Drink This Now! Schell’s Dawn of Aurora

While the latest beer in Schell’s Noble Star Collection sat aging in a cypress tank, Schell’s Brewery released three beers, announced their plans to expand the sour program by building a brand new brewing facility, and purchased the iconic Grain Belt sign in Minneapolis preserving the legacy of the historic brand brewed in New Ulm.

So much was happening at Schell’s that it was easy to forget that the latest Berliner weisse in the Noble Star Collection, Dawn of Aurora, was silently aging away, awaiting its moment of glory.

Now, Dawn of Aurora is hitting shelves just in time for the holidays, giving fans of the Berliner weisse series a lip-puckering taste of the 9 percent ABV, 5 IBU sour beer—it’s a Festivus miracle!

Often referred to as a “Champagne Weisse,” Dawn of Aurora revives a long-forgotten style of traditional starkbier (strong beer) Berliner weisse. Indeed, Dawn of Aurora wakes up each sense with its cloudy golden color on the pour, bright aromas of apricot on the nose, and a strong acidic snap on first sip. The carbonation is extra fine and finishes dry on the palate with a light, bready malt flavor that comes through as the tang subsides.

Related Post: Homebrew Recipe: Word to Your Mother Berliner Weisse

Dawn of Aurora is essentially a stronger version of the first Noble Star release, Star of the North, and will find a home in the beer coolers of sour beer fans who prefer more intense brettanomyces flavors.

Jace Marti, Schell’s brew master and sixth generation member of the Schell’s family, talked about the inspiration for Dawn of Aurora: “With this latest addition to the Noble Star series, we wanted to explore yet another historical variation of the Berliner Weisse style. The starkbier is a stronger version, often referred to as a Champagner Weisse.”

“We also experimented with a new yeast. Dawn of Aurora features a new strain of fruity and tropical Brettanomyces that we acquired from a long-closed Weisse brewery in Germany. We thought Dawn of Aurora would be a great beer to feature the new yeast and are excited about the results.”