Castle Eggenberg Samichlaus Bier

[Triple Freak]

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.

[shamusonme]

Oh my goodness, I picked up two bottles of that at Cost Plus, I beleive they were 2005's (I also got four four-packs of Old Rasputin for $4.99 each!), being in the mood for a heavy beer I spotted the 14% on the sammiclaus and thought, what the heck? I couldn't wait to pop one open when I got it chilled...I'm just remembering this from a few weeks ago, but it was very syrupy, had a dull yellow straw color with no carbonation to really speak of. Sickening alcohol and apple smell, no malt or hops to speak of, gag reflex kicked in at the taste, which was mostly alcohol with a syrup mouthfeel.

I didn't even finish the glass...The bottle did say it would age well, so I put the other bottle in my "cellar" I'll give it a few years, but I don't have very high hopes for it.

Perhaps my bottle was spoiled, or they make a different brew each year because the last reviewer seemed to really like it.

[hotrod38]

I have a couple of 2004 I plan on saving them for a while.

[Brant]

once again sorry to drag an old post up. . .

I just happen to come across a 2006 locally and heard Justin gushing over it so I figured I'd give it a whirl. I get a lot of the same tasting notes as Triple Freak, but with a touch of everygreen and sweet bbq if that makes sense. Very good and very alcoholic.

[Petedadink]

I recently found a Samichlaus Helles. 14% ABV. Worth looking into.

[Spidey]

I recently found a Samichlaus Helles. 14% ABV. Worth looking into.

Don't do it. I like Samichlaus, so when I saw the helles version I couldn't resist. But the helles lacks the rich darker malt complexity and dessert-like flavors of the regular Samichlaus. It tastes like slightly diluted unfermented malt extract with alcohol dumped on top. The bottle says that they haven't made the helles version since 1986 if I remember correctly, and with good reason. IMO, they shouldn't have brought it back.

Of course, now someone is going to counter me with how wonderful Samichlaus Helles is... to each their own.