Eggenberg Urbock 23

 Schloss Eggenberg Urbock 23 Doppelbock.

10.5 %, 23 IBU. Schloss Eggenberg, Vorchdorf, Oberösterreich Austria. 

There is no evidence of my ever having this beer before. Which is strange. It seems that I should have had it, at least once, in the past 18. 19 years. Yet, it is not here on this blog, nor on BeerAdvocate. Neither have I reviewed it on RateBeer. Never. Not once. How is this possible?

So, Dave gave me a bottle that he'd been holding on to for too long. How could I have never had it? That seems so unlikely, yet all the evidence points at that not being the case. Guess I'd better drink it and write a damned review already. 

So, it's the Schloss Eggenberg brewery and their Urbock Doppelbock of 23 degrees. It's a product of Austria and a pale doppelbock. 

To the eye: Nothing pale about it. Dark crimson, burdundyish, no head...I do wonder how old this is...it looks pretty much dead. 

In the nose: plums, dates, leather. Dark malts, and overripe fruits. It's pretty long gone. Except for 1681, I can't find a date anywhere on the label. It's fallen off...

And now to drink!

Malty, fruity, rich and dead. There's a depth and a wealth of alcohol, but no fire. Chocolatey, caramely, ...but, lifeless. Again, I have no idea how old this bottle is, but it's definitely too old. I know I've tasted this in it's prime, but it must have been outside of my normal note-taking and internet logging. 

I'm enjoying this ghost of the thing that once was, imagining what it was before...and accepting what it is now...

Schloss Eggenberg Urbock 23° is one of the strongest beers in the world. We keep the Urbock 23° in our Schloss cellars for 9 months until it is dark gold and strongly matured. Urbock 23° has received the highest acknowledgments and honours at international exhibitions and world evaluations. It is brewed exclusively from natural raw ingredients after the purity requirement of 1516. Schloss Eggenberg Urbock is filled in a 0.33 litre designer bottle embossed with Schloss Eggenberg and in barrels for the export (20 and 30 litre).