August Schell Dark

Don't be afraid of the dark. Isn't that what the old Michelob Dark commercial said? This Schell's Dark is probably one of the most well mannered beers I have ever tasted. I don't know if I have ever mentioned it before about how I taste my beers, but here goes: I first Pour a 4 ounce amount of the test beer into a glass and spend some time looking at it, checking on the head color and consistency, and smell the beer and finally, taste the beer. This takes place at around 38 to 45 degrees which gives me a good chance to evaluate the brew at the temperature that most people like to drink it. Then, I wait for a few minutes with the same bottle and give the remainder another pour at the 55 to 60 degree mark. That is where I am able to detect smells and flavors that are masked at the lower temperatures. Smooth, balanced beers will taste equally good at both temperatures. This is a smooth, balanced beer. If you have had the chance to enjoy a Yuengling Lager from the PA area, this is the brother to that fine brew. The flavors are so similar that the only way to tell them apart is to drink them side by side. I am partial to both brews as they are both fine. I had a friend tell me recently that he prefers sweet, non bitter beers and I recommended August Schell Caramel Bock to him. I think that while he would have enjoyed that fine brew that, to his palette, the August Schell Dark will be more mild with a pronounced, but not thick, sweet flavor. This brew has a very mild hop presence and is so darn drinkable that the next time I buy it, I will take vacation time in order to recover from drinking a keg full.

4.5 out of 5 points -Very nice drinkable beer!