Schloss Eggenberg Samichlaus Bier

Brewed by Brauerei Schloss Eggenberg
Style: Doppelbock
Vorchdorf, Austria

My first 'perfect' beer.The world's most extraordinary beer. It must be, it says so right on the label. Mine was the 2002 batch, bottled in 2001. It pours out a deep mahogany red color. Absolutely no head at all, due to high alcohol content. Aromas of vanilla, oak, toffee, caramel, and malt. The aromas are all over the place & change as the beer warms in the glass. It pours out as thick as syrup, and has a glossy sheen to it. Alcohol taste that clears out the old sinuses really fast. Sweet, malty taste to it at first, then the alcohol kicks in & warms you all the way down. Very low hops bitterness & aroma. It has a certain undescribeable taste to it, very sweet on the palate. Sips like a fine cognac. Has an apple cider quality to it, but it also has the alcohol kick of a mule to go along with it. I can only hope my home brewed clone tastes as good as this does.

How can one rate a beer when you find different things on it everytime you taste it, even in bottles of the same vintage? Samichlaus was absolutely amazing and wonderful back when it was bottled by Hürlimann and it’s amazing and wonderful now. It was amazing when it came in 25 cl bottles and now in 33 cl. It’s one of my two favorites beers. Opaque red colour, very very nice when you see against the light. It pours an amazing almost not existing head, you blink and the head is not there anymore. From the very first moment you opne the bottle, a cascade of aromas come to your nose, and, as in the palate it developes and changes as the time passes and the temperature increases: brandy or generous sherry, port, cask aged wine, caramel, figs, dates, vanilla, chocolate, liquor, spices, berries... you name it. Very strong, in aroma and in flavours. Mouth of syrup, sweet, but strong, extraordinary complex, chocolate, brandy, spices... everything I noticed in the aroma is there too. And that final warmness when it gets down your throat...that post-taste that lingers like when you drink a good brandy... Well, I think I’m out of words, I don’t know what can I say next week, when I rate Stille Nacht, my other favorite. Just drink it slowly to appreciate all the subtles in it.

Samichlaus debuted 26 years ago when Swiss brewer Hurlimann AG decided to brew a beer dedicated to old Saint Nick in 1980. This beer was a rich, strong, malty, soothing, and warming lager coming in at a mighty 14% abv. At the time, it indeed was the strongest beer in the world, and today is still one of the strongest lagers in the world. In the Hurlimann days, they brewed both a dark and a light version of Samichlaus, the dark being the most popular of the two. Samichlaus is a German dopple bock by style, but this beer is really in a class of its own. The beer world was shocked and saddened when the brewing of this beer ceased in 1997. Feldschloesschen, Switzerland’s largest brewery, bought Hurlimann a few years ago, and decided to discontinue the brewing of Samichlaus. Austrian brewer Eggenberg came to the rescue, bought the rights to the brand, and started to brew Samichlaus once again in 1999, with a 2000 vintage release. It is brewed once a year on December 6th. Samichlaus pours to a beautiful, bright, deep garnet color with a slight tan head, and a moderate amount of carbonation. The nose on this beer is amazing. Huge sweet malty aromas marry with peppery waves of alcoholic strength. The palate is rich and lush, with tremendously deep sweet malty flavors. This beer is fat and slick on the tongue, the consistency sticky and syrupy. Samichlaus finishes with more huge sweet malty flavors up front, and ends with a glorious, very soothing, very warming, high octane burn. This beer is the ultimate night cap beer, and a wonderful beer to sip and savor. With its huge malt character and high octane burn, it is the type of beer just perfect for a cold winter’s night. Samichlaus is like a fine wine in the fact that this beer will just continue to improve with age. You can cellar vintages of this beer and drink them up to 10 to 15 years later. The sweet and cloying malty character will give way to some amazingly complex flavors.

Appearance: Rich, deep, clear copper. Pours with a creamy off-white head, dissipates to a creamy, patchy lace. Smell: Sweet, syrupy, malty nose, with fruit esters (plum, raisin) and a fumey alcohol. Taste: Extremely full-bodied, thick, rich and chewy. Mouthfeel is creamy, as well as smooth ~ like a fine aged scotch whiskey. Caramel/toffee, asian plum sauce, raisiny, dates, grape, honey, sweet chocolate and light biscuity flavours come to the front. The overall malt profile is very sweet and fruity. Alcohol notes are definately there and spicy, and it warms your whole body after the first sip! There’s little detectable hop bitterness, however there is a wonderfully floral hop flavour that melds in with the malty sweetness creating a sweet tea-like flavour that rides the entire deal. Finishes with alcohol fumes and a light grain flavour with créme de cacao notes. Sheer bliss!

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.

Ripe cheese, fruit and alcohol prominent in the nose. Rich and coppery in appearance -- short-lived head. Robust and full bodied. Apple, pear, concord grapes, and nuts figure in the taste. Bread early on the tongue, with the fruity flavours in the middle, and strong alcohols in the after taste. Aperitif par excellance.

WOW! This is one of my faves! Scent of dark chocolate and molasses. Dark and rich with strong alcohol taste throughout. Perfect as a dessert or as a companion to chocolatey desserts. One of my top 5! Excellent beer. Recommended. ****Re-rate: This is perfection. The more I drink, the higher it goes up on my scale. Believe it or not, the ’Bier Garden’ in Portsmouth, VA has this on tap! Let me assure you it is even better on tap. Seek it and drink it!!!

I love big beers and this is one of the finest I've had in years. Although strong, its clean and warming but without the harsh higher alcohols. The aroma and flavor are extremely complex and include notes of malt, smoke, anise, chocolate and probably a few I can't remember. Complexity is why I rated this beer as high as I did.