Schell's Anniversary Series #8, 1905 V.T. (Vacuum Tonic)
August Schell Brewing Company

Just re-released in 2018.

L-Dark brown

S-Rich malt notes...toasty with caramel evident as well.

T-Nice clean rich maltiness. Notes of caramel, toasted malts, and just a hint of roasted malts.

F-Medium bodied...rich but clean...not cloying...nice clean malt forward beer.

O-Very good. Definitely reminds of a malty bock. Very enjoyable.

 

Pretty good bock beer. Served with a nice, foamy, fine, light tan head and good lace. Aroma is malty, a little bit roasty, and a tiny bit spicey. Flavor's really good - classic bock. Like the aroma and just sweet enough to be in character, but not cloying. Good body and carbonation. Decent finish and like the flavor, not too long. Session beer.

On tap at the B & L.

Served in a Schells' Weizen glass.

Pours 1 finger of creamy head. Decent retention leaving splattered lace. Color is a dark, dark, brown. On the bottom of the glass it is a copper brown.

Aroma: Very malty, some roasted malts and nut flavors. Dry grassy hops and caramel, but not a lot going on here.

Taste: Caramel and roasted malt flavors, dry grassy hops, and some nuts. A nice basic bock flavor. Is it a bock?

Mouthfeel: Smooth and refreshingly creamy. A decent amount of carbonation with a light body. Ends pretty clean with a roasted malt aftertaste.

Overall, if this is a bock, it is a nice representation of the style. Everything was well done and the lighter body makes it very drinkable. I thought this one could have represented the 150th anniversary pretty well.

Black color with ruby highlights and a small tan head. Smell of cocoa and sweet malt. The taste is mildly sweet, with cocoa and malt flavors. Very soft, smooth, and creamy. Easy to drink. A pleasure to drink may be more accurate. Medium bodied, perfect carbonation. I wish they August Schell's would produce this beer on a regular basis.

Knowing the history it was fun to drink this. BTW - at Old Mill in Austin, MN. A place that I've had several of the anniversary beers.
Bock probably defines this the best, but I couldn't get the origins of this out of my mind as I enjoyed this. It seemed to have the sense of a malt beverage and health drink to it, that is it was easy to image this as something other than a traditional beer, yet ultimately a beer at this time. Flavorful with malt flavors fully represented. Minimal hop presence. Smooth feel. Easily consummed and enjoyed.

Dang, I was going to enter this as a new beer, and quote from their website verbatim, but I was too late. Instead, enjoy the previous reviewer's quote from my paraphrase of the description from this weekend's Blue Nile beer list.

I kid, Jason!

Dark brown, ruby shines from the bottom, creamy, beige head. Nice.

Sweet, cocoa aromatics,... creamy and malty. Very nice.

Taste: soft and pleasing in the mouth, clean, supple, smooth. Same flavors in aroma are here on the palate. Same malty, chocolate/caramel-y goodness. Nice interplay, good texture, cocoa taste lasts long in the finish.

Such an odd and unique concept, to take this "malt tonic" oddity, from 104 years ago, and add booze to make it a real beer. But it tastes good, and you can drink it. How's that for an "anchor of perfect health?"

V.T. refers to a "vacuum tonic" from 1905 which was a non-intoxicating health beverage "almost as nourishing as food." Special vacuum sealing, glass enameled steel fermentation tanks were used to prevent any atmospheric contamination and compel the retention of the full strength of malt and hops used.

A thinner black color with minimal head.

Smells of rich roasted malts, some sweet caramel and a hint of chocolate.

Tastes much like the nose. The malts are so rich and satisfying. Sweet caramel and dark chocolate bitterness come through as well. Maybe a hint of licorice. Maybe just a hint of hops are present. Such a tasty beer.

Soft and smooth, this is between medium and full bodied. Slight slick, syrup feel on the tongue. Finishes dry.

So easy to drink. The rich malts kept me going back for more. I had trouble setting it down. Too bad this is only a limited beer. I would love to have the opportunity to buy this in bottles. It would be a mainstay in my fridge. A must try while it's still around.