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Samuel Adams Imperial Pilsner

Percentile
96
overall

bottled
common

on tap
unknown

Broad Distribution
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RatingsAverageScoreSeasonalABVStyle PctlServe in
9573.73/5.03.72/5.0Special8.8%99.2Lager glass
Commercial Description:
2005 info:This lager is made with fresh Bavarian hops, straight off the vines from the 2005 harvest in Germany, and packs an 8.8 percent alcohol content that's twice as strong as most popular beers.
Boston Beer Co. is brewing only 60,000 24-oz. bottles, which are due to begin arriving in stores in November.

2007 release info:
Yes, we're a little obsessed with hops. Every autumn for over twenty years, Jim Koch has traveled to one of the oldest hop-growing regions in the world, the Hallertau region of Bavaria in Germany, to hand-select Noble Bavarian hops, including the Hallertau Mittelfrueh variety. This special variety is considered to be one of the best in the world, prized for its unique taste and aroma. Samuel Adams® Hallertau Imperial Pilsner is a celebration of these extraordinary hops. This beer is one of the hoppiest in the world, without being overly bitter. With the first sip, you will experience an explosion of some of the world's finest hops. And we mean “explosion” in a good way. Brewed as a showcase for the hops, this bold brew highlights the spicy, citrus flavors and aromas of the Hallertau Mittelfrueh hops that are abundant in the recipe. The intense hops flavor is balanced with the slight sweetness from the malt. The brew remains pleasantly well-balanced from beginning to end, due to the quality of the hops, and continues to always be, well, "hoppy," providing hop lovers with an amazing beer drinking experience.
Available in 12oz. bottles.
 Most Recent Top Raters Highest Ratings Who's Rated This?  
HLGIV (14), Golden, Colorado, USA
4.6 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
10/104/59/105/518/20
Feb 9, 2008  
2007 bottle. Pours with moderate head. Hazy golden orange color. Intense aroma of hallertau and subtle mintiness as well. Flavor provides pilsner bitterness countered by a wonderful hopiness that leaves a lingering sweetness in the mouth. The 8.8% is a master of disguise in this beer.


 holdenn (1439), Chicago, Illinois, USA
3.7 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
8/103/57/104/515/20
Feb 7, 2008  
12 oz bottle from Discount Liquor, WI. Pours a hazed orange with a fluffy white head. Nose is really nice. Lots of hops. Pine, lemon, grain, grass. Light caramel sweet flavors balanced with the grass and pine hops that are quite drying in the finish. The grain was coming through a bit but maybe this was getting old. A pretty decent beer though, especially from Sam.


 zeke626 (302), Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
3.7 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
8/103/57/104/515/20
Feb 7, 2008  
2007 bottle, pours a cloudy, yellow-orange body with thick 1.5" foamy head. Aroma is floral hops with citrus and hints of spice, maybe cinnamon. Flavor is mostly hops that build through the palate with some orange/lemon peel and grapefruit. Medium mouthfeel and body, finishes with a sharp hop bite that is slightly metallic. Dry, grassy metallic aftertaste.


 RblWthACoz (963), Brooklyn, New York, USA
4.2 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
8/104/59/104/517/20
Feb 3, 2008  
Pours a clouded gold with minor brown tones. Minor sweet edge with a miniscule alcohol tone on the nose. Seems almost yeasty like a Belgian ale. Almost seems like it has an orange edge to it. Flavor is hearty with a slight alcohol edge to it. Mild sweetness. Hoppy! The label reads "An intense hoppy experience." After all the IPAs and DIPAs I have had, I can’t say this really tops them, but it does deliver the hops. Are Pilsners supposed to have so much hops? Overall a good consistency. Good feel on it. Nice carbonation and liquid edge. Overall this is a very interesting beer. Definitely the most interesting from the BBC I have tried to date. Easily shows what a huge brewery can do when they put their will to it. Try it.


 GG (1615), NorCal, California, USA
3.6 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
7/104/58/103/514/20
Feb 3, 2008  
I was able to try these beers side by side, from the original 2005 bottle to the 2007 bottle. I know that the 2005 version is quite old and the hops have faded signifigantly but it was still interesting to see how the beer has changed in that time. My reivews reflect the 2007 beer.

2005 - Pours out a light amber color, a nice two-finger thick off white head with some cheesey hops in the nose. Still, underneath that you can pick up some piney hop character and some...dust. Dust?! Flavors were like chewing on a combonation of flowers and aspirins with enough sweet malts to remind you it’s a beer and not some odd concoction designed to ward off freckles. My score on this would have amounted to a 2.2

2007 bottle - Aroma is packs a pretty powerful punch. Resiny hops, hay, and tart. Didn’t really get alot of malts, but that’s okay. Hops was the main player in this beer. Appearance is light amber, two-finger thick head and cloudy. Flavors is hops, and more hops. Almost like drinking some kind of carbonated hop tea. Finish is incredibly dry. Nothing like I’ve quite had before in terms of this style. Very nice!"


 Guinness4Duff (507), Tallahassee (and Poconos, PA), Florida, USA
3.4 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
6/103/57/103/515/20
Jan 31, 2008  
Pours a cloudy orange amber color. Has a hoppy scent with a mild citrus tone. Taste has an odd bitterness, pretty much just like a more bitter version of a german pilsner.


chadzter (94), huntsville, Alabama, USA
3.5 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
7/104/57/103/514/20
Jan 29, 2008  
Bottle. Pours a hazy golden amber color nice golden white head that slowly fades away. Aroma is very pine/grassy hops... hmmm Imperial. has a sweet malt hint that kind of adds a balance to the beer. But this is a IPA and the hops is very strong.


kaseyk (20), jenkinsville, South Carolina, USA
3.8 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
8/104/58/104/514/20
Jan 29, 2008  
beautifully colored ale pours hazy with a nice frothy head. nose has hints of fresh hop and pine. hop explosion in the mouth, it is nice to taste something other than cascades for once in a beer of this fortitude. i like this better than a lot of ipa’s, particularly because of jim’s hop selection. very good beer!



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