Week 30 of 52
Schell Firebrick
July 21st thru July 27th
Brewer's Description
FireBrick is a refreshing all-malt lager with an amber-red hue that reflects the feeling of the brewery itself.
It has been described by Ted Marti as having a "subtle maltiness combined with a hint of hoppy taste that creates a mild, pleasantly drinkable beer." It is made with four specialty malts, along with Vanguard, Chinook and Hallertau hops.
Beer Style: Vienna-style amber lager, Alcohol by Volume: 5%
Overall Rating based on 8 reviews
3.31 of 5 stars
Brewery Information
August Schell Brewing Company
New Ulm, Minnesota
schellsbrewery.com
Interesting Fact
FireBrick was introduced in 1999, and is named after the bricks that line Schell's old boilers. Read more
Photography
Courtesy of Erin Reichelt. View more on her flickr set.
Reviews | Learn More About the Brew52 Reviewers | Previous Beer | Next Beer
Joe Lunchpail says Where’s the hoppy taste?
August 18th, 2008
I didn’t get the hint of any sort of hoppy taste. Maybe it’s all the IPAs I’ve been drinking lately that have desensitized me to the subtle hints. A smooth, malty, coppery beer. I could probably take down a sixer quite easily. Not bad at all.
ryan says I can’t think of anything remotely witty…
August 10th, 2008
The beer pours out a clear, dark copper color with a decent off-white head. Solid malt aroma, but nothing terribly roasty. I get a whiff of brown sugar and caramel. The flavor is of more malt, slightly sweet. I taste the hops upfront, but it’s light and caramely on the finish. Crisp, clean… probably a great session beer. Bonus: cans or bottles.
flashmcduff says Oh, I get it. It’s red like a brick.
August 4th, 2008
Lesson learned - lagers smell and taste ok when you malt the hell out of them.
Kris says Maybe it’s the time of year
July 28th, 2008
If anyone asked I’d say one of my favorite Schell’s beers is Firebrick (Schmaltz Alt is a close runner up). However, having gotten lucky enough to score one at a friend’s party Saturday night I enjoyed it less than usual. Maybe it was the heat but it just seemed sweeter than usual and almost too sweet to enjoy. I’m not writing it off however. Once the cool breezes of autumn arrive I’ll give it another go around. Hopefully it was just the heat and not a changing of my palate.
Darin says Not bad, not bad at all
July 27th, 2008
Schell’s beers seem to have a commonality to them…they all taste sweet. Maybe it’s just me, although an all-malt lager should have been an obvious enough warning. I like this beer, perhaps it has something to do with first having tried it at the state fair. (that’s enough reason to like anything) Despite it’s amber color it’s very smooth and doesn’t really bite. Its roasted malts come out in the finish, which is a nice twist after drinking primo for the last week and a half. Good, not great.
Rett says Another late night scramble
July 27th, 2008
This is the first Schell’s that I’m not such a fan of. Nothing wrong with the beer itself, I guess I just don’t love the all-malt lager style. All hops I love, but all malt doesn’t do it for me.
Side note, I did drink this beer late on a week night, after Rebekah went to bed as I scrambled to get the firebrick photo cut out and the description on the web site. So maybe I wasn’t in the right mood to judge Schell Firebrick? Whatever the case, I’m giving it a 3.
jwilliams731 says Adventures in maltiness
July 23rd, 2008
I like it when a flavor profile can be represented (like malt) without being obnoxious. Firebrick does that. The maltiness is mouth-filling (that’s what she said) but not overwhelming. A smooth dark beer for the summer time!
Josh says Vienna Style = Malt?
July 22nd, 2008
I gave this beer a 3 but I consider that a good score for a lager. This is definitely one of the tastiest lagers I’ve tried. The folks at Schell have packed Firebrick with a ton of malt, making it a tastier than average lager. I would prefer a pale ale or maybe a porter but this is a great lager if that’s what you’re into.