Schell's Hopfenmalz - August Schell Brewing Company

lwillitz

Florida

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

12-oz bottle poured into weizen glass

A - transparent gold with an orange tint under a finger and a half of thick white head; lots of carbonation bubbles; decent lace

S - malt; wheat; touch of hop spice and citrus

T - malty and bready; spicy and citrus hops emerge, leaving a lasting bitter finish

M - medium-bodied; medium carbonation; fairly smooth

O - This one's a bit bitter for the style, but it is a very good beer as it is. Another great brew from Schell's.

Serving type: bottle

07-04-2011 02:26:14 | More by lwillitz

youngleo

Michigan

3.35/5  rDev -12.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Poured right down the center of the glass that produced a nice two fingered head that was offwhite in color. Head hung around for the entire drinking of the beer. And left some lacing. Brew itself was almost a watered down cola colored. Smelled of light malts and hops. Light smelling. Nothing real strong. Tasted of pine and malt. Had a bitter aftertaste that hung around for a little while. Felt good in the mouth. I thought the carbonation was about right. At a 4.9 ABV this would make a good session beer. All and all, I thought this brew was ok.

Serving type: bottle

06-30-2011 16:37:03 | More by youngleo

mooselvlt

Wisconsin

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

12 oz bottle into pint glass

A - Pours a somewhat cloudy golden hue. Nice 2 finger off white foam head that has decent retention and leaves very nice lacing

S - Malts and buttery biscuits. Really nice.

T - Pretty much to the nose. Very nice and clean with malts as the star here

M - Medium, smooth, very nice and clean. Good carbonation present. Its a nice little drinker

O - I really like it. I'm not a huge Schell fan but this is definitely one of their better efforts.

Serving type: bottle

06-28-2011 04:17:00 | More by mooselvlt

argock

Virginia

4.3/5  rDev +12.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from 12oz brown bottle into a clear glass mug. Freshness date 042511 presumed to be bottled on date. Provided generously by my brother Greg straight from the great white North.

A: Very dark amber for the style with a 1-finger soft, off-white head with average retention and a few random spots of lace down the mug.

S: Strong bready malty component with a surprisingly strong citrus and herbal, lemongrass hops contribution too. A really nice balance for a lager.

T: What a great amber lager - not another just passable brew. Schell lights the lager lamp with this one. This one brings a ton of spicy, citrus and herbal, lightly grassy hoppiness to couple with the solid bready, light caramel maltiness. A wonderful brew from Schell.

M: The body is firmly medium, which is right on for the style. The crispness is on-par for the style as well, slightly more than average, which seems to sharpen the hoppiness.

O: Easily the best Schell offering I have had, and they generally do a really nice job with lager. This is above their usually high bar -- it blends a bready, lightly sweet caramel malt backbone with a really flavorful and interesting blast of spicy, citrus, herbal hops. Find this beer -- it is a unique amber lager with a heavy handed hoppiness that really sets itself apart.

Serving type: bottle

06-25-2011 01:36:50 | More by argock

Infamous7100

Ohio

3.1/5  rDev -18.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

A: nice copper, amber color with no head at all. Minimal to no lacing.
S: some nice malts and scents of pine. Not overwhelming, but pleasant, especially as it sits.
T: a little more bitter than what I expected. The malts, which do have a hint of butter are quickly overwhelmed by the bitterness of the hops. More grass and pine than citrus and grapefruit. Just okay for me.
M: nothing spectacular. Medium carbonation with a smooth mouthfeel. Bitter aftertaste that sticks with you.
O: an average beer for the style. Would prefer a bit more balance, perhaps like Red Seal. You could session with this, assuming the bitterness agreed with you.

Serving type: bottle

06-11-2011 02:20:20 | More by Infamous7100

PokerGod

Minnesota

3.38/5  rDev -11.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

12oz bottle poured into a Nonic glass.

appearance: a nice deep straw color with slight reddish hue. There isn't a ton of visible carbonation, yet a nice thick head on the beer maintains at the top for a good long time. Beautiful lacework is left on the side of the glass well after the beer was finished.

smell: yeasty and slightly fruity, has a very decent smell to it.

taste: creamy and smooth, with a delayed hoppy finish that is subtle. The creaminess was unexpected from a lager, but very much appreciated.

Overall: a very drinkable beer that could have easily been followed by a second. The finish is so nice, it's the best part.

Serving type: bottle

05-21-2011 00:58:02 | More by PokerGod

Lauthaha

Michigan

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

Poured from a 12 ounce bottle into a beer mug.

Appearance: Beer pours a golden amber color, with a relatively light amount of bubbles visible within the glass. Head has a gentle caramel tone to it. Some pretty decent lacing when left to itself, and some clinginess even after swirling the beer around a bit. Not bad!

Smell: Soft fuzzy-fruit vibe (apricots, peaches), a buttery malt character, and some bitter hops. Not over-the-top, not boring; a very decent nose to a good-looking beer.

Taste/Mouthfeel: Beer is pretty bitter, and decently carbonated. The malt is, indeed, quite buttery, and there's a soft fruity vibe underneath it all. Aftertaste is superbly bitter.

Overall: This is a really decent beer from a previously-unknown-to-me brewery. Very nice!

Serving type: bottle

05-08-2011 02:43:53 | More by Lauthaha

afinepilsner

Iowa

3.98/5  rDev +4.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

12oz brown bottle

Schell's Hopfenmalz was orange in color and a bit hazy. It had a white head with decent retention and lacing. The smell was hoppy with some light malt. The taste was noble hops upfront with some light malt. The finish was dry with more hop flavor. The mouthfeel was good with a medium body and medium carbonation. The drinkability was good as well. This is a tasty lager and worth trying out.

Serving type: bottle

03-13-2011 23:47:16 | More by afinepilsner

MinnesotaRIS

Minnesota

3.58/5  rDev -6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Schell's 150th Anniversary Hopfenmalz from a bottle. Biased a bit because I am drinking this after pouring out musty, expired shiner bock. This beer is profoundly superior.

Pours with a considerable amount of head that is able to sustain at least two inches above the rim of the glass. Left a good deal of thick, froth residue that does not deflate. Medium body pour; rich amber. Clear, very low cloud.

Smells greatly of noble hops for a large scale production. Caramel and low, sweet malt. Tastes again of bittering hops which is balanced okay with the malt. Floral notes. Mouthfeel is not the best; a bit flat with a malt aftertaste. A tinge of sourness.

This one drinks well. I prefer stronger hops but this being in German style, I understand why it was crafted how it was. Good American version. Ltd edition so try it if you can.

Serving type: bottle

01-29-2011 02:51:15 | More by MinnesotaRIS

Duff27

Illinois

3.48/5  rDev -8.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A- Hazy, dull, dark-golden with a very nice two fingered white head. Lacing is pleasant to the eyes...so much so i bumped this up for it.

S- Hate to say it, but not unlike an adjunct.

T- Subtle caramel malts up front followed by a bitter citrus-tinged hops.

M- Very medium mouthfeel. Pricky carbonation at the end fo the taste.

D/O- Flavorful, easy drinking. This would qualify as a sessionable beer. Nothing too unique but one you'd be happy to drink all night with friends...would be a good keg beer party beer.

Serving type: bottle

01-25-2011 05:46:47 | More by Duff27

ForWhatAlesYou

Minnesota

4.5/5  rDev +18.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

12 oz bottle into a pint glass

A: Pours a nice foamy head that dissappates but not completely, lingering with a nice presence. Amazing color. Like an autumnal color wheel; orange, red, gold, ochre. Completely clear with lazy carbonation. Nice lacing.

S: Fresh hops. Pine. Green apple. Melon.

T: Huge grainy flavor with a malty backbone. Hoppy character rus throughout. Nice balance. Lightly sweet malt reminds me of some of the world's great brews. Even a little fruit peeks through. Very complex.

M: Carbonation is ever-present but not at all intrusive. Huge, all encompassing mouthfeel.

D: Excellent. Great taste, great all around.

Serving type: bottle

01-16-2011 19:06:19 | More by ForWhatAlesYou

JackieTH

Minnesota

3.98/5  rDev +4.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance: Golden with two fingers of white foam.

Smell: A nice mix of bready, grainy malt and herbal, lemony, citrus hop.

Taste: Strong biscuity, bready backbone supports a nice, almost spicy, lemony citrus hop. It's quite hoppy.

Mouthfeel: Medium bodied and crisp.

Drinkability: Tasty, easy to drink. Nicely balanced. A little bit different than your standard hoppy brew.

Serving type: on-tap

01-16-2011 02:00:38 | More by JackieTH

zeff80

Missouri

4.18/5  rDev +9.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

A - Poured out a clear, copper color with a one-finger, khaki-colored head of foam. It left some lace.

S - It smelled of spices, fruits and bready malt.

T - Good bitter hop bite. Citrusy flavors with a sweet bready malt backbone.

M -It was crisp, sharp and smooth. A light-bodied beer with a dry finish.

D - This is one of the hoppiest, most flavorful lagers that I've ever had. Good cal voters!

Serving type: bottle

01-15-2011 20:59:55 | More by zeff80

WVbeergeek

Ohio

4.03/5  rDev +5.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a deep amber golden, dry bitter hoppiness comes through in the nose. Beautiful head rises well above the sides of my chalice. Aroma has some pungent hop character, herbal grassiness flows nicely. Subtle biscuit malts this seems like an American hopped amber pils. Flavor is bone dry with bittering grassy hops, nothing offensive just a nice rounded hop flavor. I love the Schell beers that I've had lately it's time to seek out a sampler pack. Smooth lagering, mild biscuit malt profile, tingling sharp dry grassy/hebal hop profile nothing seems like it's gone south and this was bottled on 8/21/10. I will seek out this years winterfest the Weizenbock is getting rave reviews I can't wait to drink some more Schell the next time I'm in the Burgh, this low alcohol flavorful beer is killer.

Serving type: bottle

01-09-2011 04:03:55 | More by WVbeergeek

Beerenauslese

California

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

Pours clear gold with a modest head that dissipates quickly.

Nose is hoppy and malty.

Pretty hoppy taste on a malt backbone.

Body is light as is the carbonation level. Moderately creamy mouthfeel. Finishes bitter.

A hoppy lager that is better than I was expecting. ABV is very low and the hop flavor is good, I could have a few of these.

Serving type: bottle

12-29-2010 22:42:41 | More by Beerenauslese

soze47

Massachusetts

4.08/5  rDev +7.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Appearance: On the brown side of amber in color. Nice foamy lager head. It looks like what you'd want it to.

Aroma: Hmm, lots of spiciness and piney hop flavors. This contrasts in a unique way with the buttery, biscuity malt.

Taste: Hops give an almost pale ale sized flavor off the bat that is unexpected. However, once the malt comes into play, a very unique, almost odd, flavor is created. It makes me think of heavily spiced or herbed buttermilk biscuits.

Mouthfeel/Drinkability: Very nice and light. No overwhelming lingering quality and the hops tread lightly enough to make this one a session candidate.

Overall: I'm glad I picked this one up to round out a sixer I built. Unique lager that almost comes across as a hybrid of an american red hoppy ale and traditional german pilsner.

Serving type: bottle

12-27-2010 03:29:18 | More by soze47

alexgash

Connecticut

4.47/5  rDev +17.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

12 oz. bottle.

Bright golden copper body. Clean and clear. Small, off-white head. Nose is a mix of slightly buttery malt, caramel, and fragrant, piny hops. Nice. Toasted malts and herbal hop bitterness up front. Honeyish biscuity malt and light fruit sweetness follow. Mildly citrusy, piny hop flavors fill in. Deliciously and well-balanced. Still, pretty hoppy compared to most lagers. Long lasting hop bitterness in the finish with lingering malt sweetness. Moderate body, with a nice creamy feel. Happy 150th Schells!

Serving type: bottle

12-20-2010 23:31:35 | More by alexgash

FreshHawk

Illinois

3.85/5  rDev +1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A - Lighter, crisp tawny color with an average sized, tight foamy, sticky, fluffy, slightly off-white head. Very nice retention with a nice layer of lace left.

S - Bready and grainy malt are strong. Nice hint of citrus hops and a slight sweetish lemony citrus as well. Spicy aroma and a hint of herbal aroma.

T - Similar to the nose with a good bready backbone. Very strong hop presence for the style. Leafy herbal hops along with a strong citrusy hop flavor. Spicy and lemony flavors. Touches of caramel malt. Quite bitter hoppiness on top of a typical lager type taste.

M - Light body with average carbonation. Crisp feel.

D - Pretty easy drinking for this beer. The hoppy kick doesn't weigh too much on the palate and it is pretty crisp and refreshing.

Notes: Not too bad. Plenty of hoppiness. Nice, crisp, refreshing beer that was easy to drink, but it didn't really impress me that much. I would get it again, but not one I will regularly get.

Serving type: bottle

12-09-2010 07:12:22 | More by FreshHawk

brewdub17

Minnesota

4.2/5  rDev +10.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Appearance: Golden hues mix well with the orange-brassy base. All the while a thick white head its wonderfully rested atop the brew.

Smell: Sweet malt flavors are the base but that citrus, grapefruit from the hops is well noted when first brought to the nose.

Taste: Malty first in flavor with grapefruit and small citrus/orange notes coming later. Sweet, soft biscuit notes found a little after as well. Always a little hoppier than expected. Since I review to style, I rate such a beer lower than I would've rated it without such style guidelines.

Mouthfeel: The brew does a good job in balancing the mouthfeel by combining that sweetness expected from the malts and the minimal dryness at the end. The grapefruit and citrus aromas are lingering in the aftertaste but have more of a refreshing feel, rather than an annoyance.

Drinkability: Once again, if I didn't review directly to style, this beer would have a high rating for an "English style" brew. It has great flavors and is overall very drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

11-29-2010 00:30:00 | More by brewdub17

msjacilynn

Minnesota

3.88/5  rDev +1.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

A: pours amber red with a creamy foam head

S: malt and toffee not much beyond that

T: sweet and roasted malts. with the extremely malty smell, I was a bit surprised to find such a bitter aftertaste. Very enjoyable and well crafted. Great balance!

M: well carbonated and medium body.

D: could I drink a few, definitely. The sweet into bitterness might wear on me after awhile.

Serving type: bottle

11-05-2010 01:49:27 | More by msjacilynn

BuckeyeNation

Iowa

3.88/5  rDev +1.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Ripe apricot with amber edges and a better than decent looking cap of ancient cue ball colored foam. The head hangs around for a bit and leaves a respectable array of lace once it starts to fade. Gets the job done.

The nose delivers very lightly toasted golden malts and a modicum of earthy-herbal hops. Not spectacular, but then what amber lager smells like a dream. Time has undoubtedly taken some of the (originally 50 IBUs) steam out of the hops.

Hopfenmalz is wonderfully balanced beer at this point... and might be better off for it. Hopefully, my 'hopheads for life' card won't be revoked for saying that. There are still plenty of the little green cones left for most craft beer lovers.

There's a surprising amount of lightly toasted bready malt onboard, especially at an ABV of only 4.9%. The hops taste like a combination of grapefruit zest and something herbal and earthy, just as in the nose. This is one of those offerings that impresses more and more with each passing ounce.

Again, the mouthfeel is larger and more creamily expansive than expected. The bubbles start off slightly stinging, then settle down just enough so that mouth excitement stays high. Lackluster here would not have done this brew any favors.

Hopfenmalz deserves to be a year-round release. There aren't too many amber lagers that get my attention, so Schell's deserves kudos for that. Craft beer truism #8: an abundance of ingredients is the necessary starting point for a quality final product.

Serving type: bottle

10-14-2010 11:38:56 | More by BuckeyeNation

bristol2120

Illinois

3.65/5  rDev -4.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a deep copper, with a nice full head that persists quite nicely. The aroma is unexpectedly faint, with just a hint of hops detectable. The hops do come through quite nicely in the palate though, with very distinct notes of pine and citrus, especially in the aftertaste. Mouthfeel is decent, if a shade thinner than I had hoped for. Overall, a decent brew, which should appeal particularly to the "hopheads" out there.

Serving type: bottle

10-04-2010 02:27:38 | More by bristol2120

twiggamortis420

Texas

3.63/5  rDev -4.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

12 oz bottle with a best by stamp of 111210. Pours a lightly hazed copper color with a fluffy cap of beige head. Nice retention and lacing. If nothing else, Schell's seems to have this foam thing figured out.

Nose is pleasantly hoppy, grassy and fresh. Some grainy, lightly toasty malt is also noticeable.

Taste also displays a healthy amount of hoppiness, more bittering than flavoring however. Malts are lighter than the color would indicate and only contribute a modest toasted biscuit flavor. Not bad, it is nice to see a brewery like Schell's make a hoppy beer like this.

Serving type: bottle

09-18-2010 17:45:42 | More by twiggamortis420

exonthebottle

Minnesota

3.4/5  rDev -10.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Another beer in 6-pack I have never had this beer I don't usually drink lagers but this one is a bit above average overall.

red a bit over-carbonated okay I guess

smell toffee malty hops faint though
okay beer taste but it too faint as it a lager

I kinda grew bored drinking this it was alright but I would pass on this next time

Serving type: bottle

09-18-2010 17:02:11 | More by exonthebottle

boomer31

Minnesota

3.78/5  rDev -0.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

A - hazy golden and transparent

S - some hops but also a bit of skunk...but not too much skunk, just a touch

T - A spicey hop hits you right away which and dries out the flavor. A nice malt balance

M - high carb, light and drinkable. Thin in texture

D - The hops are nice and the malt does a nice job balancing out the hops.

Overall a solid drinkable beer that surprised me just a bit

Serving type: bottle

09-05-2010 20:25:29 | More by boomer31