(Schloss) Eggenberg Samichlaus

Supposedly the strongest lager in the world, and at 14% it is at the same level as most red/white wines.

• Name: (Schloss) Eggenberg Samichlaus, 14%, Austria
  
• Appearance: Redish brown. Nice amount of head.
  
• Aroma: Malty. Like port wine.
  
• Taste: A bit strong, cognac. Malt and nuts.
  
• Bought: Beers of Europe, 330 ml, £2.79
  
• Overall score: 3/6
  
• Info: 28/2-2006, 84/300
  

Boon Geuze

I thought wheat beers were bad, but that was before I started tasting lambic/gueuze... This bottle at 6.5%, not 6% as listed in the 300-book and the 500-book.

• Name: Boon Geuze, 6.5%, Belgium
  
• Appearance: Cloudy amber, almost orange. Lots of head.
  
• Aroma: Just like a cider. Lemony, hint of wheat.
  
• Taste: Sour. A bit like cider. Lemony. Yuck!
  
• Bought: Beers of Europe, 375 ml, £2.09
  
• Overall score: 1/6 (Almost 0/6)
  
• Info: 27/2-2006, 83/300, 51/500

Brinkhoff Dortmunder Union Export

• Name: Brinkhoff Dortmunder Union Export, 5.3%, Germany
  
• Appearance: Golden, basically no head.
  
• Aroma: Hopsy, lemon fruit. Fresh.
  
• Taste: Lemony, hopsy. Fresh. Clean, crisp taste.
  
• Bought: Beers of Europe, 500 ml, £1.49
  
• Overall score: 4/6
  
• Info: 26/2-2006, 82/300, 50/500

Leffe Radieuse

• Name: Leffe Radieuse, 8.2%, Belgium
  
• Appearance: Dark brown. Little head. Bit more when warmer.
  
• Aroma: Fruity, malty. Raisins.
  
• Taste: Malty, little bit of fruit. Bitter-ish.
  
• Bought: Beers of Europe, 330 ml, £1.45
  
• Overall score: 3/6
  
• Info: 25/2-2006, 49/500

Cusqueña

• Name: Cusqueña, 5%, Peru
• Appearance: Light golden. No head, fizzy.
• Aroma: Hopsy. Hint of malt.
• Taste: Hopsy. Normal light lager. Fresh. Bitter-ish aftertaste.
• Bought: Sainsbury's, 330 ml, £1.00
• Overall score: 2/6
• Info: 25/2-2006, 1/300M

Leffe Vieille Cuvée

I drink Leffe Brune and Blond regularly, so when I saw this one on Beers of Europe, I had to get a bottle to try it out. Not as nice as Brune, though.

• Name: Leffe Vieille Cuvée, 8.2%, Belgium
  
• Appearance: Chestnut brown. Almost no head.
  
• Aroma: Malty, fruity. Prunes/dates.
  
• Taste: Burnt malt. Fruity.
  
• Bought: Beers of Europe, 330 ml, £1.59
  
• Overall score: 3/6
  
• Info: 24/2-2006
  

Hoegaarden

Nitpicking, but at 4.9% instead of the listed 5% in the 300-book and the 500-book.

• Name: Hoegaarden, 4.9%, Belgium
  
• Appearance: Cloudy white. Later pale brown. Tiny amount of head.
  
• Aroma: Not too wheaty. Orangy? Citrusy.
  
• Taste: A bit of wheat. Hint of fruit. Fresh
  
• Bought: Beers of Europe, 330 ml, £1.15
  
• Overall score: 2/6
  
• Info: 23/2-2006, 81/300, 48/500

Aecht Schlenkerla Rauchbier Märzen

This one really messed with my head. It just tastes plain weird in the beginning, but after a few sips you get used to it. At the end of the bottle, I actually liked it. This one is listed as 4.8% in the 500-book.

• Name: Aecht Schlenkerla Rauchbier, 5.1%, Germany
• Appearance: Dark chestnut. Nice amount of head.
• Aroma: Smoked malt. Burnt wood.
• Taste: Really smokey. Malty. Burnt wood.
• Bought: Beers of Europe, 500 ml, £1.85
• Overall score: 4/6
• Info: 22/2-2006, 80/300, 47/500

Re-rated in 2018:

• Name: Aecht Schlenkerla Rauchbier Märzen, 5.1%, Germany
• Appearance: Dark brown, light tan head.
• Aroma: Smoke, but not too much, though. Some tar.
• Taste: Smoke, metallic, roasted malt. Slight tar. Nice.
• Bought: Schlenkerla (Bamberg), 500 ml draft, €3.40
• Score: 3.6 (Aroma 7/10, Appearance 3/5, Taste 8/10, Palate 3/5, Overall 15/20)
• Info: 9/8-2018

Bush Ambrée

Nice, low alcohol beer at 12%...

• Name: Bush Ambrée*, 12%, Belgium
  
• Appearance: Amber, tiny bubbles. Little head.
  
• Aroma: Barley sugar, malty. You can smell that it is strong.
  
• Taste: Barley, malty. Alcohol-taste, warming.
  
• Bought: Beers of Europe, 250 ml, £1.69
  
• Overall score: 2/6
  
• Info: 21/2-2006, 79/300, 46/500

* Simply called "Bush 12%" in the 500-book.

Trappistes Rochefort 6

Ah - another Trappist beer!

• Name: Trappistes Rochefort 6, 7.5%, Belgium
  
• Appearance: Redish brown. Cloudy. Nice head.
  
• Aroma: Very fruity. Berries.
  
• Taste: Fruity, malty. Creamy.
  
• Bought: Beers of Europe, 330 ml, £1.79
  
• Overall score: 5/6
  
• Info: 20/2-2006, 78/300
  

Koningshoeven La Trappe Tripel

After the shock of the Rodenbach Grand Cru (see below), I needed to wash the flavour away with something nice:

• Name: Koningshoeven La Trappe Tripel, 8%, Netherlands
  
• Appearance: Copper-coloured. Fizzy, nice head.
  
• Aroma: Fruity, malty. Hint of hops.
  
• Taste: Fruity, malty. Creamy. Bitter aftertaste.
  
• Bought: Beers of Europe, 330 ml, £1.79
  
• Overall score: 4/6
  
• Info: 17/2-2006, 77/300
  

Rodenbach Grand Cru

The "Belgian Sour Red Beer" chapter in the 300-book had scared me for a while, but I had to get it over with. Luckily only one beer in that section!

• Name: Rodenbach Grand Cru, 6%, Belgium
  
• Appearance: Dark brown, redish. Little bit of head.
  
• Aroma: Sour, winey. Red wine vinegar?
  
• Taste: Very sour. Vinous. Sour fruit. Quenching.
  
• Bought: Beers of Europe, 330 ml, £1.99
  
• Overall score: 0/6
  
• Info: 17/2-2006, 76/300, 45/500, 7/100
  

Koningshoeven La Trappe Dubbel

A Koningshoeven evening - even my girlfriend liked these.

• Name: Koningshoeven La Trappe Dubbel, 6.5%, Netherlands
  
• Appearance: Very dark brown. Nice head.
  
• Aroma: Malty, fruity.
  
• Taste: Malty, fruity. Smooth.
  
• Bought: Beers of Europe, 330 ml, £1.49
  
• Overall score: 5/6
  
• Info: 16/2-2006, 75/300
  

Koningshoeven La Trappe Blond

• Name: Koningshoeven La Trappe Blond, 6.5%, Netherlands
  
• Appearance: Golden, nice amount of head. Champagne bubbles.
  
• Aroma: Fruity, hopsy.
  
• Taste: Malty, hopsy. Fresh. Fruity. Smooth.
  
• Bought: Beers of Europe, 330 ml, £1.49
  
• Overall score: 4/6
  
• Info: 16/2-2006, 74/300
  

La Caracole Troublette

Another wheat beer, at 5.5% compared to 5% in the 300-book.

• Name: La Caracole Troublette, 5.5%, Belgium
  
• Appearance: Cloudy, light brown. Muddy water. Little head.
  
• Aroma: Not that wheaty. Sour fruits. Hint of hops.
  
• Taste: Lemony, but quenching. Pretty bad...
  
• Bought: Beers of Europe, 330 ml, £1.59
  
• Overall score: 1/6
  
• Info: 15/2-2006, 73/300
  

Svyturys Ekstra

Must be my first ever beer from Lithuania...

• Name: Svyturys Ekstra, 5.2%, Lithuania
  
• Appearance: Gold, little head.
  
• Aroma: Like a lager. Bit of fruit. Grainy.
  
• Taste: Hopsy. Hint of malt. Bitter aftertaste.
  
• Bought: Beers of Europe, 500 ml, £1.59
  
• Overall score: 3/6
  
• Info: 11/2-2006, 72/300
  

L'Abbaye des Rocs Blanche des Honnelles

• Name: L'Abbaye des Rocs Blanche des Honnelles, 6%, Belgium
  
• Appearance: Dark yellow, light brown. Hazy. Little head.
  
• Aroma: Wheaty, not too much. Fruity.
  
• Taste: Wheaty, but also fruity. Fresh. Fizzy.
  
• Bought: Beers of Europe, 330 ml, £1.49
  
• Overall score: 3/6
  
• Info: 11/2-2006, 71/300, 44/500, 6/100
  

Abbaye des Rocs

• Name: Abbaye des Rocs, 9%, Belgium
  
• Appearance: Dark brown, cloudy. Good head, foamed over when opened...
  
• Aroma: Very fruity. Vinous.
  
• Taste: Very fruity and sweet. Vinous, fresh. Smooth.
  
• Bought: Beers of Europe, 330 ml, £1.75
  
• Overall score: 5/6
  
• Info: 10/2-2006, 70/300
  

De Dolle Arabier

Stronger at 7.5% compared to the 7% listed in the 300-book.

• Name: De Dolle Arabier, 7.5%, Belgium
  
• Appearance: Cloudy yellow/bronze. Loads of head.
  
• Aroma: Very fruity. Gone-off fruit?
  
• Taste: Very fruity, long aftertaste. Malty.
  
• Bought: Beers of Europe, 330 ml, £1.79
  
• Overall score: 3/6
  
• Info: 9/2-2006, 69/300, 5/100
  

Alt Pott's Landbier

Last one from the trip to Gütersloh/Bielefeld, Germany. Promise.

• Name: Alt Pott's Landbier, 4.8%, Germany
  
• Appearance: Dark/chestnut brown, basically no head.
  
• Aroma: Pretty malty. Berries. Roasted hops.
  
• Taste: Malty, bitter. Long, bitter aftertaste. Smooth, though.
  
• Bought: Germany, 330 ml, €0.84
  
• Overall score: 3/6
  
• Info: 8/2-2006
  

Detmolder Pilsener

When HH and I stayed in a local B&B in Gütersloh (Germany), we tried a few different types of Detmolder beers in the B&B pub. Just had to buy one later from Bielefeld, as a reminder of the chatty owner and HH refusing to stay another night in the B&B...

• Name: Detmolder Pilsener, 4.8%, Germany
  
• Appearance: Yellow/amber, very little head.
  
• Aroma: Malty, hopsy.
  
• Taste: Malty and hopsy, but not too much. Fresh.
  
• Bought: Germany, 330 ml, €?.??
  
• Overall score: 3/6
  
• Info: 6/2-2006
  

St Sylvestre 3 Monts

• Name: St Sylvestre 3 Monts, 8.5%, France
  
• Appearance: Gold, dark yellow. Champagne-like bubbles. Lots of head, not lasting long.
  
• Aroma: Very fruity, winey.
  
• Taste: Very vinous, bitter, fresh. "Champagne beer"
  
• Bought: Beers of Europe, 750 ml, £3.99
  
• Overall score: 3/6
  
• Info: 5/2-2006, 68/300, 43/500

De Koninck

• Name: De Koninck, 5%, Belgium
  
• Appearance: Basically no head.
  
• Aroma: Malty, hint of hops. Burnt.
  
• Taste: Pretty malty, fruity, bitter aftertaste. Fresh.
  
• Bought: Beers of Europe, 330 ml, £1.29
  
• Overall score: 3/6
  
• Info: 3/2-2006, 67/300, 42/500, 4/100
  

Einbecker Ur-Bock Hell

Another one from the business trip to Gütersloh/Bielefeld, Germany. The 300-book is not clear which version of Ur-Bock, so this is the Hell version (at 6.5% instead of the listed 6.9%).

• Name: Einbecker Ur-Bock Hell, 6.5%, Germany
  
• Appearance: Light amber, bit of head, not longlasting.
  
• Aroma: Hopsy, hint of honey.
  
• Taste: Pretty malty, bitter. Strange, strong aftertaste.
  
• Bought: Germany, 330 ml, €0.71
  
• Overall score: 2/6
  
• Info: 3/2-2006, 66/300
  

Hartwall Thors Øl

Also bought over Christmas in Kilpisjärvi, Finland.

• Name: Hartwall Thors Øl, 4.5%, Finland
  
• Appearance: Amber, no head.
  
• Aroma: Honey, little bit malty and hopsy.
  
• Taste: Honey, fresh, hopsy-hint. Nectar.
• Bought: Finland, 500 ml, €?.??
  
• Overall score: 3/6
  
• Info: 2/2-2006
  

Litovel Dark

Bought over Christmas in Kilpisjärvi, Finland.

• Name: Litovel Dark, 3.8%, Czech Republic
  
• Appearance: Black, little/no head.
  
• Aroma: Pretty malty, fruity. Plum.
  
• Taste: Pretty (again) malty, fruity. Fresh. Bitter
  
• Bought: Finland, 500 ml, €?.??
  
• Overall score: 4/6
  
• Info: 1/2-2006