Schloss Eggenberg Samichlaus Bier

Bottled in 2004. Pours deep amber into a stem glass. Sticky sweet caramel. Nice for the holidays, but would not drink otherwise.

Tap. Pours with a brown color and a small head. This beer is cloyingly sweet. Aromasof malts and a bit of a toastiness, but flavors are very onedimensional. Almost to sweet to drink.

Bottled in 2005. Poured medium orange-brown color that is clear with a fizzy, large, white head that fully diminished quickly and left virtually no lacing. The aroma was heavy molasses malt along with red wine, brown sugar, maple syrup, weet candy, some alcohol and just a hint of vinegar. The flavor was heavily sweet throughout with a little chocolate and more brown sugar and candy with a little apple in the average duration finish. The body was full and syrupy but still had a fizzy carbonation and a light to moderate alcohol feel in the finish. While the alcohol is definitely present it sure doesn’t seem like it is 14% abv. I know it is supposed to be a doppelbock, but it is like no other beer I have ever had — and I’ve had a ton of strange beers. I found a recipe for Samichlaus brownies last year and had them at my Super Bowl party and even the non-beer enthusiasts loved them. It is truly a versatile beer and it’s whole is greater than its parts.

2000 bottle. Wow did this age well. Good malty aroma with hints of currants, malts, and roasted nuts. Had a cloudy barley wine/ apple cider color with a dismal head. Well balance flavor that reminded me of an aged bigfoot. Sweet nutty character with the alcohol well hidden.

2001 Vintage - 2006 Christmas beer for me. Pours an off white head that was somewhat thick, but completey disappaited within 20 seconds of finishing the pour. Just facinating to watch the head disappear so quickly. Deep amber-mahogany color. The nose is nothing short of world class. Brandy, raisins, port, marshmellows, grapes, wood, dark cherries with a faint hint of oxidization (caps were slighlty rusty) with a hint of cobwebs. No carbonation in the body and reminded me of a cross between a port and a sherry, with a touch of milk chocolate and molassess. A "Perry"?? Alcohol is noticable in mouth and the mouthfeel reminded me of maple syrup, sweet , but not cloying. The finish is not as complex as hoped for. but I noticed some gingerbread notes along with port. Facinating. Still have one more 2001 bottle. Deserves its world class recognition.

2004. Glowing amber with very low but lingering carbonation which is more apparent in the mouthfeel. Caramel, toffee, madiera, little hop presence is left at the 2 year mark. In the taste, madiera gives way to oloroso sherry sweetness, taffy and a tight hop bite in the finish. Also subtle granny smith apple notes. Dry finish. This doesn’t taste to me like it will stand the test of time as well as the Hurlimann version has.

NOT a fan of these High ABV brews. Had this at a xmas party. Way to sweet and tastes to much like booze. EVeryone on here seems to be big fans of this. Definatly tastes like 14%, warms the gut for sure. Might be good in small doses, but i had to put back a whole bottle, and that was to much.

2001 vintage, sampled 2006. Thick red. The aroma is powerful, malty fruits. Taste is sweet, malty and fiery. Caramellized sugars, vinous, lots of taste. Palate is thick and sticky. I liked this very much. Creds to systembolaget for selling the five years old version for only 1.2 euro more than the fresh vintage.