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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?  
 scoobyluv (486), Chattanooga, Tennessee, USA
4 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
7/104/58/104/517/20
Nov 11, 2007  
cloudy dark yellow with lacing that lasts forever. this beer is suprisingly hoppy. almost too much for me and i’m a hophead. strong smell of hops with just a touch of malt in the nose. on initial sip, the hops overwhelm but as the beer warms, the malt takes center stage. a very good beer overall. had i known, i would have bought more


 TheEpeeist (1459), Swarthmore, Pennsylvania, USA
3.8 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
8/103/57/103/517/20
Nov 10, 2007  
12 oz bottle, 2007. Cloudy yellow brown with a chunky white head. Lacy clouds coat one side. Fresh orange juice and honeysuckle; very nice. Wasn’t expecting the intensity of this one. Sharp gin and grapefruit then lemon custard. Dry, spicy finish slowly fades. Interesting brew.


 emobassfoo (178), Webster, New York, USA
3.9 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
7/104/58/103/517/20
Nov 10, 2007  
Rated while drinking: Pours a bright tangerine-yellow with a bright white head, but quickly diminishes. Reeks of oily hops, a bit of citrus and maybe cough drops. Sweet and malty at first, but turns into (as someone else said) a mary-jane taste. Very grassy. Medium-bodied and very bitter all throughout. A bit chunky in the mouth at times, but definitely drinkable. Definitely a hybrid, but unlike other failed experiments, this is actually quite tasty.


 SudsMcDuff (1692), was CapeTown,SA-now Houston, Texas, USA
3.4 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
6/105/57/103/513/20
Nov 10, 2007  
bought after the flat tire fiasco: Pours a slight hazy golden yellow ... Pours with quite an impressive head, lacing is also very impressive ... wow, very bitter; not at all balanced and the alcohol is not really hidden at all... I like what Mr. Koch was trying to do and i did enjoy this brew to some extent but this is not what i was expecting.. its not a pilsener, its not an IPA, its not a IIPA , not even a high grade malt liquor but shows a bit from each category!


 Juelze (904), Green Bay, Wisconsin, USA
2.6 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
6/104/54/102/510/20
Nov 10, 2007    Updated: Nov 11, 2007
Blech. Pours a hazy amber color with thick off-white head. Aroma is fruity with bits of citrus and cherry, with some light lemon and juniper. Taste is of citrus hops, and that cloyingly sweet mess of a fruit salad. For me, this beer was a mess.


FOAMer (38), Bartlesville, Oklahoma, USA
3.6 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
7/102/57/103/517/20
Nov 10, 2007  
Pours very cloudy, most likely a hop haze. Deep golden with a light tan head. Floral notes, slightly fruity. Malt sweetnes in the back ground. Intensly bitter up front with malt back-bone balancing in the back ground. Bitterness lingers and adds a slight astringent character. Medium to Medium fill body. Overall a nice beer with lots of character, I would like to see a little more malt for balance as I think it is slightly out of balance leaning to the hops


 ShawnMalloy (120), Auburn, Massachusetts, USA
1.9 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
3/103/53/105/55/20
Nov 9, 2007  
Sam’s attempt at a brutally hoppy lager. has a slightly skunked odor. pours a murky orange with a giant frothy head. taste is comparable to that of marijuana. leaves an unpleasant unceasing bitter aftertaste that takes many a pretzel to bury. I’m a fan of most of sam’s brews, and i’m a fan of all kinds of really hopped out ipas and such, but this was quite a letdown for me personally. I just couldn’t get into it.


 Mike4686 (120), Bayonne, New Jersey, USA
4 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
8/104/58/104/516/20
Nov 9, 2007  
100th rating - pours a cloudy dark golen color with a frothy head, nice strong hop aroma, wonderful taste lots of hops, like an IPA, nice and bitter, nice mouthfeel, i can’t believe this is from sam adams, incredible stuff here.



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