Schloss Eggenberg Samichlaus Bier

33 cl, bottled 2006. Shiny copper with a small disappearing head. Aroma is brandywine, dark fruit, wood, maybe even some beeswax. Taste is alcohol and raisin. Not as complex as expected and a bit overly alcoholic and sweet. Probably better with aging, but I can’t imagine that it would improve so much as to be called great.

Pours a deep mahogany, with no head to speak of. Aroma is very nice, loads of malt, malt, and more malt! There is also a big ripe fruit, brandy, and nuttiness. Flavour is quite sweet, and malty, with big brandy flavours. The mouthfeel is THICK, the alcohol is definitely present, but its not a prevalent as you would think for a 14% beer. The alcohol wamrs on its way down my throat, but its welcome, and doesnt overpower. Just a superb sipping beer.

WOW!!! A beer for a king. The Aroma is pure caramel, dark rich fruits and oaky nuttiness. The palate is a step below of a syrup like palate. The malts is pure malts, brandy like flavor, toffee, plums, I’m sure the storage is in vintage wood barrels that makes it special. warms your entire body. drink in stride.

2006 bottle bought at the KaDeWe in Berlin. Pours a beautiful dark amber with a thin, dissipating head. Aroma of brown sugar, plum/raisin, strawberry and alcohol. Mild taste for a brew with this strength. Sweet and spicy, bears little or no resemblance to a lager - or a Doppelbock for that matter - rather more like a Quadrupel or port/sherry. Alcohol warmth in the finish, but not unpleasant. Goes very well with some dark chocolate. Surprisingly good overall. Re-rating. 2007 bottle. Good colour, thin head. Heavy fruity aroma, very nice flavour of dark fruits, saffron and a bunch of malts. No change in grades. Keeping a few on hold.

(Bottle from 2001) Pours beautiful deep dark shiny red. Fat malt aroma of caramel, fudge, sugary honey and syrup. A bit liqueur like with notes of port and sherry. Some dried fruits like raisins and figs. Also fruits tones from oranges, pears and apricot. Some herbs, mint and vanilla. Hints of liquorice and wood. Very sweet nose. A great deal of alcohol. Sweet flavour with some sherry and fruits. Some rum raisins and figs. Light bitter with an alcohol dry ending. Sugary, toffee-ish finish. Sugary and medium thick mouthfeel. Medium body.

Wow, this is a wicked strong doppel. Tons of alchohol in the nose and taste and palate. So I can see why it’s a bit unbalanced. Tastes like a brandy. Smells like a brandy. If they dropped the sugary alchohol overpowering this ale, I’d imagine we’d have a winner in every catagory.

Bottle from trade with Boutip. Thanks Phil! Pours a rich amber color with almost no head at all. Aroma of fermented fruit, (mainly apricot and malt. Taste is semi sweet and complex. Lots of flavors dancing over the tongue. Flavors of caramel, raisins, apricot, and hops. The alcohol is up front but certainly not overwhelming. Just enough to let you know that this is a big beer. I found it to be excellent.

Mucho malt sweetness and body. Light fruit flavors. Alcohol well hidden. Tastes like a barley wine, with too much sweetness too me.