nice lighter malt profile with some very light roasted grain notes and subtle caramel sweetness. Some light hopping in there also with earthiness. A hint of coffee and alcohol peeking out at the end.

A light-medium feel with some mildly abrasive carbonation and a dry finish.

This is a nice beer that could probably be sessionable. Really approachable and easy drinking. I would have no problem tipping several of these back. Makes a nice "lighter" winter brew than the typical crowd.

Serving type: bottle

12-02-2011 02:44:46 | More by jera1350

WastingFreetime

Wisconsin

3.85/5  rDev +2.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Transcribed from my notebook.

I found a variety pack of Schell's brews at the store, thought I'd explore their offerings and take down some tasting notes while I'm at it... Pours out dark brown with reddish highlights at the fringes of the glass. There is a sand colored craggy single finger head, leaving behind decent lacing. Body is much lighter than I had expected from the darkness of the appearance, tastes and smells of heavy breadiness, malts, some minor roasted character than finishes bitter on the palate along with a light earthy hop tone. Pretty good.

Serving type: bottle

10-14-2011 19:10:19 | More by WastingFreetime

kittywamp

Minnesota

3.8/5  rDev +1.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A: poured a copper color with a white head

S:floral like smell with malt that are sweet

T:roasted malts, a note of citrus with a hint of something i couldnt put my finger on.

M: smooth and wonderful

O: I had to drive all over town to find this beer. it is a great beer. needs nothing added or taken away.

Serving type: bottle

08-31-2011 17:11:52 | More by kittywamp

Hojaminbag

Colorado

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

August Schell Schmalt's Alt has a reddish brown body that is fairly translucent. The head is a tan color with pretty good retention. A few scraps of lacing are on the glass.

Lots of bread and malty sweetness in the aroma.

Lots of malt in flavor. A good bit of bread and substantial sweetness. Maybe a bit of toffee. The middle has a little bit of fruit from the yeast, and toward the finish a dash of hops bring a little bit of earthy flavor and bitterness. There is a hint of warmth that I can almost taste in the finish.

Lots of body on this one, with moderate carbonation and some warmth.

This is another solid beer from August Schell. For the price, this brewery makes some solid beers that hit their style pretty well.

Serving type: on-tap

07-21-2011 21:43:40 | More by Hojaminbag

mikesgroove

South Carolina

4/5  rDev +6.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured a very clear copper amber with some small visible carbonation and a decent two finger high head of white fomay lace. Decent retention left behind some nice side glass lace and a decent film across the top. The aroma was really packed with tons of bready malts. Cereal grains taking over as it warms up with a decent musty sort of smell. Very much full of malt hear with a touch of barley.

Very sort of muted. A quick clean taste that really did not have much of a follow though to it. It really kinda was dominated by the cereal grains and earthy bread like malts that drown out anything else that might have been trying to make a run at coming forward. Very smooth with a crisp clean finish. Not a ton of carbnation and the body itself was very light Very nice actually as there was nothing really holding you back from having multiples of this. Low abv and a very smooth flavor with a crisp finish lend itself well tothis.

Overall this was a decent beer, nothing really spectaculat just a decent beer, I would go to it in a pinch for sure. But faced with other options I would probably not.

Serving type: bottle

04-23-2011 01:28:32 | More by mikesgroove

MinnesotaRIS

Minnesota

3.98/5  rDev +6.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours with average body. Produces a thick two-fingers of light brown head that lingers for quite some time. Reduces to a decent top foam that is shimmering. Leaves plenty of lace. Plum brown dark appearance that needs lightening. Clear which is good.

Aroma of bittering hops and spec. malts. Malt aroma is pleasantly balanced in the nose. Touch of raisin

Taste - bittering hops are very well balanced . Sweet-ish but rounded. Could use a bit more malt flavor.

Finishes lower on body but very drinkable. This would pass by anyone who just drinks it. Not very complex but well worth it. This is a lagered ale so it is crisp and along the lines if a dunkel.

Serving type: bottle

03-23-2011 01:44:00 | More by MinnesotaRIS

tmcelvain

Minnesota

3.68/5  rDev -1.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Quite a dark beer with a small head. Smell is malty and just slightly sour.
My first sip of this was bland and boring, but as I drank it really opened up. Very malty, with a bit of roasty flavor and hints of caramel. a bit of spice comes through and finishes with some hop bitterness.
A fairly lively beer - very carbonated, but just too watery - it really lacks body.
Overall and average drinkability for this one. The flavors are a little too strong for a session, yet not bold enough just to keep drinking out of interest.

Serving type: bottle

03-04-2011 21:37:36 | More by tmcelvain

exonthebottle

Minnesota

3.8/5  rDev +1.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

I had this beer at ed's I have to say this not a bad beer and certainly above average. black brown color no head or lacing

Ok bread malt smell not much to smell here somewhat roasted

wow this tastes way better than it smells good bitter malts nice creme texture and is not a bland beer

Bit to watery like most schell's beers but it is creamy enough since it has a nice filling body but still lager like

I would be happy to drink this at the bar But I would not seek it out unless I had few options although this is really drinkable

Serving type: on-tap

02-23-2011 02:10:34 | More by exonthebottle

Strix

Wisconsin

3.6/5  rDev -4%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3.5

Murky orangish-brown, decent initial head, no lacing.

Pleasant bready smell, with caramel malt.

Caramel malt, bready notes, and earthy hops. Flavor is pretty decent, and on par for the style.

Suffers from a somewhat thin mouthfeel.

This was passable, but not really notable.

Serving type: bottle

02-02-2011 04:18:51 | More by Strix

brewdub17

Minnesota

3.83/5  rDev +2.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4.5

Appearance: Dense brown with burgundy hues in lit areas. A dark beige head rests atop and leaves good lacing.

Smell: Fruity notes with a mixture of sweet bread-like characteristics. Malty/creamy overall, not overpowering nor bland.

Taste: Sweet biscuit/bread flavors up front with small amounts of subtle roastyness towards the back the end finally with a dry/very subtle bitter finish.

Mouthfeel: Covers well and is complementary to most taste buds. Small amounts of a watery feel are noticed towards the back, overall has a decently appealing mouthfeel.

Drinkability: Good amount of characteristics to become appealing to a wide variety of people and not necessarily off-putting in any sense.

Serving type: bottle

02-01-2011 17:41:15 | More by brewdub17

uwmgdman

Wisconsin

3.8/5  rDev +1.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

The beer pours very dark brown bordering on black with a deep garnet hue and a clingy tan head that leaves nice lacing. The aroma is medium-low malt; bready and grainy. The flavor is moderately malty, sweet, bready, and a little roasty. The beer finishes just a bit dry and hop bitterness is low, but combined with dry, subtly roasted flavors it is well balanced. The carbonation is moderate and body medium-full. Overall a well made, flavorful North German Alt that is quite drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

01-16-2011 20:03:48 | More by uwmgdman

zeff80

Missouri

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

Single bottle from a mixed Winter 12 pack.

A - A very clear brew with a burgundy color. Its cappuccino-like head was bubbly and foam lasted fairly long and left some wisps of lace on the glass.

S - Aroma was rich and malty sweet. There was a very mild floral presence.

T - A very good alt. Malty with caramel and sweet bread flavors. It had enough grassy hop bite to add bitterness and balance.

M - A very smooth lager with a crisp dry finish. It is light to medium-bodied.

D - This is another solid brew from August Schell that really nails the style.

Serving type: bottle

01-10-2011 00:40:37 | More by zeff80

CPeterson

Minnesota

3.53/5  rDev -5.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A -- A deep mahogany brew that pours into a vigorous head and leaves a nice foam on top and thick lacing.

S -- Mild caramel essence backed with roasty malt notes. Hints of toffee and vanilla.

T -- Matches the nose with a nice prominence of roasted malts, lightly hopped finish represented with earthy tones.

M -- Robust yet smooth and not abusive to the palate. Well suited for the style.

D -- Very nice, excellent representation of the style and worth a purchase.

Serving type: bottle

01-05-2011 03:30:35 | More by CPeterson

alexgash

Connecticut

3.68/5  rDev -1.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12 oz. bottle.

Significantly dark maple syrup amber. Pinkie finger of creamy, light khaki head. Very nice lacing up the glass. Not a lot of retention though. Subdued nose of light roasted malts, toast, a hint of chocolate, and slightly herbal hops.

Toasted, slightly astringent malts up front. Mild herbal, vegetal bitterness comes in. Biscuit and light caramel malt sweetness. Flashes of cocoa, nuts, and tobacco near the finish. Moderate body with a slightly oily feel. Decently made and pretty drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

12-24-2010 00:30:17 | More by alexgash

gatornation

Minnesota

3.53/5  rDev -5.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

pours a deep dark brown color with auburn streaks and nice fluffy 2 finger tan head.lacing on side of glass..smell is roasted malts.toffee.raisins,and bread..taste follows the nose its a roasted hit of malts smoothed out by some caramel malts ..mouth feel is warm and medium + well carbonated... as it warms the palate with a wave of malt and some hops ,,the flavor is good but not robust..its a nice winter brew that went down fast and got better more flavorful as it warmed

Serving type: bottle

12-21-2010 01:41:07 | More by gatornation