Schloss Eggenberg Samichlaus Bier

Brewed by Brauerei Schloss Eggenberg
Style: Doppelbock
Vorchdorf, Austria

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.

2004 bottle. Lovely ruby color but not much more to it in terms of appearance, which is of course a reflection of the somewhat thin body - minimal carbonation, no head at all. That is what it is, I suppose. The taste is far better, with deep malts, hardcore hotness (man, how many years does it need?), and some big caramel and raisin overtones. Very enjoyable, but not as subtle as I was hoping for. Need to get a few more bottles and put them down for about 5 years, I think.

2001 keg at hop devil. Only sampled a few ounces of this... that was all I needed. Sweet but bitter, huge taste. Raisiny, woody aroma. Big alcohol burn, tough to put down, almost as hot as scotch. Sweetness was well developed but I wasn’t too crazy about this. Big and brash just to be big and brash.

It pours bright rust orange and gives the nose a bourbon and syrup flavor. On the mouth you get the alcohol and cough syrup cherries. The finish is a bit alh as well.

Pours a clear bright orange amber color with a quick layer of fizzy white head that dissapates into nothingness in 5 seconds or less. Kinda reminds me of the amber in jurasic park where they get the mosquitos to make the dinosaurs. Aroma is interesting: citrus fruits, burbon, syrup, and cherries. Flavor is sweet and viscous then immediately the alcohol burning warmth takes over and totally dominates the finish. Overall, good firewater to get a buzz of and definitely not a dopplebock. Drink out of a sniffer.

2005 Bottle. Aroma of alcohol, sweet malt, dark fruit, and spices. Lots of malt and dark fruit in the flavor along with a peppery alcohol finish. Only tastes remotely like a dopplebock.