Samuel Adams Imperial Pilsner

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

Pours thickly to a resplendent bright orange, the body banning even the shadows. Thick milky head leaves sheets of lacing web up the sides. Initially clean hop aroma of mango and citrus, leafy and dank. Candi and brown sugars form a sticky middle of toffee and caramel. Taste is bold and brave in its pronunciation of subtle Hallertau depth in yerba, hay, and sagebrush. Cotton candy, honey, and sweet maple wood hum in intricate counterpoint. Crisp and clean, the hops themselves spectaculary meaty, pleasantly musty, and rich. Full and heavy in the mouth, the alcohol being subtley restrained and the malt foundation fully settled. Damp bitterness with black tea leaves and orange rind in a lengthy finish. Balanced and soft, distinct in its skillful use of Hallertau, it’s hard to perceive of a better example of this style.

Well it would be silly to rate this beer according to the style "European Strong Lager" so I won’t. The most striking thing I notice when I pour this beer is that it looks a lot like an IPA. Fairly cloudy orange color with a decent white head and good lacing as the beer gets drunk. Interesting aroma is obviously very malty with some spicey, almost pumpkin (real pumpkin and not pumpkin spiced) like notes. I enjoyed sniffing on this beer repeatedly because it really does smell like nothing I’ve ever had. Strong piney hop presence in the aroma as well. The flavor is extremely well balanced. Plenty of bittering hops and tons of sweet malt smack your tastebuds at the same time. The hops are once again rather piney at the start and combines with the malt to create an almost vegetable like sensation. The finish is interesting. You think the beer has done what it’s gonna do but about 10 seconds after you swallow the malt dissapears completely and you get a nice hit of pure bitterness that lingers on your palate. Nice and thick mouthfeel that is not overcarbonated so it goes down smooth. In the end, I feel this beer is not really a pilsener at all but it has pilsener characteristics that keep it from being a double IPA. What you get is a rather enjoyable experience that rests in between the two styles. Sam Adam’s once again proves that they really aren’t like the BMC guys by taking a chance and going all out with a beer. They may not consistently succeed with these strange experiments (ahem, cherry wheat) but when they do, the results are enjoyable.

Mostly clear reddish amber. Nice soapy/dusty slightly off-white head. Aroma, not so hoppy. Caramel. Sappy pine with citrus notes. I guess its hoppy, but not as much as some. If hops could be classified as either cold or warm, without respect to alcohol along side them, these would be warm. Warm and rich hops with a slight biting green edge. Some fruit and slightly stale caramel malt. It seems malty, but not overly so. Overally, I like it. It isn’t terribly complex, but I like the hop character quite a bit.

a wonderful hop aroma, a hop dominated taste,but with the crispness of a lager. i wish they could make it cheaper

This pours an attractive hazy yellow, orange, hue with a very fluffy, pale yellow head. Smells a bit of a IIPA but a little lighter. Taste is very nice, with some lemon peel, hoppy bitterness balanced out by a sweet caramel, with a slight bitter finish. Definitely more like an ale than a lager. This is the best Sam I have ever had. Well done, BBC. RERATE- Had a taste of an ’05 bottle. DON’T AGE THIS STUFF! It doesn’t end well.

Had this beer on 10/11/07 at GABF. Aroma is a nice fresh hoppy scent. Color is a slightly hazy yellow gold with fair carbonation and a thin tight head. Taste is very hoppy and smooth with a mild bitterness. Overall it is one of the tastiest Pilsners I have ever had.

Slightly hazy copper (though handling before serving was a little rougher than ideal), good sticky white head. Lots of fresh herbal hop nose, hay, gentle grapeskin. Big mouthfilling pithy bitterness, but still delicate and balanced. Just a really nice, very hoppy beer.

Strong green hop aroma, cloudy, golden-bronze body, and a thick head. I doubt Boston Brewing in the first to re-invent the Pilsner, however, their version is well rounded, sweet, and bulging with German hops. Label said it was contract brewed inLatrobe which brought a smile to my face. It was good to know that the old Rolling Rock Brewery was up, running and producing good beer.