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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?  
 j12601 (1299), Poughkeepsie, New York, USA
3.6 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
7/103/57/103/516/20
Feb 18, 2009  
Bottle. Pours a slightly hazed orange amber with a small white head that fades quickly. Citrus hops and malt on the nose, with just a touch of alcohol hiding behind. Body is fairly thick, a little sweet, and almost sticky with hops. Finishes with a fairly long lasting quinine bitterness. I was skeptical, but this is rather good.


 BelgianBeerGal (1293), Sabbatical in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA
3.4 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
7/105/56/103/513/20
Feb 10, 2009  
Bottled. Man was this unexpected. Gorgeous pours of a cloudy copper colour with a fluffy off-white head and big sheets of lacing. Aroma is spruce hops, alcohol and basic malt. Flavour is straight bitter hops. Not my favourite because I prefer more citrus hops. Finishes very bitter with a little metal. Think I would have rated it a little higher had the hops not been so harsh.


 Beerman6686 (1287), Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
3.5 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
8/103/57/102/515/20
Oct 25, 2007  
Aroma of hops and more hops, appearance a strange redish color, flavor was hoppy but well balanced,very thin on the palate.


 scrizzz (1286), kirkland, Washington, USA
3.9 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
8/104/58/103/516/20
Sep 17, 2007  
Best lager I’ve ever had. Light golden color, sturdy, spongy head. Very fresh hop aroma, clean and oily. Flavor runs to the back of the tongue, sits there, and won’t leave. Powerfully bitter and hoppy like an IPA, but with the crisp finish of a lager. The increased alcohol is incredibly deceptive. Most complex single-hopped beer I’ve ever had.


 guzzler67 (1281), Hanover, Maryland, USA
4 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
8/104/58/104/516/20
Feb 28, 2006  
A huge white head over a deep amber color left a load of lacing. Resinous hop aroma with a good dose of fruit and a soft floral note. Substantial malt backbone; would not be surprised if there is some rye in the grain bill. Pleasantly bitter mouthfeel, medium-to-full bodied, with just the right amount of carbonation. Taste is initially hoppy, slightly sweet, slightly spicy. Dry, peppery, lasting finish. Really hated to see the bottom of the glass with this one.


 awaisanen (1279), Irvine, California, USA
3.4 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
7/103/57/103/514/20
Dec 6, 2007  
From a 12oz Bottle. Pours a slightly hazy, burnished gold color with a tall layer of pillowy white foam. Citrusy aromas of orange rind and lemon zest. Some fiery red pine adds some resinous hop characters as well. A modest caramel malt base is clearly noticeable in the background. Medium bodied, softly carbonated mouthfeel with a borderline creamy character. Sweet, bready pilsener malt up front, along with subtle caramel and honey. The hop flavors start growing after the initial palate sweetness shock, starting out with some garlicy notes and then growing increasingly bitter until it climaxes in a red pine explosion. This is easily one of the hoppiest beers I’ve ever tasted, and it certainly tastes like no Hallertau hops I’ve had before. I would say Summit and Amarillo if I were tasting this blind, so there must be some incredible hop utilization techniques going on to make Hallertau taste like this. This is actually too hoppy for me to really enjoy, and also a bit too heavy on the palate, but the flavors are clean and I have to give a cheer for the bold experiment.


 heykevin (1269), Iowa City, Iowa, USA
3.9 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
8/103/58/104/516/20
Dec 2, 2005  
Medium intensity noble hop aroma. Hazy light copper. Some bready doughy malts as well as a whiff of alcohol. Medium to full bodied. Well-bittered, a nice noble bitterness. There is some alcohol late, but it blends well with the floral/noble hop charge. I’m rather fond of the new breed of noble-only hop monsters, as they are not as ubiquitous as some of the more average double IPAs. Enjoyable stuff.


 wunderbier (1267), Tampere, Finland
3.7 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
8/103/57/104/515/20
Dec 24, 2005  
Murky orange-brown hue with a medium sized, creamy, off-white head. Amazing fresh hop aroma...reminds me of brew day and smelling all the hops sorted out into their particular containers. Very grassy and floral. Lightly toasted white bread with a touch of raw grain/mash aroma. Pears and light grapefruit juice come through later on. Starts heavily sweet, lightly acidic, moderate bitter and finishes moderately sweet, lightly acidic, moderately bitter. Lightly astringent. Rather bland flavor, as opposed to the aroma, honestly. Medium-full body with a creamy texture and lively carbonation. 24 oz bottle.



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