Schell FireBrick

Having spent a fair amount of time in New Ulm, I have had one of these multiple times over multiple years. Often it is a very nice, complex beer with citrus and malt and bread and spice, something that tastes just right, and sometimes everything sort of clashes and I don’t want to finish it, and of course everything in between. For me it is fun just to have one when I get the chance to see what hits me. I have given in it’s average rating, but really goes from a 2.0 - 3.8 or so.

12 oz bottle. Pours a very nice deep amber color with a toffee/beige colored head. Nice head retention and decent lacing. Aroma is of caramel, malts. Very nice. Very nice taste! Lots of malt and caramel sweetness and a little dash of hop bitterness to balance it out. This is a big bold flavor! Very wonderful, and the mouthfeel is just right. It starts out like it is going to be a big heavy beer but finishes very light and refreshing. Odd for a beer with this much flavor. It’s a winner in my book!

Wow, I’m surprised I’m the only one that’s going to give this beer a lousy rating but... Nice color, this Texas Longhorn burnt orange. But that is the only redeeming value I can give this beer. For my palate, I just couldn’t drink it. It is rare when I actually pour a beer down the drain but after drinking about 3/4 of a bottle that is exactly what I did.

Copper color, slight haze foamy-rocky head. Solid texture -- full, rounded and creamy. Finished dry, with a slight, lingering bitterness (bitter orange, grass, flowers). Malts were pleasant (toasted bread, light toffee). Some wheatiness, too. Overall, I thought it was pretty easy to drink. Not really deep, but nothing really off or distracting, either. The bottle I got at a grocery store in Custer, S.D., tasted pretty fresh.