August Schell Brewing Company's Oktoberfest Takes Home Bronze Medal at Great American Beer Festival

The August Schell Brewing Co., the second-oldest family-owned brewery in the country, brewer of Schell's and Grain Belt, took home a bronze medal for its Oktoberfest beer from the Great American Beer Festival last weekend.

The annual Great American Beer Festival (GABF), known as the "Super Bowl" of beer, was hosted in Denver CO, where over 700 breweries converged to see how their beers matched up against the best commercial breweries nationwide. Now in its 27th year, the 2013 competition surpassed all previous participation records, drawing 49,000 brewers and their fans.

The judges for the competition were comprised of 201 beer experts from 11 countries who evaluated 4,809 entries within 84 different beer-style categories. A group of panelists was assigned to score the samples submitted for each, rating them without knowing their brand names. Their ultimate goal was to identify the top three beers that best represented each category.

Schell's Oktoberfest was entered in the American-Style Amber Lager category along with 60 other entries, and was awarded the bronze medal. It is a Märzen style beer, deep copper in color with a full body. The beer has a moderate hop bitterness complimented by a full malt flavor and sweetness. Caramel and malty notes overshadow the moderate hop aroma.

About August Schell Brewing Company:

August Schell Brewing Company, located in New Ulm, MN, sits atop the same site it was built on in 1860. With its sprawling grounds, beautiful gardens, Schell Mansion, and deer park, the brewery is a tourist destination for any beer lover. Schell's boasts a proud heritage of 153 years of continuous family ownership and specializes in craft beers. In addition to the line of specialty beers, Schell's also produces Grain Belt Premium, Grain Belt Premium Light and Grain Belt Nordeast. For more information on Schell's Brewery, tour schedules or any of their 17 quality beers, go to http://www.schellsbrewery.com.