Port Brewing Panzer Imperial Pils

Brewed by Port Brewing/Lost Abbey
Style: European Strong Lager
San Marcos, California USA

Poiured a cloudy golden color with an ample white head and good lacing. The aroma was some sweet, bready malts and plenty of dry pine hops. The flavor was slightly sweet with some grass and a relentless bitter aspirin flavor on the finish that I found very distracting. The mouthfeel was above average. Overall it was a bit of a mess.

Like Mikkeller Draft Bear, it’s hard to pretend that anything that’s hazy and hopped to hell and back with American hops has anything to do with Pils. Tasty though, even if I have to dock it a point overall for completely violating the style. Cloudy rich yellow, white head, moderate lacing; great appearance. Nose of sweet malts and a wonderful excess of hops. Taste of sweet malts and enormous bitter hoppiness, in perfect balance. I love this, but I cannot really call it an imperial pils. I don’t really care, it’s great, but it’s not a pils. // After retasting the beer, and some pretty strong reprimands from other ratebeer raters, i need to modify my review. The beer does not have American hops. It is still hopped to hell and back, but it does still try to follow the rules for a pils, sort of like the Imperial from Sam Adams. It’s brutally strong, sort of a Czech Double IPA.

Pours bright gold into a shaker. Bright white head with medium retention recedes to skim surface. Sweet caramel malt aromas. Thick with upfront caramel and resin. Lasting grapefruit and alcohol finish.

Bottle. Pours a slightly cloudy brilliant yellow color with a short lived yet lacy head development. Aroma is a mix of light fruits such as apricot, lemon, and a touch of grapefruit. Some stale hops in there as well, with a sweet candy sugar and coriander note hanging above the malt. Flavor follows the sweet sugary character of the aroma, with a good bitter hop punch on the back end. Alcohol becomes increasingly noticeable at the end of each sip. Medium to thin body, modest complexity. Interesting.

Draft TJ’s - bright golden pour thin white head. Aroma is earthy musty and hoppy. Mouthfeel is soft and sweet. Flavor is divided between deep sweetness and chewy hoppiness. A bit out of whack but decent.

Hazy straw body with minimal white head. Grainy malt character that is syrupy sweet . Floral hops with citrus and pepper. Grassy with notable pine presence. One hopped up pilsener.

22 oz bomber. Pours a clear orange yellow gold with a small white head. Aroma of crisp hops, candied malt and light citrus. Taste of candied malt, sweet grapefruit, and bread dough. Nice.

Bottle from Craft. Pours turbid gold with 1-finger white head. Nose is Saaz hops, citrus, malt. Tastes fruity, hoppy, crisp, Saazy, with a fairly rich palate and some mild late heat. Decent complexity in this, and a definite repeater for me.