Cave-Aged Barrel-Aged Dark Lager (#12, Fall, 2025)
August Schell Brewing Company

Beer Geek Stats
From:
August Schell Brewing Company
 
Minnesota, United States
Style:
European Dark Lager
ABV:
10.89%
Score:
+6 ratings needed
Avg:
4.43 | pDev: 7.67%
Ratings:
4 | reviews: 2
Status:
Active
Rated:
Jan 24, 2026
Added:
Nov 06, 2025
Wants:
  0
Gots:
  1
Inspired by our roots in the days before refrigeration, our Cave-Aged Barrel-Aged lager is released each fall after spending time aging in the historic caves deep below our brewery. High in alcohol content with hints of sweet caramel, oak, and vanilla.
Recent ratings and reviews.
 
Rated: 4.18 by DownyIsHungry from Minnesota

Jan 24, 2026
Photo of Dervunder
Reviewed by Dervunder

5/5  rDev +12.9%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5
This is the smoothest whiskey Barrel aged beer I’ve ever had. You can taste the caramel, toasted oak, and vanilla with whiskey. It goes down smooth with pleasant aftertaste. Excellent brew!
Dec 24, 2025
 
Rated: 4.4 by adosen01 from Minnesota

Dec 20, 2025
Photo of Taybeh
Reviewed by Taybeh from Minnesota

4.15/5  rDev -6.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
From a 12 oz bottle into a Tallgrass tulip. Pour is a deep mahogany with a khaki head, great lacing. Packs a lot more punch than I was expecting (which was something a little more clean with some more pronounced yeast notes). But it is interesting and tasty, for sure. What is most compelling about the nose is deep woody oak, though there is also some grainy sweet chocolate, and some vanilla. The oak fades out in the taste, and in addition to the chocolate and vanilla, there is some leathery licorice and a little juicy tobacco. Mouthful is almost syrupy (for a lager), which I really did not expect, and have some trouble accepting. Pretty sweet, which I usually don’t like, but it isn’t cloying and it is interesting enough that I’m not complaining. End of the day…it is really tasty and enjoyable, though I don’t want more than one at a sitting.

Just looked back over my review of the ‘22 edition, and clearly I had forgotten that cave-aged barrel-aged suggest something specific. So lucky to have access to Schell’s.
Dec 03, 2025