Schell's Dark - August Schell Brewing Company

johnmichaelsen

Oregon

3.5/5  rDev +5.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

The pickings were slim at the MSP airport, and as I already was familiar with the mediocrity that is summit EPA (the other "craft" option), I went with this. Can't say it was a huge improvement, but....

The beer pours a brownish amber color with fairly good head retention and lacing. The nose is almost nonexistent, but I did pick up some light brown surgar, sweet malt and apple cherry. The flavor profile replicates the nose in this moderately sweet, simple beer, but there are no off flavors and drinkability isn't bad. Mouthfeel is light to medium bodied, and thankfully the beer isn't over carbonated (a frequent problem in airports). The finish is soft and moderately sweet, and I found this beer to be fairly enjoyable.

Nothing spectacular here, but it beats the hell out of any of the grainbelt line. If stuck in airport waiting for a delayed SWA flight, I'd probably order this again.

Serving type: on-tap

09-19-2011 21:54:22 | More by johnmichaelsen

kittywamp

Minnesota

3.93/5  rDev +18.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A: a nice brown with highlights of red

S: sweet, grain spice with a note of something i cant place the smell.

T: sweet caramel, malty and a hint of nut

M: creamy, buttery and smooth goodness

O: this is a great starter beer. made by a great brewery.

Serving type: on-tap

08-31-2011 17:35:42 | More by kittywamp

dberthia

Minnesota

2.85/5  rDev -13.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

I bought a 15.5 gallon keg of this from Zipps in Minneapolis for $49.99 blowout sale!

It looks awesome but doesn't have much to it for taste and smell. It is a full bodies beer that is not heavy and is very rich with malt. It goes down very easily but this is not my beer style of choice. I am happy to enjoy Schells dark nonetheless.

Cheers!

Serving type: on-tap

10-15-2010 21:06:18 | More by dberthia

mothman

Saskatchewan (Canada)

3.63/5  rDev +9.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Had this on Tap at a smaller bar in New Ulm.

Poured into a 20 oz plastic cup (very sad).

Creamy slight tanned head. Left good lacing. Color is a dark ruby brown, which was quite appealing.

Aroma: Not very much here. It just reminds me of an American macro lager with some extra flavor added to it. Malty, slight caramel, very grainy.

Taste: Darker malts. Again, very grainy. Not very much going on here.

Mouthfeel: Very crisp and smooth. Medium bodied. High carbonation. Ends fairly clean.

Overall, a very easy drinking 'dark' lager. Looks dark, tastes fairly light. I could have a few of these during a session.

Serving type: on-tap

05-24-2009 18:55:46 | More by mothman

AdmiralDiaz

Minnesota

2.78/5  rDev -16%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

A: Brown-light brown as it fades to the edges. Small off white head with a little bit of retention but no lacing.

S: Smells pretty good, not strong, but appealing. Smells like a bit of roasted malts with a bit of earthiness and some coffee.

T: Smells much better than it tastes. It's kind of bland. Malt flavor up front with a bit of earthiness and a semi-sweet toffee finish.

Overall it was fine for a cheap $2 on-tap drink but I can't see myself ever seeking it out to but. It's crisp with a decent amount of carbonation but the lack of flavor didn't make me care if I finished my drink or not.

Serving type: on-tap

01-16-2009 16:21:46 | More by AdmiralDiaz

BigBry

Alberta (Canada)

3.75/5  rDev +13.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Sampled this one at the brewery during the tour/tasting - the only selection that was only available on draft (all other samples were bottled.)
Dark brown color, cream colored head of an inch of foam. Smell of toasted caramel, nice aroma. Solid flavor, dark malt, a bit nutty, nice floral hop finish. Good body, not too heavy, smooth, great sessional. Doesn't get super high marks, but was one of my favorites on the day. I would definatley have another if it was available.

Serving type: on-tap

11-25-2008 22:07:47 | More by BigBry

tempest

Pennsylvania

3.33/5  rDev +0.6%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

On-tap at Stub and Herb's

Yeah, it's not a great dunkel, but it's a nice, standard American interpretation for the most part. It appears a dark brown with light tan lacing. The aroma has a hint of DMS with sweet grains. The flavor is pretty subtle with an initial sweet bready rush followed by a gentle chocolate note. The DMS is distracting, but not surprising. Not a bad beer.

Serving type: on-tap

04-06-2008 20:44:04 | More by tempest

rhoadsrage

Illinois

3.03/5  rDev -8.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

(Served in 2 American pint glasses) it was happy hour I guess

A- This beer has a dark brown shoe polish colored body with a thin light tan film of head and a strong carbonation.

S- The smell of pot caramel had a faint dry dark malt note to it.

T- This beer had a pot caramel malt flavor with a nougat note. There was a faint sulfur note and a faint noble hop hint in the finish.

M- The medium mouthfeel had a watery texture and a tight fizz in the finish.

D- This beer didn't have a lot of flavor and the flavors it did have were a little off. It would be nice to taste some other malt flavors like maybe some Munich malt or other lightly toasted malts.

Serving type: on-tap

06-08-2006 18:44:53 | More by rhoadsrage

garymuchow

Minnesota

3.28/5  rDev -0.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

I have a colleague who's med school professor was noted to state "everything is relative." Well, I was recently at the county fair Beer Garden with 10 choices of various, A-B and Miller, American lagers and light American lagers, and then Shell Dark. What would you do?
Served in a plastic cup so a little hard to see, but certainly darker than anything else I saw. Kinda looked like milk chocolate. Poured with a thin head. Very little aroma, just light aspects of malt. Light overall malt flavor. In middle and finish had caramel malt qualities. Softer mouthfeel with medium carbonation. Fairly short finish of some malt dryness.
I'd score it real high compared to my choices, but this is the best I can do.

Serving type: on-tap

08-17-2002 14:20:04 | More by garymuchow

Weli

Wisconsin

2.6/5  rDev -21.5%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

A-Light tawny brown with thin off white head quickly dissipating

S-Bready malt, some subdued fruit, raisins with a hint of caramel corn

T-Light sweet caramel malt, some toastiness and malt flavor. Rather bland. No hop aroma or flavor

M-Crisp and refreshing, prickly carbonation

O- A nice alternative to american adjunct lagers, but really nothing special, there is very little to recommend or criticize with this beer. Probably could use a bit more body and head.

Serving type: bottle

11-19-2012 00:42:16 | More by Weli

sommersb

Tennessee

3.85/5  rDev +16.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Tasted On: 11-11-2012
Freshness: Not indicated
Packaging: 12 oz. clear bottle, twist-cap
Glassware: Willi Becher
Purchased: Received in a trade

A: Nice and tight tan head atop a cola-colored beer (brown with red accents). Clear, with both good head retention and lace showing.

S: Aromas are sweet and malty -- caramel, dark breads and maple are notes that come to mind.

T: Taste is rich and of malt sweetness as in the nose; flavors have caramel and nutty tones, with just a hint of earthy hop bitterness.

M: Creamy mouthfeel, with a low-to-medium amount of carbonation. Finishes clean, malty and sweet.

O: Very easy drinking dark lager here -- would love to have this as a regular staple. Prost!

Thanks to fLax for this one!

Serving type: bottle

11-11-2012 23:21:10 | More by sommersb

JamesMN

Minnesota

3.3/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Appearance: Semi-translucent dark brown/nutty color. Very thin off-white head that's sticking around but not leaving much lacing.

Aroma: Not much there. A bit bready.

Taste: Decently malty. Some roasty notes in there. No hop presence and basically no bitterness to speak of. Very watered-down caramel flavor throughout.

Mouthfeel: Very drinkable. Almost lacking body, but not super noticeable.

Final Thoughts: Even though there's not much in the aroma or taste departments, this isn't a bad beer. It's highly drinkable and there are no off flavors.

Serving type: bottle

07-22-2012 01:55:37 | More by JamesMN

jimmah120

Minnesota

3/5  rDev -9.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

12oz bottle into mason jar

Look is a slightly cloudy amber with a small head and striped lacing. Smell is 'red' smelling esters, grain, and savory roasted-ness. Taste keeps the esters to a minimum and is mostly grain with roasted tones. Mouthfeel is good, but watery on the back end.

Unremarkable, definitely not my favorite Schell's.

Serving type: bottle

06-06-2012 04:19:35 | More by jimmah120

TheManiacalOne

Rhode Island

3.55/5  rDev +7.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Acquired via trade from MilwaukeeCrusher, 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 light brown 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, some honey and a touch of hops.

T: The taste starts out with a decent breadiness from lager yeast and a hearty but not too heavy malt character. Then some mild caramel sweetness follows. The hops presence is mild but brings a good balance. The after-taste is slightly sweet.

M: Crisp and smooth, medium body, medium carbonation, finish is slightly sticky.

O: Tasty, goes down easily, not too filling, mild kick, good representation of style, this is a decent beer to drink for a while, but there are better beers in the style.

Serving type: bottle

04-14-2012 04:23:09 | More by TheManiacalOne

isualum12

Idaho

3.03/5  rDev -8.5%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Smell- not bad hop with barley
Look golden red with a very thin head no lace at all.
Taste is decent but not impressive with flavor. Not a bad thing but not going to overly impress me either

Mouthfeel- high on the carbonization that in the end hurt the flavor coing through or blocks it with my tongue being numm.
Overall nice beer to grab a 6 pack of for a fishing trip. It wouldn't make it to one of my beer parties though.

Serving type: bottle

02-10-2012 02:57:56 | More by isualum12

jsisko01

Michigan

3.93/5  rDev +18.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 5 | overall: 3.5

Appearance - Pours a VERY dark brown-amber color.. Poured vigorously which created an inch and a half thick, off-white head that lasted about 2 minutes. Lacing looks excellent.

Smell - Toasty, toffee, caramel, and brown sugar.

Taste - Similar to the smell. Toasty and sweet with caramel, toffee, and a very weak bitter aftertaste.

Mouthfeel - Heavy body with mild carbonation. Has that thick, creamy feel to it. It's perfect to me.

Overall - At first I didn't think I was going to like this beer because it's dark, but I was mistaken. It's pretty good.

Serving type: bottle

12-25-2011 07:38:05 | More by jsisko01

TMoney2591

Illinois

3.48/5  rDev +5.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Served in a Chicago Bears shaker pint glass.

Part One of my six-part intro to Schell's regular boys. It pours a clear amber-russet topped by a finger of dirty ecru foam. The nose comprises light caramel, light grass, and a touch of rather mild roast. The taste brings in more of the same, though things are a bit stronger all-around, and a small bit o' coffee finds its way in there as well. The body is a light medium, with a light moderate carbonation and a fairly smooth feel. Overall, a nice little brew, one that was somehow surprisingly enjoyable (something about a MDL in a clear bottle just advertizes itself in the wrong way to me...), something I could see drinking plenty of if presented with the proper circumstance.

Serving type: bottle

12-19-2011 04:28:14 | More by TMoney2591

mikesgroove

South Carolina

3.48/5  rDev +5.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

brown with a smallish off white head, that slowly faded to reveal a decent layer of lace left on the top, as well as a good amount left down the sides of the glass. Some visible carbonation was evident through the chains of bubbles streaming up through the very clear beer. Smell was very unique. It had a nice burnt sort of smell with a definate hint of caramel and coffe, which really suprised me. It was so pronounced, almost like a porter type of hint in there. The taste was very similar, lots of coffee and caramel flavors, mixed in with a nice earthy grain and a slightly bitter hopped back

Serving type: bottle

12-03-2011 19:22:25 | More by mikesgroove

hardy008

Minnesota

4.13/5  rDev +24.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Mahogany color with a two finger light beige head with nice retention and lacing. The aroma has caramel malt, light toasted bread, and hops.

The taste is much like the aroma, with caramel malt, light toasted bread, and hops. The flavor is also sweet, and there is a bit of nuttiness in the background.

Light to medium bodied, smooth, with average carbonation. This is a dark lager done right. I have had this before many times. Not sure why it took so long for me to review.

Serving type: bottle

11-26-2011 21:45:41 | More by hardy008

OleJohnnieAle

Minnesota

3.3/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

A: Coke brown with similar head. left nice lacing on the glass as it went down

S: Fairly sweet malts scent.

T: Smells sweet but I didn't get an overpowering sweet taste as the scent would have left me to believe. Nice beginning bite and then you can really taste the roasted malts. The roast is not overpowering though. A little bitterness finished off.

M: Smooth, good carbonation, thin to medium bodied.

O: Very drinkable, It was good, nothing to write home about but a good beer. Bought in sampler pack so good to bring to a holiday as there is something for everyone!

Serving type: bottle

Serving type: bottle

11-25-2011 03:42:58 | More by OleJohnnieAle

SammyDavisJrJrJr

Illinois

3.48/5  rDev +5.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Best by date of 12/28/11. Sampled with listening to Bowie's "Heroes."

A - Poured into an old mason jar-like novelty glass, Crystal clear dark amber body with a shade under 2 fingers of off white head. No lacing, decent retention. Pretty standard...

S - Close to textbook aroma, with notes of hay, dark Munich malt, tobacco, and minty herbal hops. Pretty balanced, with only the herbal presence overpowering the other aromas at any point.

T/M - This is a quite quenching brew. Flavor profile is what I expect from a Munich Dunkel: herbal hops, dark Munich malt, and dried dark fruit. On the nit picky side, I did notice some astringency and the mineral presence, while appropriate for the style struck me as less "crisp" and more empty.

O - This is not a life changing Munich Dunkel, but it does exactly what it's supposed to. It manages to balance out some richer flavors with a solid quaff-ability, at a decent price.

Serving type: bottle

11-02-2011 20:55:30 | More by SammyDavisJrJrJr

MattyG85

Minnesota

3.63/5  rDev +9.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured from 12 oz. bottle into a Sam Adams perfect pint glass.

Appearance: Pours a darker shade of amber red with lots of rising bubbles. Big five finger off white head with good retention. Lots of lacing.

Smell: Sweet lightly toasted caramel malts with toffee. Lots of wheat grains. Light hint of chocolate. Mostly grains.

Taste: Mostly wheat grains with some lightly toasted caramel malts. A very light subtle hint of chocolate. Very grain driven and fairly sweet.

Mouthfeel: Light to medium bodied with a moderate level of carbonation. Subtle but not watery.

Overall: A decent lighter lager. Flavors are very subtle but this brew isn't watery at all.

Serving type: bottle

10-23-2011 08:50:52 | More by MattyG85

rowew

Colorado

2.8/5  rDev -15.4%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Presentation: 12 oz clear bottle, label is metallic with an emblem of a buck. 072811 inkjetted on the neck .. I'm not sure if this is out of date, or was produced then.

Appearance: Pours clear, somewhere between an amber and a brown color. Average head, but it fades pretty quickly to leave just a hint of lace.

Smell: A bit of grain, fairly mild. This is sort of a generic "beer" aroma, without much to pick out specifically.

Taste: A little bit of sweetness and malt .. this tastes a bit like a light marzen.

Overall impression: It isn't bad .. it is sort of a generic beer with a bit more flavor than your average macro .. sort of like a Yuengling. Nothing to write home about, but it's drinkable enough.

Serving type: bottle

10-19-2011 23:18:20 | More by rowew

WastingFreetime

Wisconsin

3.13/5  rDev -5.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 3

Transcribed from my notebook.

Looks deep brown, reddish around the fringes, small head that doesn't last, vague smell of semi-toasted caramel malt, taste is pretty much exactly the same, slightly too thin a body for my liking, but other than that, it's pretty good. Sadly lacking in complexity, yes, but it is certainly not 'bad', either.

Serving type: bottle

10-18-2011 00:10:07 | More by WastingFreetime

Mdog

Minnesota

3.53/5  rDev +6.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Appearance: Dark red, good foamy head.

Smell: Toffee, bready, sweetness.

Taste: Nice bready flavor with mild toffee sweetness mixed in. A little earthy bitterness in there too.

Mouthfeel: Not too heavy, but more substantial than most <5% abv beers.

Drinkability: Pretty decent session beer, the guys on my softball team go through 4 or 5 pitchers after games.

Another from the sampler, though I've had plenty of this on tap this summer as my teammates love this stuff. I'm not as big a fan of it, but it is a solid dunkel lager and a good changeup from lighter lagers.

Serving type: bottle

09-24-2011 20:28:56 | More by Mdog