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Samichlaus Classic

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'The world's strongest lager' — originally brewed by Hürlimann in Zürich from 1979, revived by Schloss Eggenberg in 2000 using the original recipe. Brewed once a year on December 6th (St Nicholas's Day) and lagered 10 full months. Mahogany coloured with a massive nose of dark fruit, caramel, and leather. Rich, complex, and dangerously smooth for 14%. 'Incredibly sweet, it masks the ABV with notes of caramel and toffee.'

ABV
14%
Bitterness
Lightly bitter
Malt-forward bitterness
SRM
deep amber18
PaceSipper
Where this beer sits
Body
lightfull-bodied
Sweetness
drysweet
Bitterness
mildbitter
Texture
crispcreamy
Balance
malt-forwardhop-forward
What makes this beer itself
carameldark fruitmalty
caramel
dark fruit
malty
toasty
earthy
chocolate
Aroma
The nose is powerfully aromatic, dominated by dark stone fruit notes—plum and fig—layered beneath caramel and toffee sweetness.
not found:hoppy,roasted,fruity,smoky

Tasting Notes

AI-generated sensory profile for Samichlaus Classic

◎ Appearance

Deep mahogany hue with excellent clarity and a dense, persistent head that clings to the glass with distinct lacing. The color reflects the beer's age and intensive Malz character, while the carbonation remains moderate and well-integrated, supporting a creamy visual presence.

mahogany, deepdense headexcellent lacingmoderate carbonation

◌ Aroma

The nose is powerfully aromatic, dominated by dark stone fruit notes—plum and fig—layered beneath caramel and toffee sweetness. Leather and earthy undertones emerge on deeper inhalation, while subtle toasted grain complexity suggests the month-long lagering process. The alcohol is well-masked, allowing the malt-driven character to remain in the foreground.

dark fruit, plumcaramel, toffeeleather, earthytoasted grain

◐ Taste

The palate enters with rich caramel and sweet malt backbone that coats the mouth with full body and remarkable smoothness. Mid-palate reveals chocolate and dark fruit complexity, while subtle toasted notes add depth. At 14% ABV, the alcohol presence is felt as warmth rather than harshness, and the modest 22 IBU permits the malt sweetness to dominate throughout, with only restrained bitterness in the close.

full-bodied, smoothcaramel, chocolatemalt-forwardrestrained bitterness

◑ Finish

The finish is long and lingering, with caramel and dark fruit notes persisting on the palate and developing into a gentle warmth. The alcohol's presence becomes more noticeable in the final moments, leaving a slightly boozy, drying aftertaste that invites further sips.

long finishwarming alcoholcaramel persistence
88
hopIQ score
Aroma
90
Taste
89
Appearance
85
Finish
84
Serve at 9–12°C

Serve at 9–12°C for the best flavour balance and aroma expression.

Pint glass

The classic — versatile, comfortable to hold and keeps the beer cool. No frills, no distractions: just the beer.

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Food Pairing

What to eat with Samichlaus Classic

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About Doppelbock

Style guide · what to expect · how to find alternatives

What is a Doppelbock?

Bocks are strong German lagers with 6.5–7.5% ABV. Rich malt sweetness — toast, chocolate, caramel — with low bitterness and a warming finish.

Finding a similar Doppelbock

hopIQ matches by flavor profile — not just style label. A beer with the same caramel, dark fruit, rich character as Samichlaus Classic will score highly even if brewed in a different country or under a different sub-style name.

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