Samichlaus Classic Bier - Brauerei Schloss Eggenberg

kvnstfrd

Missouri

4.6/5  rDev +15.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Stored for one year. Poured from a 330 ml bottle into a 12 oz. snifter.
Dark brown, slightly red and crystal clear. No head to speak of. Oaky smell of a good tawny port, fruit cake and alcohol. The taste tells me my nose was right. This is very much like a tawny port or creamed sherry. Also a similar warming alcohol sensation after the swallow. There are some hops in there, but they’re dominated by a wonderful sweetness. Mouth-feel is thick and almost oily with little detectable carbonation. I’m not sure this fits into the Doppelbock category, but this is one unique and awesome brew!

Serving type: bottle

01-03-2013 18:40:02 | More by kvnstfrd

SpruceMoose

Australia

3.38/5  rDev -15.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5

Ladies and gentlemen, I have a sin to confess. Something awful, something treacherous and probably something unforgivable. I, in all the time I've spent exploring IPAs, witbiers, stouts and porters, dubbels, tripels and quadruppels, scotch ales, barleywines and the like...

..have never, ever had a doppelbock before. *cue shocked gasp from the audience*

Yes, it's true, and so I decided to pop my cherry the other day and walked to the grog shop near my holiday house to pay the AU $13 and finally try this esteemed style for myself. Here we go.

Serving Type: 330ml classic sealed bottle poured into a Duvel tulip glass. Yes, I probably should've had it in a pilsner glass. Whatever. Piss off.

Appearance: Light red to crimson and completely transparent with very, very little head; almost inevitable given its strength of 14% ABV. Carbonation appears very light as well.

Smell: Strangely sour, almost lambic in character. Hints of cherry, banana and bread are matched with a boozy under-aroma. Almost thought it was off for a second, and then realised that a beer of its strength and style would only get better with age. I subsequently slapped myself hard and went on with the review.

Taste: Very sweet, with cherry, sultana, white chocolate and nutmeg being amongst the several I noticed after the first sip. The flavours become less individualist and more consistent as the drinking continues. Certainly a strange experience for a Doppelbock virgin, but pleasant enough in its own right. Reminds one more of a fine brandy than a beer to quaff.

Mouthfeel: Dense and breadlike, with an alcohol-induced warmth surrounding the mouth. This is definitely a sipper.

Overall: Well, there we go. I finally cast off my shackles of ignorance and tried the fabled Doppelbock. Was I impressed? More intrigued if anything. Samichlaus Classic was certainly an experience, and perhaps I should've inaugurated myself with something a little less intense. If extreme beer is your forte, have at it. Will definitely be trying this little ditty again after I've explored the Doppelbock scene a bit more.

Serving type: bottle

05-26-2013 13:51:50 | More by SpruceMoose

GinsuDave

Michigan

3.25/5  rDev -18.3%

05-21-2013 23:25:27 | More by GinsuDave

Slatetank

Pennsylvania

4.25/5  rDev +6.8%

05-21-2013 18:47:45 | More by Slatetank

Photekut

Azerbaijan

4.5/5  rDev +13.1%

05-18-2013 22:40:26 | More by Photekut

rabiddawg

North Carolina

3.75/5  rDev -5.8%

05-18-2013 22:11:45 | More by rabiddawg

vicsju1991

Pennsylvania

4.25/5  rDev +6.8%

05-18-2013 04:07:23 | More by vicsju1991

RaphaelSC

Brazil

4.21/5  rDev +5.8%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

A: Pours a beauty dark honey amber with no head, just a thin lace.

S: Sweet with cherry and grape notes, resemble some liqueur wines.

T: Follows the nose with a strong sweetness and liqueur wine feel, the alcohol warm is strong, but the alcohol is not invasive despite its 14% ABV which is quite impressive, the low carbonation help to keep its liqueur feel.

M: A very alcohol warmth accompanies the aftertaste, with its spicy feel. Some malts (toasted probably) can be feeled too, no bitter at all, the body is thick and justify the self fashioned "malt liquor" name in the bottle.

O: A very amazing beer, with a complex flavour all build up in its malts and alcohol. I think that a more hoppy bitter would make this beer better, but it is very unique and special beer, the problem is that beer is a little cloying which makes difficult drink more than one bottle in a session.

Serving type: bottle

05-18-2013 02:06:42 | More by RaphaelSC

beerhunter13

Ontario (Canada)

4.25/5  rDev +6.8%

05-17-2013 12:03:01 | More by beerhunter13

jkrug5

Maryland

4.5/5  rDev +13.1%

05-14-2013 14:16:05 | More by jkrug5

cfalovo97

Ontario (Canada)

1/5  rDev -74.9%

05-14-2013 01:05:21 | More by cfalovo97

dalepryor

Kentucky

3.5/5  rDev -12.1%

05-08-2013 03:52:59 | More by dalepryor

lighthabit

Oregon

4.25/5  rDev +6.8%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

pours a clear, deep garnet/ruby red, half inch of head dies very quickly to just a bit around the rim, which quickly goes to essentially nonexistent. i'd like to see just a little more carbonation; not a lot, just a tad. simple, solid taste; not a lot going on, but considering the abv, it's remarkably drinkable, though definitely on the sweet side. a bit sweeter than i care for, but i'm thinking it's intentional to help hide the alcohol. nose seems somewhere between apples, raisins, caramel. taste is, again, a bit fruity, warming up and showing a bit of booze. as it warms the sweet starts getting a bit distracting. feel is smooth, a bit syrupy. very glad to have tried this. not something to have often (it's almost a "six pack in a bottle"), but i have to give it a thumbs up.

Serving type: bottle

05-05-2013 06:51:13 | More by lighthabit

philmen

Ontario (Canada)

4.5/5  rDev +13.1%

05-04-2013 04:08:39 | More by philmen

Giannis

Greece

4.5/5  rDev +13.1%

04-28-2013 16:29:29 | More by Giannis

jooj8

Slovenia

4/5  rDev +0.5%

04-27-2013 18:46:58 | More by jooj8

king_of_spaim

California

4.75/5  rDev +19.3%

04-26-2013 02:36:29 | More by king_of_spaim

zestar

California

3.5/5  rDev -12.1%

04-25-2013 09:12:44 | More by zestar

Jason1337

Pennsylvania

4.5/5  rDev +13.1%

04-24-2013 16:01:55 | More by Jason1337

douginromeo

Michigan

4/5  rDev +0.5%

04-12-2013 19:30:22 | More by douginromeo

TerryW

Ontario (Canada)

2.25/5  rDev -43.5%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

This is an extreme brew that is simply not to my taste.

Pours clear amber brown under a short-lived head that quickly gives way to a thin ring, no lace.

Nose is sweet, dark fruit. And lots of alcohol.

Crazy sweet to drink, to the point of being distracting. Raisins. Heavy mouthfeel. Boozy.

Similar to a barleywine. It is simply not for me. Too one dimensional in character - straight syrup and alcohol.

Serving type: bottle

04-07-2013 20:50:45 | More by TerryW

korene84

California

3/5  rDev -24.6%

04-06-2013 05:19:17 | More by korene84

RD1163

California

2/5  rDev -49.7%

04-06-2013 04:13:30 | More by RD1163

TheRevMatt

Wisconsin

1/5  rDev -74.9%

04-05-2013 22:02:33 | More by TheRevMatt

JakerLou

New Hampshire

4.25/5  rDev +6.8%

04-05-2013 20:21:25 | More by JakerLou