Rare brew....

Brewed by Eggenberg brewery in Austria. This beer is brewed once a year, every year on St. Nicholas' day (Dec 6). This beer used to be brewed by the Hurlimann brewery in Switzerland from 1979 to 1997 until the brewery closed. Then in 2000 Eggenberg revived the recipe and has been producing it annually ever since. I remember when we first got it in stock sometime between 1988-1991. I believe at that time the label actually said something like -- In the Guinness Book of World Records as the Strongest beer in the world. Obviously that record has been broken since then.

Just arrived!
Samichlaus Classic....$18.99 / 4pk
Bottled 2009 Version
Brewed once a year on December 6, Samichluas is aged for 10 months before bottling. This specialty is perhaps the rarest in the world. Samichlaus may be aged for many years to come. Older vintages become more complex with a creamy warming finish." -- back label

"To breathe in the scent of this vigorous crimson-colored brew is to be par to a sensory preview of its incredibly nuanced flavors, its strength and its warmth. A cloying sweetness of this potent bier (14% abv, to be exact) reveals a spectrum of complex and satisfying tastes --- perfect if savored now or stored for a period of time while its forceful flavor grows in nuance and subtlety. It's an extraordinary synergy of scent and taste, with light malty notes of vanilla, apple cider, toffee, chocolate, oak, and a spirited suggestion of matured brandy, sherry and port in its character. This intense flavor is lightened at the finish by a pronounced glow of peppery liquor, for a flavor that lingers long after each sip of this exceptionally thick and glossy satin body."


Samichlaus Helles....$14.99 / 750ml
Samichlaus Helles.....$18.99 / 4pk

Bottled 2007
"This Helles is pure intensity in beer form. From its forceful aroma of the fruity essences of pears apples and grapes to a character hinting at anise, pepper, vanilla and fruits gilded in a powdered sugary glaze, it seems only natural that this hard hitter's alcohol by volume is a hearty 14%. Its taste is slightly hoppy, lightly fizzy with a luxuriant and velvety texture – a beer for your cellar, if you can manage to resist its cognac-like dry finish and welcoming zest for long enough to allow it to age. Not that you have to - brewed only once a year on December 6, Helles is aged for a full 10 months before bottling. It may be hard to imagine doing much better than this golden, robustly toothsome brew, with few more years under its belt, it grows in complexity and nuance – proving that not only wine can age magnificently gracefully." -- importer