Sankt Gallen El Diablo is Sankt Gallen Brewery’s annual release of their barley wine range. Since 2006, Sankt Gallen have produced this beer with the deliberate idea that people can age the bottles at home as Sankt Gallen El Diablo has a life of about five years. It is brewed with 2.5 times the regular amount of malt and six times as much hops than usual to give it a starting abv of 10%. The devil in bottled form.
Sankt Gallen El Diablo Aroma and Taste
Sankt Gallen El Diablo comes in a funky purple bottle and as such, it’s impossible to see what it looks like when you pick it up off the shelf but there is no need for worry. It pours a thick, tan colour with no head at all. The aroma was far less in your face than other barley wines I’ve had, in particular, the American type from Stone and Speakeasy among others. Sankt Gallen El Diablo is also sweeter in the nose with some hints of butter and honey in the back-end.
Sankt Gallen El Diablo is best served in one-third portions. The bottle is tiny compared to other larger versions, only 300ml, so drinking it quickly is an expensive way to consume it. When cold, Sankt Gallen El Diablo slips down nicely with a mixture of malt, sweetness, and some raisin flavour. But when it warms up, that’s when it is worth drinking. Sankt Gallen El Diablo reminded me of brandy snaps and a faint hint of chocolate.
Before I knew it, I had polished off the second 100ml glass and starting to feel a bit tipsy. The third 100ml was at room temperature was the best of the three portions but by that point, I was gone.
Sankt Gallen El Diablo One Line Review
Sankt Gallen El Diablo is a really really REALLY nice barleywine but for the price, it’s hard to recommend. Reduce the tax already Japanese government on beers!
Where to Buy Sankt Gallen El Diablo
Sankt Gallen El Diablo can be bought online at the Sankt Gallen Brewery homepage here. Else, GoodBeer has it here however it is selling fast. We got our bottle from Takashimaya in Yokohama.
