Schloss Eggenburg Samichlaus Bier

Just finished a good day of skiing at Mont Tremblant in Quebec in sub-arctic temperatures - it was -37°C at about 10AM... didn't stop for lunch but R. and I both felt like having a beer afterwards, so stopped at the SAQ store. R. took a lambic, and I saw this Austrian beer I'd never heard of, and clearly wasn't paying attention. It was all going well, sitting outside next to a fire in the middle of the village, relaxing, reflecting on a glorious but cold day of skiing, and tasting this crazy beer. It was pretty sweet but tasty, lots of molasses, chocolate, and prunes... very complex and smooth. And then I tried to stand up... only barely succeeded and then noticed the 14% alcohol!!!! It's a beast! According to the list of ingredients, it is "eau, malt, houblon [hops] et extra d'houblon." Turns out it is made once a year, around Christmas (2006 in this case), bottle-aged for a year and then released. Must get some more of this.