Samuel Adams Imperial Pilsner 3.72 959

Samuel Adams Imperial Pilsner

	Percentile
	96
	overall

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

bottled
common

on tap
unknown

Broad Distribution
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Ratings	Average	Score	Seasonal	ABV	Style Pctl	Serve in
959	3.73/5.0	3.72/5.0	Special	8.8%	99.2	Lager 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.

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Volgon (2490), Manchester, New Hampshire, USA

4	Aroma	Appearance	Flavor	Palate	Overall
4	7/10	5/5	8/10	4/5	16/20

Dec 4, 2005

Bottle: Hazy orange with a medium and steady head, lemon and orange citrus in the nose with some rich cookie dough. Full bodied with a note of alcohol at the end, starts and ends bitter, with some lingering sweetness at the end and a cookie dough aroma. Wow, this is really good for a lager.

kmweaver (2489), Sebastopol, California, USA

3.6	Aroma	Appearance	Flavor	Palate	Overall
3.6	8/10	5/5	7/10	3/5	13/20

Oct 23, 2007

12oz bottle. Pours a murky, bright orange-brownish color; huge, textured off-white head with great retention and lacing; looks gorgeous in the glass. Significant, tea leaves and zesty citrus hoppiness in the aroma; very earthy and dusty hop character. This year’s batch seems a bit less astringent than I remember last year’s being, with zesty citrus and lively carbonation at the tip of the tongue; still, not terribly resiny or oily hoppiness, but instead mostly bitter and a slightly sour citrus note; loads of dense bitterness and hops, but slightly abrasive and difficult to drink a bunch of this at once; still generous and zesty Hallertau character. Lengthy, citrus and spicy hop finish.

FlacoAlto (2482), Tucson, Arizona, USA

3.7	Aroma	Appearance	Flavor	Palate	Overall
3.7	7/10	4/5	7/10	4/5	15/20

Dec 19, 2005

Pours a hazy orangish light amber color and is topped by a frothy fairly thick pale tan colored head. The aroma is definitely hoppy with aromatic notes that are herbal and even citrusy. Surprisingly, to me, I get notes of grapefruit and lemon as well as a grassy herbal note that is fairly smooth though quite evident.

The beer has quite a bit of body to it. It is creamy feeling as well, but this is balanced by both the medium carbonation and the sharp hop notes. The beer is quite bitter throughout with an almost astringent green hoppiness to it. The finish is quite bitter and lingering, though it is definitely in balance, in a hoppy sort of way, with the malty body. The malt is not all that noticeable underneath all the hop notes, its major contribution is of course the body, but there is some sweet grain character and an underlying lightly toasted malt note. The citrus notes are here in the taste as well, I get notes of grapefruit, lemon and perhaps a hint of orange peel.

This is really not that far off from an Double IPA; it does not have the typical fruity notes, but with the ton of hops used it definitely drowns out much of the typical lager characteristics. I must admit this might just be a little to green and hoppy, though I can’t imagine wanting to age this beer for any length of time. This beer is meant to be drunk fresh and at its hoppiest.

<font size=-4>Purchased: <a href=http://www.ratebeer.com/Places/ShowPlace.asp? Liquors, Tucson, AZ<font size=-1>

KAggie97 (2481), Ugly, Hot, and Humid Spring, Texas, USA

3.7	Aroma	Appearance	Flavor	Palate	Overall
3.7	8/10	4/5	7/10	4/5	14/20

Oct 4, 2007

Bottle, listed as Samuel Adams Hallertau Imperial Pilsner
Pours a lush apricot orange with a nice head of ivory. Crisp citrus tones that attack the nose, leaving a piney scent in its wake. Intense rush of bitter grapefruit and orange, with a finish of pine. Hints of rose in there as well. Nice mouthfeel. Pretty good stuff!

robertsreality (2460), Minnesota, USA

3.7	Aroma	Appearance	Flavor	Palate	Overall
3.7	8/10	4/5	7/10	3/5	15/20

Dec 15, 2005

Rich Golden Brown Coloring with White Skin. Sweet Grainy and Hop Aroma. Extremely Crisp Dry Hop Taste with a Clean Mouthfeel. Tasty if That’s Your Bag.

ekstedt (2448), Göteborg, Sweden

4	Aroma	Appearance	Flavor	Palate	Overall
4	8/10	4/5	8/10	4/5	16/20

Jan 6, 2008 Updated: Aug 11, 2008

Bottle (33 cl) at the Rover, Göteborg, Sweden. Hazy deep golden to amber, stable medium white head. Strong herbal hop aroma around a stable bready and slightly caramelly base. Medium bodied with soft mouthfeel. Long bitter finish. Alcohol very well integrated.

unclemattie (2439), Georgia, USA

4	Aroma	Appearance	Flavor	Palate	Overall
4	8/10	4/5	7/10	4/5	17/20

Aug 16, 2006

2005. 22oz. bottle. This beer is more of a DoubleIPA than a Pilsner. Heavy aroma of hops. With a great hop finish. I like this big beer better that that Bock with the cool label.

dkachur (2425), Charlottesville, Virginia, USA

3.8	Aroma	Appearance	Flavor	Palate	Overall
3.8	7/10	5/5	7/10	4/5	15/20

Jun 8, 2008

Bottle from In Vino Veritas in Keswick, VA. Pours a hazy orange with a huge head. Great lacing. Spicy and woody hop aroma with some grain. Taste is spicy, ctirusy and woody hops. Some grainy sweetness. Very woody, spicy, almost like thyme has been added. This is an older bottle and I like it right now.

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