Dec 18, 2006

Schloss Eggenberg Urbock 23°

This one took me by surprise in terms of both flavor and alcohol content. I’ve seen this one on numerous trips to the store, but never had an interest in purchasing it. On a whim, I picked up a bottle on the last trip. I guess that foreboding black label finally got to me.

After getting home, I did a bit of research on the brewery and beer. I found a few reviews that seemed favorable and checked out the brewery’s web site. You’ve got to love it when a brewery flat out leads with the alcohol content instead of the beer style:

“Schloss Eggenberg Urbock 23° is one of the strongest beers in the world.”

Well, at 9.6% ABV it’s not the strongest beer I’ve ever had, but still enough to garner a little attention. Knowing what sort of damage I could do to myself with this brew, I decided to make a concerted effort to enjoy it slowly. I tried. Honestly, I did.

Beer Label: Schloss Eggenberg Urbock 23°

Aroma

There wasn’t much to the beer in terms of aroma. There were hints of fruit and mild spice. The alcohol was also present, but not enough to be concerned over. I remember thinking that it smelled like an average pilsner.

Appearance

Despite the black label and dark nature of the bottle’s design, the beer poured a clear, golden amber. The head was a full quarter inch and cream in color. The fullness didn’t last long as it faded to a thin film.

Taste

The first swallow was decidedly hot. I was taken aback a little bit at the fullness of the alcohol on my palette. I have had stronger beers that didn’t tast quite this strong before. It could be due to the sweetness of the beer. The honey flavor was a bit of a surprise as well and gives the beer a bit of an oily or syrupy feel in the mouth. It’s not thick by any means, though.

Overall

The Urbock 23° is a tasty brew and its low carbonation level gives it a smooth texture as it warms. I can say that the alcohol crept up on me rather quickly. I was not expecting it to hit quite as hard as it did. Other than that, there isn’t too much else in terms of flavor to this one. Rating: 3.25/5

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