Schloss Eggenberg Samichlaus Bier

An intriguing beer. The aroma is of malt and alcohol. When you sip it (and believe me, you have to sip it) the flavor is a striking maltiness, followed by a blitzkrieg of alcohol. Eventually you can taste the tannins and the many nuances of this very deep beer. It feels almost like drinking a brandy. This is worth trying at least just so you can say you’ve had one of the strongest beers in the world.

a "samichlaus" is the swiss niclaus. fascinating that the beer with this name is brewed in austria where nobody understands the word. smells sweet and alcoholic. taste starts oily and sweet. ends up with a little arome of hops and spicy touch of cinnamon. the whole beer has got an alcoholic taste.

Bottle-2006. An inviting dark amber colour with no head. Big aroma, molasses and alcohol. The alcohol is there on the palate too. Complex, sweet, fruity raisiny flavour. Syrup like mouthfeel. A very elegant beer.

Bottled in 2006. Caramel aroma with an alcohol bite. Dark golden color with no foam. Starts sweet and finishs with a slight alcohol bite. Would know this one was 14% if it wasn’t on the bottle.

Bottle. Nose is alcohol heavy, like liquor-like heavy. Malty sweet behind it, but the malts have to fight their way out. Some caramel and a touch of coffee. The color is bourbon-like, clear but dark brown. Alcohol is somehow more subdued in the mouth, thankfully, allowing more caramel malt flavors to come through. Very smooth mouthfeel with some burn from the alcohol.

Bottled in 2004. A clear ruby red color, lighter than I’d expect. Only a tiny head which fades quickly. Super-malty aroma, hints of raisin, plum, and licorice. Malt overload flavor as well. Thick, chewy. This beer is huge and it tastes it. When I started it was a bit too cold - definitely improved as it warmed. Doesn’t even taste hopped. Flavor is vinous, caramel and toffee. Tastes like a big English barleywine. I didn’t love it but...definitely an experience worth trying once.

Appearance: dark amber copper color, beautiful. Little head and low persistency. Aroma: intensive malty, light toasty and candy. Reminiscences of handcrafted “alfajor”. Fruitiness of figs, raisins, peaches and banana. Vanilla, nut, almond and clove touches. Very liquory (obviously). Damp wood and smoked tones. Flavor: sweet malty, very candy, medium toasty of cereals, toffee, vanilla, honey, almonds and clove. Fruitiness of dark raisins, figs, ripe peaches and banana. Warming and liquory; similar to whisky, amaretto and golden ron. Sweet start; warm final with very slight hoppyness. Complex and "hard". Palate: medium body; creamy and semi-oily texture. Low carbonation. Oh my god!...very good beer.

33cl. pours clear amber, soapy wh. head. nose is cotton candy, really sweet. flavor is really sweet at first, but chills out a bit, winey, caramel, honey, dark fruits, no alc. in finish but sorta watery. really reminds me of avery’s sameal’s ale. not something i want very often.