Hurlimann Samichlaus

Formerly brewed at Hürlimann (Feldschlösschen)
Style: Doppelbock
Zürich, Switzerland

Pours a cloudy, dull brown with virtually no head. The aroma is alcoholic, brandy-like. The flavor is big and bursting. A flavor like sweet, overripe oranges comes out first followed by something reminiscent of my mom’s lemon cheesecake squares, then caramel brownies and finally a bit of hazelnut coffee. Unfortunately, it’s also syrupy and cloying, making it much less pleasurable to drink it should.

1994. Syruppy look, dark copper color. Light chocolate/hazlenut in the nose, raisins, alcohol, big malt and even hints of coffee. Smooth mouthfeel, raisins, big sweet malty presence and the alcohol is right out in the open. First sip knocks one on one’s ass, complex and very alcoholic. An interesting beer, not an everyday thing.

1997: dark mahogny in color, very little head, only a bit of foam around the perimeter of the glass, very strong sweet malty aromas including chocolate and coffee, those tastes appear again in the intial flavors of the beer, alcohol is also very prominent in the nose as well as the flavors, sweet malty aftertaste with some chocolate undertones, very warming effect from the alcohol, nice beer to sip on while enjoying this time of year

A 1996 bottle: dark brown without foam. Very fine aroma of peat, malt and caramel. The flavour is well-balanced though a little bit heavy. The aftertaste is very long with notes of coffee. An excellent beer to taste slowly.

1997 vintage 14.2% sampled 01/07/2004; at last I can get my hand on this last vintage from Hürlimann ! (thanks to fiulijn): deep brown colour, the initial fine foam disappears quickly, very complex nose of malt, alcohol, wood, spices and nuts, thick and very sweet but followed by a solid bitterness, the finish is Portwine-like, powerfull, showing malts, alcohol, nuts and caramel - is it balanced ? who cares ... it's a wonderful experience !(9/4/8/4/18)
1996 vintage sampled 12/27/2002: I just love this beer a little bit more each year. It still gets more complex and before all, the ingredients are fitting each year better together. The finish is now developping a long bitterness with strong notes of port wine. (9/4/8/5/18)
1996 vintage sampled 10/23/2001: Very deep bordeaux colour, aroma: roasted malt, alcohol, cherry , very complex flavor (spicy, caramel). Like to Thomas Hardy's Ale, I enjoy this beer each year a little bit more. Not for unexperienced beer drinkers ... Don't drink it too young, it really improved each year.(9/4/7/4/17)
1995 vintage (7/4/5/4/13)
1994 vintage (5/4/4/3/11)
1992 vintage (5/3/3/2/7)

1996: Virtually no head. Syrupy, alcoholic, caramely, butterscotchy. Perhaps a bit too much.

i just tried the 96 and its awosome with any chocolate. you can taste the flavor.

1996:Very rich and sweet tasting. I liked this samichlaus much better than the austrian one.