Schell’s Stag Series: 1879 Kulmbacher Export
August Schell Brewing Company

Pours a brownish color. The head is off white, semi tan. 1 finger head, that has decent retention. Really nice ring of foam that clings to the glass as the head dissipates.
The nose is fairly minimal. I do get a slight malty aroma. Slight fruit aroma.
Taste - There's a lot going on here in the flavor department. I'll do my best to describe it. Up front I get a malty sweetness. I do get the slight fruit flavor combined. On the backside I get hints of hops.
The body is decent. I do like how the carbonation dances in my palate for a long time.
This is a good beer. A lot going on, and I can't put words to all I'm experiencing here, but it is a tasty, and solid brew from the 2nd oldest family owned brewery in the nation.

Not a fan of dark beers, but after seeing this on the shelf and reading the reviews, I grabbed a 6 pack.

Very pleasantly surprised. The bitter finish at the end is not overwhelming, but is welcome, very malt forward. Hope this will be a staple in their seasonal rotation!

Pours a dark ruddy brown color. Thin velvety tan head dissipates steadily leaving no residual head on the beer.

Aroma has notes of dark bready malts, some earthy hops, a touch of dark fruit and some light smoked notes in the malts. The aroma is a weird cross between a doppelbock and something akin to a scwarzbier - but its very nice.

The flavor profile is where this beer really shines - Notes of dark bread, dark fruit, molasses and caramel all come through right up front. Then a strong hoppy bitterness punches the palate providing an unexpected but not at all unwelcome flavor. There is a definite light smokiness to the malts that provides a complexity of flavor without overtaking it. Also noted is a sweetness reminiscent of a bock or doppelbock - balanced especially with the hoppy bitterness, but still there. Bitterness lingers on the palate through the finish.

Feel is medium to heftier bodied - much more bready and chewy in feel. Moderate vibrant carbonation keeps it drinkable. Semi-dry finish.

This is a fantastic beer from Schells - first off, props for resurrecting an essentially dead style for this beer. Second, this is an incredibly well done beer - a must try for lager-philes and frankly, any beer lover. I hope this doesn't remain a one off beer.

 

 

 

 

 

Aroma is malty, dark fruits, caramel. Slight roasted aroma. Very dark ruby (seen though a back-light), but not opaque. Without a back-light, dark, deep brown. Rising carb bubbles are visible through a back-light. Tan, thick appearing tall head (from a vigorous pour), receding at a moderate pace. Nice lacing. Mouth feel is somewhat thick and soft. Taste is multi-faceted. Roasted malts, raisin, molasses or maple syrup (in the flavor, but not sweet). Little to no bitterness in the initial taste or middle, but some asserts in the finish and aftertaste. The brewer's notes call this a "hoppy lager", and it is in flavor and in well-controlled bittering. However, as you drink and the beer warms, the aftertaste bitterness does become more pronounced.

Cola colored with a red hue. A finger of head forms and slowly settles. Heavy lacing is left down the glass. Aroma of caramel, toffee, herbal hops, bread, and a wisp of smoke. I would not call this a roasted beer. This beer tastes sweet with caramel with additional flavors of bread, molasses. A bit of hop bitterness giving additional herbal flavors. No sign of alcohol. Medium body and nicely carbonated. A nice beer but I was expecting a lot more hop bitterness.

 

 

Poured from 12oz bottle into glass. Date coding on bottle neck is '081818 035827'.
Clear body when presented to light, with ruby red highlights. Dark cola brown colored body. One finger light tan head, which stays around as a solid cap. Leaves behind a few strings and spots of lacing.
Aroma is dark roasted malt, with molasses, caramel, brown sugar, and some grassy hops.
Taste is full and expressive, with floral hops above and roasted malt, caramel, molasses, and brown sugar underneath. Kind of like a malted cola. Gives a hint of dark fruit and darker chocolate. Minimal bitterness.
Fuller, creamier mouth feel. Good carbonation support. More towards the dry side.
Very enjoyable dark lager, with old German roots. Has more flavors as it warms.

I've already had one bottle of this new beer and it's not exactly what I'd call a Munich Dunkel, but it is right in line with a Schwarzbier -- a very fresh Schwarzbier, that is. Since Kulmbach is right in the vicinity of Schwarzbier origin (much closer than Munich), I'm going to review closer to that style and suggest a correction.

Great treat that this was brewed from an old recipe excavated by Ron Pattinson, adds historical credence to the enjoyment.

Ink-jetted date code appears to tell me this is good thru August. Poured into my short Becher glass.

A -- Inky dark brown to nearly black with ruby highlights (and clarity) present when held to the light. Dense, firm, light tan head that holds up well and leaves good lacing. Yeah, it's perfect.

S -- Light DMS, herbal hops, light caramel and molasses, dark bread, even a mild hit of dark fruit. There's even a hint of smoke that accents without becoming a true Rauchbier.

T -- Roasted malts up front with the same mellow characters of caramel and molasses back -- along with that subtle smokiness. Bitter, herbal hops are present in the finish thru the aftertaste, but don't overpower the other characters at all. There's a lingering touch of chocolate in the aftertaste that's rather nice.

F -- Mouthfeel is soft and smooth to dry in the finish with medium-robust body.

O -- A very well-crafted, delicious take on a lost version of Northern Bavarian dark lager. Quite nice in its blend and balance of characters from all ingredients -- not just a dark-colored beer with hops added. Very nicely planned out and executed.

I have to wonder if this older rendition of a dark German lager isn't what scared most Americans from dark beer (back when, of course). The rich, chewy malts accented by a definite hop bitterness is far from the usual attempt at Pilsner clones in 19th century America.

**This is a hard beer for me to put my finger on. After four bottles and much deliberation I would say it reminds me most a hybrid baltic porter/dunkel.

L-Dark brown with ruby highlights...tan light head..

S-Roasted malts, nutty, bready to a point...rich aroma...

T-Some roasted maltiness...caramel, bread....hint of dark chocolate...drinks a little more like a beefed up dunkel....although there is a drying hop finish to this that is out of place for a dunkel.

F-Medium to full bodied...creamy texture.

O-Great beer whatever it is. I had no knowledge of this style and from research it look like it should be a Dortmunder/Helles but this is clealry not along those lines. Description from the brewery mentioned it as a hoppy lager...I get none of that....a touch of hops but the malt carries the day.....a different post from the brewery mentions it is barrel aged..again not getting much of that but perhaps in a subtle way. Whatever the case. Excellent beer I would buy again.

This beer pours a dark brown with medium sized tan head. The aroma features notes of milk chocolate, raisin, molasses, brown toast, black pepper, jalapeno flesh, and roast nuts. The flavor is rich and chocolaty, but dry, with toasted walnuts, black pepper, a mild coffee, molasses, sandalwood, and brown sugar. The mouthfeel is smooth and creamy, but with a wonderfully dry finish. Overall this is a spectacular beer, wonderfully complex - a bit between a bock and and an alt in flavor, but with a nice, light body. Truly wonderful.

Pours a deep dark brown with a thick tan head that recedes slowly and leaves generous lacing. The aroma is dark roasted malt. Flavor is a blend of sweet molasses in front and a little nice bitterness in the finish. Feel is wonderfully smooth and rich. Overall a great beer.

Stag Series Batch #12

Thick tan head with lace. Caramel brown color.

Very bock like. Caramel and toffee sweetness. Molasses. Maybe a touch of melted brown sugar. Malty, but it has an earthy hop flavor going on as well. Medium bodied.

Another solid recipe from the Stag Series.

Not meaning any offence to the brewer but this is much like a bock (with kulmbacher not an option for style here). Looks like a bock and smells like a bock. I'm reviewing on my 3rd bottle. The first two I drank colder than the third. The former were much less bitter than the third. Not sure what to make of it, but the third one I think hits closer to the described "Bock like in strength, it asserts its dark color and pronounced hop bitterness". Hops when colder are more herbal and are more grassy warm. Aroma is soft and rich malt and much of the drink it too. Full and rich. Pleasant soft fullness in feel. Lager smooth. Not overly complex but pleasing all around. Wonderful appearance with dark clear and full dense tan head.
I wouldn't call this a "hoppy lager" as described as the hops are largely in the bitterness and less in the flavor, but your experience may vary, as mine did between bottles.