Samichlaus - Classic 2008 Vintage

Tonight I'm reviewing a very unique beer from Austria.  Samichlaus Classic is a 14% ABV monster lager that is aged for 10 months at the brewery before being bottled and distributed.  Brewed once a year on December 6th, the label claims that older vintages become more complex with a creamy warming finish.  Other reviewers throughout the interwebs boast about this doppelbocks smooth, fruity characteristics.  I'm just hoping I have a bottle that has held its integrity over the past three years!  Unfortunately, additional information about this beer is next to impossible to find.  There is no dedicated website that I could easily hunt down... The most I could gather was that Samichlaus is some foreign derivation of Santa Clause here in the states.  How that relates to beer is still a mystery to me.

As expected, the foam retention of this aged ale is basically nill.  Between the alcohol and the time spent in the cellar, the head is non-existent.  Its not a deterrent though.  The aromas, however... wow, a full on rush of sweet, caramelized fruit.  Plums, figs, apricot, its all there.  A bit of alcohol shows up as well, but doesn't detract from the bold profile.  After warming up, the aroma begins to resemble a sweet wine.  The flavors boast the same fruity profile while not being cloyingly sweet.  I can really start to draw parallels to a sweet wine at this point.  The body is thinner than expected while the alcohol warmth catches up with the plum, apricot, and orange flavor combination.  Definitely a sipper, much like a nicely aged port or scotch.

Overall - This doppelbock, if you can even classify it as such, stands alone from the rest of the crowd. The fruity profile is the primary player here.  And while this is certainly a pleasant beer to drink, I have trouble calling it a beer at all.  If it weren't for the subtle caramel and malt undertones carried throughout the flavor profile, I would have thought this was a sweet wine or port of some sort.  If you can find a bottle, give it a try.  It is a beer unlike any other and does a great job at maintaining its drinkability throughout all 12 ounces.

Brauerei Hofstetten - Granitebock

Tonights review is of a Doppelbock straight out of Austria.  Granitebock, brewed by Hofstetten, is made through a very unique brewing method that utilizes hot stones, granite stones to be exact, to brew the wort!  Using Google Translator I was able to get some bits of information from their German website that gives me a description of the process.  "To come up to temperature, we start this process with glowing granite purposes.  The stones are heated over an open fire and then cooled abruptly in the wort.  The beer ingredients caramelize and the yeast receives optimum fermentation conditions".  If you read that description with a German accent it makes it sound much more authentic.

The beer is a very clear, deep ruby red when held to the light.  A creamy, caramel-colored foam persists throughout my pint.  Sweet malty aromas are immediately present after I finish pouring.  Dark fruits, caramel and a whiff of alcohol create an inviting profile.  Flavor-wise, very malt forward.  Lots of caramel, toasted bread, and an earthiness from the hops.  The caramelization characteristics are really accentuated here.  I like it!  The body itself is very chewy and not too sweet.  I also find hints of black tea as it warms.  The alcohol also becomes more present but does not have any averse affects on this bocks drinkability.

Overall - I really enjoyed this doppelbock.  I found the novelty (if you can even call it that) of having this beer brewed with searing hot granite stones make my drinking experience of this Austrian beer much more fulfilling.  The nice bonus is that the bottle holds more than a pint of beer so you are able to go back for seconds!  Its not a wallet buster either at roughly $4 a bottle.  I recommend picking a bottle up just to say you had a beer that was brewed with granite stones!  Oh, and the beer itself is pretty tasty as well.


Purchased from The Four Firkins.