Free State Fireside Imperial Pils

Brewed by Free State Brewing Company
Style: European Strong Lager
Lawrence, Kansas USA

Growler from the brewery, filled 5 days previously, by way of JB. Pour is only the slightest haze - golden with a one inch off white head. Nice lacing sticks to the glass as I drink it down. Aroma was immediate upon opening the growler, bright fresh spruce pine and sap. Once its in the glass, some nice resin bitterness comes through, with toasted Pils malt and a very faint hint of vanilla sweetness. Fresh and complex nose. Taste is the bitter resin pine hops and sweet bready malt. There is also a bright chemical sharpness that was a bit of a surprise. Wasn’t too pronounced, but was distracting. Palate is on the thin-medium side, slick with a grassy finish. The pine hops linger. Overall, an interesting beer - this is the first of these "big Pils" that I had that actually tasted like a Pilsener. Thanks for lugging this back from Lawrence, JB.

Sampled at the Savor DC event. Poured a clear, straw gold with a active, white head. Malty, grassy aroma. Strong flavor of sugar, candy, hay and yeast. Winds up tasting like a sugary tripel. Thick on the palate.

(Savor, draft) Clear apple-juice body with medium off-white head. Aroma is medium sweet, honey, grassy. Taste is medium sweet, grassy, light honey. Medium-full body, lightly sticky.

Draft sample is mostly clear deep yellow with a white head. Wet, oily, hop nose, with a twangy note of pils malt and an overbearing amount of alcohol (which in a pils can be as low as 6-7%). Too thick, too viscous, but the palate is silky and bitter, with a light, dry hop flavor in the finish, and a moderate amount of yeast character tasted, but very clean and light for what that’s worth. Good beer.

Cheers to Free State for coming to the East Coast at Savor. This is an inventive, clean, lager with a purity of ingredient and the alcohol to boost those inputs to maximum effect. Aggressive hops and balanced, pure grains are pushed to their limits. Tasty limits. I really liked the treatment of bittering agents and the way they are shown off against a robust malty background. Nice finish. Soapy but ultimately neutral.

From a growler that sat for a few weeks in my, fridge. Served in a Free State glass. I had this at the bar, but never took a rating. Good excuse to buy a growler of it. Golden colored with a one fingered head and active carbonation. Clarity is brilliant. Aroma is , flowery, herbal, grassy (not in bad way), and earthy, with a light, but evident pils malt backing. The hops are evident at once and come across as flowery, herbal, and somewhat spicy. The bitterness is there as well as well, but there is a nice malt backing to compliment it. Some sweetness, but it never comes off as flabby or underattenuated. The flavor is much nicer when this warms, it is served way too cold at the brewpub, a complaint I often have with my beloved Free State. The cold serving temp makes it a bit harsh, it seems like bitterness is more pronounced at colder temps. This beer is dangerously drinkable for one that is probably right around 7.5% ABV. One of my new favorites from Free State.

From the growler. Thanks to hurrisnow for the beer. Pours a deep golden yellow with a poofy white thick head. Amazing fantastic aroma of butterscotch and fresh barley malt. Flavor does not live up to the devine aroma, but is very tasty nonetheless. Rich and malty, has only a mild amount of bitterness. An easy drinker for the new "style."

On tap at the brewpub. Pour brilliant golden yellow with a sticky snow white head. The nose is mostly pilster malt with a noble like hop aroma. The flavor is pretty malty too. Almost sweet. Just enough bitterness to keep it from being cloy. Medium body. Drinkable. Average carbonation. I’d like more. Balanced finish. Not a bad beer, though more hop couldn’t hurt (I don’t think).