What's happened to Schell's Arminius?

Sounds like I will have to give that SN Beercamp a shot. I got to try Castle Danger Extra Pale Lager at Stout's pub a couple summer's ago and it was excellent. I'd love to try it again.

 

I'll chime-in once more -- I gotta catch 'em all when it comes to those consarn BIPs, doncha know.

I enjoyed it for what it was, but (as a Schell's fanboy and a straight-up boring lager lover) my opinion don't count.

For what Arminius was advertised as being, it fell woefully-short of the mark in terms of being your average beer hobbyist would purchase regularly. It was not hoppy as in an I.P.A*. or the verdammt I.P.L. style, but was instead "hoppy" as in a blend of unique and competing hop characteristics and flavors -- the fact that one of youse guys compared it to a "lawnmower beer" is testament to its distinct (some might even say odd) flavor profile.

The higher price point also ran counter to the popular impression of Schell as an affordable alternative to the shelf price excesses which many Craft Brewers are popularly** known, so that hurt it, too.

But! On the bright side of life, the Noble Star Series has been a success, and that darkish, bourbon barel-aged lager (which isn't an Altbier-style or even a Doppelbock, Ben) ought to make up for the lack of Arminius.

*"Popularly" as in 'also includes the general buying public -- not just you beer hobbyists who enjoy ticking.'

*For ten years I've pestered @bergbrew to release an American I.P.A. "just to prove to the geeks that you can!" But from a business perspective that idea's a dud -- Where's the incentive for a large scale regional brewery to do it? Print up new labels and packaging, jump through TTB hoops, dial in the recipe... all so that 7,000 beergeeks with a penchant for C-hops and I.P.A. booziness can tick or rate it as "average" on a handful of hobbyist websites? Ain't gonna happen.

 

Dang, I don't know if I ever even tried this one. I did like their fresh hop quite a bit.

 

I noticed Arminius was on the Beer List at Red Cow St Paul