Abita Select Imperial Pilsner

Date: 12/08/2005
Mode: Draft
Source: Wild Wing Cafe, Marietta

hazy yellow, fine white head, sweet candy malt aroma with a bit of hops, thin creamy body, light finishing hops,

Aroma: 5/10; Appearance: 4/10; Flavor: 5/10; Palate: 6/10; Overall: 8/20
Rating: 2.3/5.0
Drinkability: 6/10
Score: **/4

Draught at dba New Orleans - there is nothing "imperial" about this beer - I sense no difference between this and most "normal" pilseners - this by itself is not a bad thing, but this isn’t even really that good of a pilsener - smells a bit sour and grassy - thin bodied and somewhat watery - a mild sweetness and some subdued hop flavor, but other than that there isn’t much that sets this apart from something like MGD.

Thanks go out to Mike of Bon Vivant for the bottle and Andrew of Abita for sending some to him. Hand bottled. Not normally available in bottles. Gold bodied with a lively white head. Nose is subdued. Not much happening here. Light hops, grains and some cereal notes. Taste is bready malts, light hops, and thinned grassiness. Body is light with medium carbonation feel. Finishes with light grains, doughy malts, some grass and minimal hop profile. While the name needs to change to Abita Select Imperial Pilsener, I think this needs to stay in the pilsener category and NOT be moved into the European Strong Lager, which it is not. It’s an "imperial" in name only.

Skunky aroma of some hop I can’t name. Nectar yellow in color. Big hop flavors, but a good bit of malt in there too. Nice mouthfeel, but the finish is off, almost stale tasting.