Samuel Adams Imperial Pilsner

Brewed by Boston Beer Company
Style: European Strong Lager
Boston, Massachusetts USA

(24 oz bottle: $4.99 at BevMo in La Jolla, CA) Oh my! I’m sitting here, taking a sip every 30 seconds or so, totally stunned, repeating the word "Wow!" over and over and over. I’ve never been a Samuel Adams basher because I think for the most part their beers are decent enough, and several are quite solid, but this Imperial Pilsner is exceptional. No question, the hops are the showcase here. Very hoppy, very bitter, very resiny, and very fresh tasting, it’s like eating freshly dried hops. The first few sips are just an all out hops blitz on the palate. Better be a hop head if you hope to like this beer! I definitely like hops, but the reason I’m loving this beer so much is that there is more than enough malt here to provide a substantial base for balance. Sweet, grainy, malty, plenty of that tea flavor I like so much in an "Imperial" beer. In fact, it’s the tea and the plentiful malt that gets this beer close to Imperial IPA range in my opinion. Alcohol isn’t especially noticeable when the beer is cold, but it becomes fairly evident as it warms up, however it never becomes even a slight problem, even as the beer warms up. I could tell the beer was fairly viscous just by watching the syrupy pour, and this is also clearly evident in the heavy, somewhat sticky mouthfeel. The intense hops keeps the palate fairly crisp in the finish for a beer this thick and heavy. The nose is grainy and hoppy, but surprisingly the hops aren’t nearly as bright in the nose as in the flavor. I have to say, the aroma is nice, but still a mild disappointment. Bright amber in color and fairly hazy, this effulgent beer is obviously much darker than most pilseners, and the off-white head rises to about an inch in height during the pour, settling to a quarter-inch layer and holding there. A moth-eaten curtain of lace covers much of the glass. Frankly, as a brewery that has led the way for the craft brewing industy back in its infancy, I’m thrilled to see another excellent specialty offering from Sam Adams. This is a fantastic beer in just about every respect, and will make an excellent Christmas present to my friends that appreciate quality beer.

The beer decamps the brown 22-ounce bottle a foggy rust color with a dinosauric creamy light tan head that slowly dissipates leaving a thick blanket of lace to obfuscate the glass, also a lot of dregs at the bottom, upon decanting they become suspended. Nose has a nice hint of hops, sweet malt, some citrus like tartness, quite a nice treat for the schnozzle, start is quite sweet, then a strong bitterness, the grain presence delectable, the top middling to slightly full in feel. Finish is benign in its acidity, the hops dynamic in their spiciness, quite dry and long lasting aftertaste, damn if all pilsners tasted like this, I might learn to lov’em!

This was a nice find. Aroma is lightly sweet parched malt with a strong hop presence. Nice bottle and label. Diacetyl, alcohol and hops, very lightly sweet and mildly tart like dry grapefruit juice. A strong flavor with a decent balance. Finishes medium-heavy bitter, with lasting hops. Very good. Packs a punch on an empty stomach.

2005 Harvest Edition: Complex for a lager, and very rich. It is definitly zesty, piney and resiny. Thick malt character, with a sweet hint and slightly toffeeish. Has a bouquet of zesty and peppery herbal hops to balance off the malt, and has a great, thick creamy mouthfeel. Very nice brew.

Overwhelmingly hoppy... nice cloudy appearance, decent head. Taste and aroma are all head, though not overwhelmingly bitter and goes down really well... doesn’t come off as 9% at all. Very nice beer from Sam Adams.

Bottle. Hallertau Imperial Pilsner. Hazy orange body with a large creamy white head. Sweet citrus hops aroma. Fresh citrus hop flavor with a caramel ending. Seems like more of a pale ale or an IPA than a pilsener.

Bottle, courtesy of Mike at Cole’s, shared with Rudolf and couple of my Leaf game road trip friends. Quite hoppy citrusy aroma. Dark orange with small white head. Thick mouthfeel. Strong alcohol, malt taste with lots of pils hops. Very nice and formidable, teeters of unbalanced (and is probably too hoppy) but I quite enjoyed it overall - it is exactly what it says it is a pilsner jacked up while still maintaining its pils roots. Very reminiscent of Rogue’s effort.

Bottle: Aroma is all citrus hops with some light flowery hops. Pours a hazy dull orange with a small off-white head. Very citrusy from start to finish. Very IIPA-ish. If I tasted this blind, that’s what I would guess it to be. Big grapefruit hop finish that lingers for some time in the aftertaste.