Schloss Eggenberg Samichlaus Bier

Brewed by Brauerei Schloss Eggenberg
Style: Doppelbock
Vorchdorf, Austria

2007 bottle..deep amber pour,thin white head that dissipates quickly,thin ,sparse lacing.aroma is a blend of dark fruit,(plum ,raisin,fig). very malt driven,alcohol is very upfront, thick and creamy.nice alcohol warmth ,almost rummy. decent spicy bitter finish.excellent night cap.

Rating #1000 for this beer, guess i’ll have a big impact. Pours a dark viscous amber body with a thin lacing. Big chewy dark fruit and a robust rum vodka alcohol warming. Completely malt driven body with fruity esters and a viscous etoh, well not to bad given 14% abv, gotta give some credit for that huh.

Deep amber, no head. Very fruity/malty aroma. Full body, some fizzyness. Malty. A little hoppyness. Not too complex. Pretty useless. Not for dessert or pleasure. Fits the BJCP description perfectly. Purchased in at Hercules Fancy Grocery in New York.

Pours a rich amber with a small head and little lacing. Nose of grain and alcohol, pure and simple. Taste is quite a bit better than the nose with a sweet fruity quality, notes of caramel, and in-your-face with the alcohol. Creamy mouth feel, warm alcohol finish, almost like the after-warmth of a shot of hard liquor.

bottle, pours light amber, thin head. Thin light malt and floral hop aroma. Carmel doughy malt with some spice and a good punch of bitterness and alcohol in the finish. Not bad at all!

If there were ever a beer which was created for the art of aging, this would be it. No other beer, with maybe the exception of Thomas Hardy’s, was intended for gentle aging for years, sometimes decades, on end.

The 2007 Samichlaus glimmered and sparkled in my glass with rich copper highlights, clear brown hues, and burnt embers. There is very little if any head to speak of, but I wasn’t expecting much of one and for very good reason. While Samichlaus is a lager, don’t expect any of the typical tasteless macro yellow fizz that has unfortunately marred the image of lager. Instead, Samichlaus is as deep and rich in color as she is in aroma. Sweet and hot with spiced rum, brandy, and alcohol warmth nipping at the back of my nose. Sweet, sun soaked raisins, dates, figs, and prunes are the meat of her nose and soon-to-be body which is laced with thick molasses and maple sweetness. While Samichlaus is potently sweet, never once do I feel as if she is too cloying, heavy, or overbearing. This is where the magic of balance comes into play, a vital figure of brewing that can sometimes be overlooked when pushing boundaries. Our first kiss is rich with sweet, mouth-coating maple and molasses fresh from a farmer’s market. Definitely not as hot as I expected, I am pleased with the balance and subtlety of all her remarkable flavors, aromas, and weight. Spice dances with prunes, dates and raisins atop my tongue while warm dark breads soaked in rum finish each quaff with perfection. Chewy, moist, warm dark breads. Dessert breads. Rum cake soaked in more rum with maple drizzle and a hint of molasses. Spices add a dry rub and cleanse my palate somewhat for each subsequent quaff. Is that cinnamon and brown sugar? Do not be mistaken though. As I melt into each sultry sip of my Samichlaus, I know she is a brew to savor, not to chug. Like all fine delicacies, whether of imbibement or engorgement, time is my friend with no restrictions in sight.

As much as I have enjoyed my fresh Samichlaus, just thinking about how my other 3 bottles will mature after multiple years under their cap, my lips tremble and my mouth waters. Whomever says beer is a simpler beverage obviously has only been drinking the watery dumbed-down yellow fizz of unfortunate modern times, forsaking the centuries old rich history of fine beer. When the 2008 batch of Samichlaus comes around, I shall repeat said process, and I look forward to doing a joyous lateral tasting of multiple years later on down the road. To Samichlaus, prost!

2006 bottle. Pours a nice clear, ruby tinged amber. The aroma is of toasty caramel and prunes. The flavor is similar - rich toasty caramel, prunes, port wine, warming alcohol. Mouthfeel is thick and sticky. Overall, a nice dessert beer.

2006 Bottle via sloth. A nearly glowing orange amber. Very little head produced from an exaggerated rough pour. Nearly extinct carbonation but still a decent pfft when the top was popped. Nose is intense sugar coated malt. Body is surprisingly medium plus. An overbearing malt sweetness is the 96% focus of this brew. Some faint off in the distance shadows of spice. Alcohol is present in nose after a brief sit. heat emerges from body at this time as well. The extreme nightcap.