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Schell's Schmaltz's Alt
August Schell Brewing Company
- From:
- August Schell Brewing Company
- Minnesota, United States
- Style:
- Altbier
- ABV:
- 5.1%
- Score:
- 84
- Avg:
- 3.74 | pDev: 10.7%
- Reviews:
- 117
- Ratings:
- Status:
- Active
- Rated:
- Nov 26, 2021
- Added:
- Nov 05, 2001
- Wants:
- 16
- Gots:
- 15
One of Warren's favorite pastimes back in the 30's was a trip to the city dump to shoot rats–so much that it was a common date for him and his wife-to-be, Casey. The manager of the city dump was John Schmaltz–hence the nickname "Schmaltz" Marti. We hope you enjoy our Schmaltz's Alt, a creamy smooth dark alt brewed even better than before.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by ChopsMeister:
More User Ratings:
Reviewed by dcotom from Iowa
3.9/5 rDev +4.3%
look: 5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
3.9/5 rDev +4.3%
look: 5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
Poured from 12-ounce bottle into a cylindrical glass. Bottle date code 062016. Stunning appearance: deep brown color, with a ruby highlight here and there and a thick, long-lasting light tan head that left lots of sticky lacing. Aromas and flavors of caramel, dark bread, and molasses, with a slight floral overtone. The bitterness seemed to fade a bit as the beer warmed to cellar temperature. Medium mouthfeel, with some bitterness on the back of the tongue and a little sticky sweetness / sourness on the finish. Overall, another solid offering from Schell.
Sep 08, 2017Reviewed by Scott17Taylor from Iowa
4/5 rDev +7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
4/5 rDev +7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Sweet chocolatey and toffee flavors give off to a slight hop bitterness that keeps the beer balanced.
The mouthfeel is surprisingly thick for a 5% alt. It's a great beer for the style, I will be buying more.
Jan 24, 2017The mouthfeel is surprisingly thick for a 5% alt. It's a great beer for the style, I will be buying more.
Rated by Beginner2 from Illinois
3.7/5 rDev -1.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5
3.7/5 rDev -1.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5
Listed on the "1001" and reviewed by Randy Mosher, I know I've Had this; but not found in recent years. Maybe I should become a trader ?
Aug 17, 2016Reviewed by Wer34truh from Minnesota
3.63/5 rDev -2.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 3.75
3.63/5 rDev -2.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 3.75
Tiny head with a bold black body.
Roasted bready malts dominate the smell. I don't get a lot of nuance.
Just like the smell, the taste is incredibly subtle. And yet this is a very enjoyable beer. Mouthfeel is outrageously light, and carbonation low. This is not an exciting beer, but it's a pretty damn solid one.
May 31, 2016Roasted bready malts dominate the smell. I don't get a lot of nuance.
Just like the smell, the taste is incredibly subtle. And yet this is a very enjoyable beer. Mouthfeel is outrageously light, and carbonation low. This is not an exciting beer, but it's a pretty damn solid one.
Reviewed by Chaz from Minnesota
3.38/5 rDev -9.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5
3.38/5 rDev -9.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5
Pours a dark, clear cola brown in color, topped with a medium-tan colored head. Lacing is good, and the carbonation is evident in the glass.
Malty-sweet nose, and a with a fairly neutral yeast profile. Some light cocoa/chocolate malt notes, but no hops presence in the modern day "WOW! Dig those crazy hops, man!" sense. Nope, this one is a very, very subtle and malty brew all around as I recall.
Scrubbing carbonation punctuates the first couple of moments of the first sip, followed by a touch of sweet toffee on top of a lighter biscuit malt character. A tiny bit of a smokiness and sharp-bitterness from the mid-palate to the end, and a bit dry in the finish, too. "Minerally".
Yep, this one is as subtle as I recall it being. Last year's batch had a bit more of a sweet malt character (and notes of anise!), but at any rate it's a beer which has always exhibited a nice range of flavors typical of the dark (or at least darker) malts which are used. And the malt is absolutely a focus more than the hops. But there are SOME hops in here, so it's not a total 'malt bomb', after all!
As it warms there's a little more smokiness, a bit more roundness to the (malt character) in the flavor profile, and something dairy-like, in the yeast. So again: by no means is this one very plain and simple, but instead very subtle and engaging.
I have sampled a range of (fresh) imports over the years, and there is quite a range in terms of how the different breweries interpret Germany's native "Brown Ale" style. The least interesting to me are those which are either too sweet or too light and crisp!
The most interesting (to me) are those Altbiers which possess malt and hop bitterness in good balance, and Schmaltz's Alt is very much in keeping with these. While it may not be the very best example of an Altbier, it is certainly a sentimental favorite, and one I look forward to each year.
Served chilled in a goblet. Best By: August 20, 2016
Feb 21, 2016Malty-sweet nose, and a with a fairly neutral yeast profile. Some light cocoa/chocolate malt notes, but no hops presence in the modern day "WOW! Dig those crazy hops, man!" sense. Nope, this one is a very, very subtle and malty brew all around as I recall.
Scrubbing carbonation punctuates the first couple of moments of the first sip, followed by a touch of sweet toffee on top of a lighter biscuit malt character. A tiny bit of a smokiness and sharp-bitterness from the mid-palate to the end, and a bit dry in the finish, too. "Minerally".
Yep, this one is as subtle as I recall it being. Last year's batch had a bit more of a sweet malt character (and notes of anise!), but at any rate it's a beer which has always exhibited a nice range of flavors typical of the dark (or at least darker) malts which are used. And the malt is absolutely a focus more than the hops. But there are SOME hops in here, so it's not a total 'malt bomb', after all!
As it warms there's a little more smokiness, a bit more roundness to the (malt character) in the flavor profile, and something dairy-like, in the yeast. So again: by no means is this one very plain and simple, but instead very subtle and engaging.
I have sampled a range of (fresh) imports over the years, and there is quite a range in terms of how the different breweries interpret Germany's native "Brown Ale" style. The least interesting to me are those which are either too sweet or too light and crisp!
The most interesting (to me) are those Altbiers which possess malt and hop bitterness in good balance, and Schmaltz's Alt is very much in keeping with these. While it may not be the very best example of an Altbier, it is certainly a sentimental favorite, and one I look forward to each year.
Served chilled in a goblet. Best By: August 20, 2016
Reviewed by stevoj from Idaho
3.34/5 rDev -10.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25
3.34/5 rDev -10.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25
Altbier? This is as black as a schwarzbier. Flavor is more remisniscent of a schwarz than an altbier. This would be a decent schwarzbier if classified as such, Altbier? No....
Oct 26, 2015Reviewed by pat61 from Minnesota
4.25/5 rDev +13.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
4.25/5 rDev +13.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
L: Pours brilliant chestnut under a rocky and clingy 2” cream colored foam collar that leaves thick lace.
S: A range of malt aromas and malt spice, some faint fruit.
T: Rich malts, attack has some sweetness, some hints of root beer, some more sweetness and then it dries out in the finish and then in the aftertaste it oscillates between malt and dry and finally it settles down to a mild lingering sweetness backed by a moderate chocolate bitter accent.
F: Medium body and medium to medium high carbonation.
O: I’ve been drinking this for 20 or 30 years and it has always been a great beer.
Jul 29, 2015S: A range of malt aromas and malt spice, some faint fruit.
T: Rich malts, attack has some sweetness, some hints of root beer, some more sweetness and then it dries out in the finish and then in the aftertaste it oscillates between malt and dry and finally it settles down to a mild lingering sweetness backed by a moderate chocolate bitter accent.
F: Medium body and medium to medium high carbonation.
O: I’ve been drinking this for 20 or 30 years and it has always been a great beer.
Reviewed by steveh from Illinois
4.34/5 rDev +16%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
4.34/5 rDev +16%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Been quite a while since I've had some of this fresh -- a good choice for beer 500 in my BA portfolio.
Bottled on 06/05/15 -- not too shabby.
A -- Pours a very dark, clear ruby-brown with a firm, dense, long-lasting light tan head. Seems a bit dark for an Alt -- even if the Schell's site calls this a "double" Alt.
S -- Rich, dark bread crust aroma with light vanilla character. No real hops to note, but no off roastiness or strong fruit esters either. Very nice.
T -- Bready to light, bittersweet chocolate character that finishes clean with a light, balanced hop spiciness. There is the vaguest dark cherry character in the finish and aftertaste, but it's not so overwhelming as to be a fault. There's a light bitterness in the aftertaste that *could* be from roasted malt, or it could be from hops. Also a light nuttiness in the aftertaste, but malt is king with this beer.
F -- Medium bodied and very smooth.
O -- A terrific rendition of the style without becoming just another U.S. Brown Ale. I need to remember this beer whenever I'm in the Schell distribution radius, it's quite nice.
Jul 23, 2015Bottled on 06/05/15 -- not too shabby.
A -- Pours a very dark, clear ruby-brown with a firm, dense, long-lasting light tan head. Seems a bit dark for an Alt -- even if the Schell's site calls this a "double" Alt.
S -- Rich, dark bread crust aroma with light vanilla character. No real hops to note, but no off roastiness or strong fruit esters either. Very nice.
T -- Bready to light, bittersweet chocolate character that finishes clean with a light, balanced hop spiciness. There is the vaguest dark cherry character in the finish and aftertaste, but it's not so overwhelming as to be a fault. There's a light bitterness in the aftertaste that *could* be from roasted malt, or it could be from hops. Also a light nuttiness in the aftertaste, but malt is king with this beer.
F -- Medium bodied and very smooth.
O -- A terrific rendition of the style without becoming just another U.S. Brown Ale. I need to remember this beer whenever I'm in the Schell distribution radius, it's quite nice.
Schell's Schmaltz's Alt from August Schell Brewing Company
Beer rating:
84 out of
100 with
197 ratings
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