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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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.

Soonah (970), Tulsa, Oklahoma, USA

3.5	Aroma	Appearance	Flavor	Palate	Overall
3.5	7/10	3/5	7/10	4/5	14/20

Dec 16, 2007

Poured a slightly cloudy orange and brown with a nice thick off-white head that showed good persistence and provided decent lacing. The aroma was malt, light citrus, wheat along with some spicy, piney hops. The flavor had a strong wheat body that was cut with light sweet citrus fruit before the spicy, pine hops come crashing down on top of you. Decent mouthfeel and a ridiculously dry finish. Not terrible, but the spicy dry hoppiness overwhelmed all the other components in this one.

FoolishMortal (966), San Diego, California, USA

3.5	Aroma	Appearance	Flavor	Palate	Overall
3.5	8/10	3/5	7/10	3/5	14/20

Nov 4, 2005

24oz. bottle. Slightly murky amber with orange highlights. Medium sized rocky white head. Spicy, floral hop aromatics with an earthen character. Intense spicy and acrid hop flavor with a complementary resinous component. Thick malty underpinnings, which are most evident in the residual sweetness of the finish which peers through the lasting resin bitterness. Mouthfeel is medium heavy, thick and mouthcoating.

RblWthACoz (963), Brooklyn, New York, USA

4.2	Aroma	Appearance	Flavor	Palate	Overall
4.2	8/10	4/5	9/10	4/5	17/20

Feb 3, 2008

Pours a clouded gold with minor brown tones. Minor sweet edge with a miniscule alcohol tone on the nose. Seems almost yeasty like a Belgian ale. Almost seems like it has an orange edge to it. Flavor is hearty with a slight alcohol edge to it. Mild sweetness. Hoppy! The label reads "An intense hoppy experience." After all the IPAs and DIPAs I have had, I can’t say this really tops them, but it does deliver the hops. Are Pilsners supposed to have so much hops? Overall a good consistency. Good feel on it. Nice carbonation and liquid edge. Overall this is a very interesting beer. Definitely the most interesting from the BBC I have tried to date. Easily shows what a huge brewery can do when they put their will to it. Try it.

DrDavid (957), Johnson, Vermont, USA

3.9	Aroma	Appearance	Flavor	Palate	Overall
3.9	7/10	4/5	8/10	4/5	16/20

Dec 5, 2008

Bottle. Strong citrusy hops aroma. Hazy orange amber body, off-white head. Slightly sweet citrus and spice flavor, much bitterness. Assertive and refreshing. Bitter finish. Delicious.

biznizness (952), Mooresville, North Carolina, USA

3.5	Aroma	Appearance	Flavor	Palate	Overall
3.5	7/10	3/5	7/10	3/5	15/20

Jan 15, 2008

Gotta love a lager as bold as this one. Here’s to bold lagers. I wish I could get my hands on a bottle of the 2005 version for my collection.

tennisjoel (951), Shakopee, Minnesota, USA

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

Sep 27, 2007

Great hoppy nose. Piney hops with some sweetness from the yeast. Almost ventures into the IPA category. I really think this brew is great, easily my favorite Sam Adams (haven’t sampled the utopia). I’ve never had a great imperial pilsner before, this one is excellent.

ajm (950), Los Angeles, California, USA

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

Dec 17, 2008

Bottle from AJ Via Linda. Man if you need to get F-ed up, down a couple of these hop bombs. The thick resiny quality of a Dogfish 90 but without the American citric undertones. This smells and tastes like liquid marijuana. I cant believe this comes more than a bottle at a time.

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