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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erway (1002), Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA

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

Nov 24, 2005

Pours a very cloudy med. amber with a whispy white head that carries some lacing. A very clean spicy hop aroma with an interesting biscuity (melanoidin malt?) maltiness. The body is med. with slightly low CO2 for a "pilsner". The flavors are resinous and spicy, lemon grass and the malt in the nose turns into an even more interesting flavor than aroma. The bitterness is intense to say the least. Huge clean peppery as it hits the back of the throat. Nice beer at a reasonable price unlike many of the SA specialties.

Zeswaft (1000), Seattle, Washington, USA

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

Dec 20, 2005 Updated: Sep 29, 2007

Wow, surprisingly awesome. I’ve had plenty of different Sam Adams and I finally gave up any expectations of them being able to create an above average beer. $5 for a 24 oz bottle, made me a little skeptical since a 24oz bottle of regular sam adams is like $1.95 but this is well worth it. Plus the 2x abv. There is a only a mild hoppy aroma which is somewhat disappointing. Pours hazy copper color with little to no head. Flavor is exceptional. Strong bitterness and citrusy hops. This beer is an imperial IPA without the strong aroma and a more balanced hoppiness with the malt. If this beer had a more glorious head and a stronger aroma there’s no telling what it could do. The only other imperial pilsner that I have to compare to this is the Rogue one and this is head and shoulders above that. Rerate, this is still a solid beer. super hoppy. for some reason it aint very cold but i love it.

MadIndian (997), Levittown, Pennsylvania, USA

3.8	Aroma	Appearance	Flavor	Palate	Overall
3.8	8/10	3/5	8/10	3/5	16/20

Sep 28, 2006 Updated: Sep 23, 2007

This beer packed a punch. I found this with Stegosaurus by accident. Hoppy aroma with Good hop flavor blended with citrus . A decent brew. Re -Rated 9/22/07 Had it on draft at brewery. Really good !!!

Panzuriel (995), Westerville, Ohio, USA

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

Sep 30, 2007

Hazy apple juice colored liquid with a nice white foam. Nose is hoppy, but not insanely so, as anticipated. quite a hoppy experience. Dry and crisp. good bitters. my my my. Mouthfeel is fluid. not able to tell much beyond the hops. Interesting. Not sure if it’s my thing exactly.

kidmartinek (993), austin, Texas, USA

4.3	Aroma	Appearance	Flavor	Palate	Overall
4.3	8/10	5/5	9/10	5/5	16/20

Dec 14, 2008

The perfect color of beer...cloudy orange gold, pouring with a thick foam white head that laces heavy like a blanket. Mild malt aroma very balance with obligatory hops. Consistency is like 2 percent milk. Flavors include floral hop notes, tasty bitterness, light sweetness from the malt. Composure is very clean and serious. Finish is a little bit thick and sweet.

Probiere (992), Iowa, USA

3.3	Aroma	Appearance	Flavor	Palate	Overall
3.3	8/10	3/5	6/10	3/5	13/20

Jan 31, 2006

A lot of herbalness and some Saaz-type hops going on. Grassy. Malt subdued with hops in foreground and there’s not enough backbone! A very herbal, floral bitter, yet weak beer. Give me Rogue Uber Pils any day.

Arayaga2 (981), Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA

3.8	Aroma	Appearance	Flavor	Palate	Overall
3.8	7/10	4/5	7/10	4/5	16/20

Jan 29, 2006

Volumous head and hazy honey color. The aroma is citrusy hoppy, and taste is same. Substantial and thick taste is just the right amount of subtle sweetness. This is not usually my favorite style, but this example is quite excellent $6/24 oz

urbnhautebourg (974), Annapolis, Maryland, USA

4.1	Aroma	Appearance	Flavor	Palate	Overall
4.1	9/10	4/5	8/10	3/5	17/20

Nov 21, 2005 Updated: Sep 26, 2007

New: Wow. I have gained a real appreciation for this one. This is the 2007 version, which I believe is a lot better than the 2005. The new version is exactly as I would hope: a huge Hallertauer bouquet, but most importantly, a real clarity of flavor. The hops and malt are distinct and each are excellent in their own right. I was especially pleased at how the smell of this thing transported me back to the first time I tried the old Samuel Adams Boston Lager. Who would have thought that Samuel Adams would really blow DFH out of the water? Old 2005: 3.4 A true hop bomb, but a bit too tightly wound for me. This never seemed to open up enough for me to get past the bitterness and the big, but kind of monolithic, hop flavor. Often I can find a bit more distinct flavors within these hop monsters, but not in this one. Not bad, though, by any means.

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