Millstream Schild Brau Amber

Not long ago, I reviewed the barrel-aged version of this beer. I was surprised when I did that I did not have any notes on here for the regular version, and I wanted to quickly remedy that. This Vienna-style lager is from the Millstream Brewing Company of Amana, Iowa, brewing since 1985. I remember trying this beer in the early 1990's right as I was turning drinking age. While 20 years later this is considered a "mild" craft beer, at the time it was an explosion of flavor compared to what was out there then.

The beer pours an orange toned amber in color. There is a relatively short head of off-white foam. The aroma is caramel, brown sugar, oakiness (although not an oak aged beer), and light vanilla. The taste is caramel, sweet potato, light fruits, and toasted maltiness. It drinks smooth, yet nicely carbonated. The finish is dry with a very light bitterness. This is one nice, easy drinking, and tasty beer.  

The 2010 bottle (I do like this label better than the current one):