Try Samichlaus beer this holiday season

As a wine writer, sometimes you just have to spend a night tasting beer. In this case, my night was spent tasting a vertical (successive vintages) of the world’s strongest commercially available lager, Samichlaus, which weighs in at a hefty 14 percent alcohol.

Our Samichlaus tasting guide for the evening was Karl Stöhr, the very charming and funny owner of Schoss Eggenberg, which produces Samichlaus.

Each vintage of Samichlaus is brewed on Dec. 6, aged for the better part of a year and released during November.

The 14 percent alcohol content in Samichlaus results from secondary fermentation. The primary fermentation brings the alcohol up to 10 percent, and hardy yeasts used during the second fermentation allow the alcohol to rise to a staggering 14 percent. This malt liquor ages well and changes each year, providing some variation for collectors.

Given its name, you might be thinking, “Samichlaus sounds a bit like Santa Claus. I wonder if there is a connection?” And there is — Samichlaus is Austrian word for Santa Claus.

Samichlaus is the perfect fireside, bearskin rug sort of beer. It’s similar to an after-dinner sherry or Madeira, and it can really pack a wallop. It isn’t an everyday beer, but fans of robust, special occasion beers may enjoy Samichlaus during the holiday season.

“Beer like this — you either love it or you hate it,” said Stöhr, noting that Samichlaus might not be to everyone’s taste.

Over the course of the evening, we tasted five different vintages of Samichlaus. Here are my notes on the beers.

Samichlaus 2010

Coffee, toffee, roasted nut and burnt toast/charcoal aromas, with a little fruit and heat. Flavours of roasted coffee, caramel and a little chocolate orange and spice. It’s surprisingly smooth with hefty bitterness, not unlike a Starbucks coffee. Drink slowly for the first few sips.

Samichlaus 2005

Although it is five years older, there is negligible colour difference between the 2005 and the 2010. Raisin, chocolate orange, rum raisin Lifesavers, coffee and plum aromas. The palate has notes of toffee, spice, smoke. There’s a little more bitterness on the palate, but it’s somehow richer. This vintage has a Madeira-like quality.

Samichlaus 2003

No matter how you cut it, this is getting to be an old beer. Slightly cloudy in the glass, with a hint of red that is not present in the other vintages. It has toffee, date and berry fruit aromas, with plenty of coffee and roasted notes. The palate is consistent with the nose, with a slightly doughy, PLAY-DOH character. It reminded me of Amontillado sherry character and it was a favourite at my tasting table.

Samichlaus 2001

This was noticeably darker than the other vintages. It showed some oxidative notes, with roasted coffee, toffee and caramel characteristics. Very different on the palate, with a rich chocolate, spice and raisin cake flavour. It was similar to sherry and very interesting to drink.

Samichlaus Eggenberg Barrel Aged 2010

Not available on the market yet, this beer is barrel-aged for 10 months in American oak barriques. The colour of weak tea or old, thin coffee, it has oxidized, Madeira-esque notes of lime, burnt sugar and caramel layered over smoke, coffee and tar aromas. The palate is very rich and chocolate-driven, with vanilla, spice and a creamy, honey-like texture. Delicious. It should hit shelves in 2012 and will retail for $30-40. It is really something special.

Samichlaus retails for about $8 per 330 ml bottle in Canada. Six litre bottles ($250 per bottle) and 3 litre bottles ($140 per bottle) are available in limited quantity. Samichlaus is available in BC, AB, SK, MB, ON and QC.

Photo: Bernt Rostad