Brauerei Schloss Eggenberg - Samichlaus Classic (2016 Vintage)

To conclude this Rare Beer Club special offer with a bang, we’ve got a 2016 vintage bottling of Samichlaus, which is drinking beautifully right now. This world-famous beer gets brewed once a year on December 6th (the day of St. Nicholas), then gets aged another ten months before being bottled. At 14% ABV, it’s one of the strongest lagers in the world. Bottles can be cellared for years, and vintage examples can be perfect for celebrating a special occasion. We found this 2016 bottling of Samichlaus to be our best experience ever with this classic.

This pours a deep ruby-brown in the glass, mostly headless due to the high ABV. Enormous amounts of dried dark fruit, cherries, and caramelization lead the aromatics. This keeps quite bright despite its age, with vinous red fruit and a rich sherry aspect to the oxidative qualities.

This extra-strong lager is full-bodied and packed with decadent red fruit and smooth caramel from first sip. Absolutely feels like a dessert beer, so choose pairings accordingly, per below; this is a huge, layered vintage offering that benefits from being allowed to warm. Expansive notes of sherry, strawberry, fruit leather, and dark caramel. 2016 Samichlaus is an incredible specialty lager with deep maltiness that’s aged perfectly at this point. Packed with ripe fruits and rich caramels, it’s delicately warming throughout and perfectly suited for sharing.

This vintage will continue to age gracefully for years to come. The brewery suggests pairing with hearty dishes and desserts, or with chocolate, or as an after-dinner drink all on its own.