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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?  
 ditmier (1092), Boise, Idaho, USA
3.4 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
6/103/57/103/515/20
Oct 25, 2008  
2008 Bottle - Pous a dark yellow with a lasting off white head....strong lacing, aroma is pine resin and sour malt, flavour follows, very well balanced citrus bitterness and caramel malt...a lot of alcohol, works well...very fun to drink...


 Hophead22 (1090), Redlands, by way of Wisconsin,, California, USA
3.8 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
7/104/57/103/517/20
Dec 31, 2008  
12oz bottle, from Swolf3, thanks Steven. Kind of a brite orange color, had a white head also. A little spiciness i n the aroma, a bit of hoppyness as well. Some orange and other spices with a nice hop bite in the finish. Pretty good.


 SubstanceT (1090), Saint Louis, Missouri, USA
4 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
8/105/57/105/515/20
Dec 31, 2005  
I actually really enjoyed this one. Orange copperish in color with a nice big hefty off brown head. The nose was strong with piney hops and a kick malts in the back. Just about the same for the taste. One thing tho, after a while it kind of wore on me and I found it hard to drink. Not because it was too strong or whatever but something just didnt mesh.


 AleDrinker (1090), Sunnyvale, California, USA
3.6 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
8/104/57/103/514/20
Jan 10, 2006  
Didn’t really know what to expect when I opened an imperial pilsner from macrobrewer Samuel Adams. Damn, this stuff is good! I don’t know what kind of hops the used but they were very fresh and potent like an IPA. Quite bitter as well. Good malt to stand up to it all and tons of alcohol. Quite impressed.


 MAP (1089), Lakewood, Ohio, USA
3.3 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
6/103/57/103/514/20
Dec 11, 2005    Updated: Oct 25, 2008
Just cracked this thing open without refrigerating it because I realized my room is probably below cellar temperature right now. Poured into my glass mug it gave considerable head on what I would describe as a dirty orange. Aroma was a bit bland and somewhat metallic. Flavor isn’t too bad, somewhat watery after an initial strong hop presence. It closes with a funky malt. to it.


 MullMan (1083), Bloomfield, New Jersey, USA
3.3 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
6/103/56/103/515/20
May 3, 2006  
bottle at Dickinsonbeer’s Pre-TAP gathering. golden bright copper color, faintly cloudy. malty sweat aroma. bitter strong malt and hop flavor, a little burn at the finish.


 alexsdad06 (1082), Ohio, USA
3 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
6/103/56/103/512/20
Oct 20, 2007  
12 oz. bottle from 2007 release. Pours a slightly hazy golden color with a medium sized white head the leaves very little behind. The aroma is slightly sweet malt and definetly hops, mainly citrus and floral. The flavor is slightly sweet malt that becomes overtaken by the bitterness of the hops. Some citrus and pine, but always present. The bitterness creates a very dry finish. This lacks a balance that the Dogfish Head Imperial Pilsner had. I wanted to like this beer but found the lack of balance to be disappointing.


 csbosox (1081), Prairie Village, Kansas, USA
4.1 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
8/104/57/105/517/20
Jan 3, 2006  
24oz bottle. Served in a 22oz lager glass at 54°. Pours copper with an orange tint and a 1/2", off-white head. The beer laces around the glass and the foam sticks to the sides. Aroma is sweet, grassy hops, caramel, and pears, maybe some lemon. The aroma is very strong and pretty darn good. The initial taste is honey followed by spicy, mildly earthy, mildly piney hops. This tastes like an american barleywine, lots of malt and lots of hops. The mouthfeel is substantial. The finish is moderately bitter, with earthy, piney hops and a small amount of alcohol, which is not detracting. This is a really good beer and although I was reluctant to buy it at first, I am glad that I did. If you enjoy the entire bottle, like I did, you should make sure you have no place to go. Well done, Sam Adams!



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