Schloss Eggenberg Samichlaus Bier

Brewed by Brauerei Schloss Eggenberg
Style: Doppelbock
Vorchdorf, Austria

2006 bottle, consumed in July 2009. Pours a clear, brazen-brown color with a small head of quickly dissipating, off-white foam. The skinny ring that sticks around the edge leaves dense sheeting on the glass, but no lacing. The aroma is big and ultra sweet, heavy on brown sugar, figs, dates, and raisins, all stewed in a rummy sort of alcohol bath. The flavor is largely the same, centered in brown sugar and a bevy of dark fruits, this time including plums, prunes, and hints of caramelized banana, in addition to the aforementioned figs and raisins. There’s a good deal of vanilla in there as well. Some earthiness comes through on the finish, which lingers. The body is heavy and downright syrupy, still quite hot despite the time in the bottle. This makes for a decent little dessert, split three or four ways, but I can’t do more than a few ounces. Nowhere near the mastery that was the 1996 Hurlimann version that I had some time ago, but it’s decent for what it is, and pretty tasty in small doses.

Bottle. Pours a clear, dark rust color with sticky beige head. The aroma is intensely fruity with a very straightforward vinous note; prune, apple, apricot, banana, and some sort of dry red wine, a distant hint of vanilla, noticeable (but subtle) alcohol. The flavor is super malty with strong prune and raisin, even a hint of toast. There are some apricot and vanilla notes bouncing around in there, too. The finish has a vinous tannicity that brings a very red-wine like quality to it. I seem to pick up a dose of oak, but I think it’s an illusion from the association with wine. Alcohol warmth is very prominent in the aftertaste. This is quite a tasty beverage, and an excellent candidate for aging.

2007 bottle. Pours a clear mahogany with no head. Aroma is sweet malt, grapes, and sherry-like qualities. Flavor is sweet syrupy malt, grapes, plums, caramel and some alcohol in the finish. Delicious!! Had a 2006 bottle on 8/23/09. Truly amazing. Putting a few bottles in my cellar.

Deep blood red color with a brown tint. Very gothy beer- lots of cinnamon, prunes, plums and alcohol. A little caramel in the mix. Fantastic stuff. Bottle at Gulf Liquors, Miami Beach.

syrupy brown appearance with mild white head. nose of booze and dark crystal malt very little bitterness and very little hop flavor. a ton of malt flavor, likely munich and though i imagine it isn’t crystal, it sure tastes like it. the residual sugars prolong the flavor and though after knowing it is a lager, you can tell, but otherwise you would think this is an old ale. solid, if not a peculiar dopplebock

Pouring with almost no head above a clear and brown body, the aroma was immediately giving away some dark fruit and spices. Oh yes, and some alcohol, too. Tasted like a lot of alcohol, too, but not in an overpowering way. Wonder what a bomber of this stuff would do to you? Taste was sweet but not cloying, rather like an uber Quad, along with a quite solid mouthfeel. Sweet at the finish. A most memorable beer.

Fredagsbaren på Biologi, Aarhus, DK. Bottled. Amber with white head. Aroma of malt, fruit and alcohol. Flavor is mush alcohol and notes of malt

Lovely dark copper ... with very light lacing and little bubbles ... sweet cherry fruits nose... rich sharp alcohol ... some toffee ... quite a lot of pine ... fair bite .... syrupy ... just too alcoholic ... but an ok nip.