Farmhouse
August Schell Brewing Company

 

 

Every few years August Schell Brewing will release a Farmhouse ale, and this is their most recent iteration.

This batch of their Farmhouse ale was included in the most recent iteration of their "Brewer's" sampler pack (different styles with each seasonal pack!), and the label reads: "This Farmhouse-Style Ale was brewed with locally grown barley and yeast sourced from Belgium". Not too complicated, right? Let's dig right in:

Brilliant orange-gold in color, topped with a pale tan head, and a nice bit of "Brussels lace".

Rich, sweet malt on the nose, with little in the way of bitterness -- unsurprisingly. A bit of characteristic Belgian yeast in the nose, but nothing overwhelming. Reminds me a bit of a Maerzen.

On the tongue and palate it is brisk, lighter-bodied, and quite zesty and crisp. There is far less of the sweet malt that the nose portended, and instead a very subtle but engaging interplay of the yeast character and the base malt -- quite refined, it is.

SUPER smooth and drinkable, likely with an ABV in the range of the average German Pils, but drinks lighter -- as if it might be in the 4,5% ABV range.

Very very light and distinct bitterness and hop profile, in keeping with a lightly-spiced (or lightly hopped) Belgian ale or Witbier. Indeed, the yeast does add a nice component to the overall drink which could otherwise be imparted by a more assertive hop presence, and yet the lack of over bitterness makes for an exceptionally quaffable bier.

It's always nice to see another Belgian-style beer from Schell, which is otherwise solidly German in its outlook. ; )

looks real nice. pale yellow. white head that doesn't stick around. no lace.

doesn't have a strong presence in terms of smell or taste. kind of medicinal. dry and well carbonated.

i wanted to like this one more than i did.

 

 

Looks very good. Fruity and zesty aroma and flavor. Thankfully it seems the brewer fermented this at a lower temperature compared to most other American brewers so the yeast did not go phenolic. Also get some herbal qualities from hops. I thought I would hate this beer, but it turned out quite enjoyable.

Coming from someone who loves saisons I was excited for this offering from Schells. It has some spiciness and a dry finish, but it was totally lacking any of the characteristic banana, fruity, clove, or tangy flavors. Not very complex and somewhat boring.

White head. Clear golden color.

Very fruity up front. Herbal and earthy. Some hops showing as well. Zesty with a touch of spices.

Light to medium bodied. Nice carbonation. Smooth.

I prefer this to the wild rice farmhouse ale they did a few years back.