Eggenberg Brewery Samichlaus - Aging and Tasting Notes
By jason on Jan 4, 2008 in Bocks, IPA's, and More, Featured, Reviews
It’s the first Friday of the month! That means it’s time for The Session, when beer bloggers from across the web all saddle up to the bar and write about a common topic. This months Session is being hosted by Wilson over at Brewvana, and the topic is that strong German beer we all (or at least most of us) love, doppelbocks.
It just so happens I’ve been waiting for about a month now to try Samichlaus, one of the strongest doppelbocks around. Jonathan over at Monday Night Brewery couldn’t stop raving about this beer in a few emails we exchanged, so I figured I’d better try it myself.
Name:Samichlaus (Santa Claus)
Brewer: Eggenberg
Style: Doppelbock
Vintage: 2006
Cellared On: November 30th, 2007
Original Tasting: January 3rd, 2008
Samichlaus is billed as ”the strongest lager in the world”, and at over 14% this holiday beer lives up to it’s name. There’s a lot of interesting history behind this beer, be sure to check out this post over at Stonch’s Beer Blog for more info on that.
There’s no doubt Samichlaus is a lager after pouring - it’s a crystal clear coppery red. It had very little carbonation, and what head did form dissipated within seconds. The lack of carbonation aside, I could easily mistake it for a Sam Adams Boston Lager from afar. Once you get up close though, it’s clear that this isn’t a Sammy. This one powerful smelling beer. You can literally smell the alcohol in the air, along with a rich fruity kind of smell. Blindfolded, I would guess I was probably sniffing a brandy or some other kind of spirit before I thought I was smelling a beer.
The taste is just as powerful as the smell - this is easily the sweetest beer I’ve ever had. There are some malt and hops flavors in the background, but they are completely overwhelmed by the sugars. That’s not to say that the sweetness is simple, it’s actually a very complex flavor. I found it surprisingly fruity with a honey/vanilla character. Maybe with a bit of brown sugar thrown in, too. The flavor reminds me of a honey mead or something of that nature. It has a medium-to-heavy body with a slightly creamy mouthfeel. The finish is long and sweet.
The sweetness made it a bit tough for me to drink the whole thing, but I managed nonetheless :).
Cellar Outlook: This is a beer that needs a few years under it’s belt in my opinion. The label on the bottle itself says that this beer will only continue to improve with age, getting more complex and developing a creamier character.
Next Tasting: December 2008
Jason
Samichlaus is perhaps the one truly great cellaring lagers out there. I’ve kept one as long as 2.5 years, and it does age incredibly well. The tough part (for me) is resisting the urge to drink them!
The sweetness is all part of the high gravity needed to produce a > 10% beer, and is also what makes it a great aging beer, as the sugars and yeast (what little is still present in the beer) continue to work their magic slowly over time.
Others I highly recommend for aging: Dogfish Head’s 120 Minute IPA, World Wide Stout, Fort, and Raison D’extra; Scaldis Noel; J. W. Lee’s Harvest Ale (any variety); Thomas Hardy; and George Gale’s Prize Old Ale. All are thick, sweet, and strong, and are prime for cellaring for years on end.
techcommdood | Jan 4, 2008 | Reply
You know, I was just thinking about this beer the other day… I’m not a huge fan of lagers as a general rule, but this is a definite exception. I’m going to pick up a few bottles next time I see them and will definitely try cellaring a few.
Jonathan | Jan 4, 2008 | Reply