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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Eyedrinkale (3209), Astoria, New York, USA

2.9	Aroma	Appearance	Flavor	Palate	Overall
2.9	6/10	3/5	6/10	2/5	12/20

Dec 1, 2005

Bottle (is this available draft anywhere)? Aroma is subtle hops with some tangerine and lime zest. Head settles to just a thin sheen of foam with nice lacing. Taste is hoppy alright and bitter, with a dry lime flavor. My high expectations expecting an IIPA taste are almost immediatly dashed with a sourness of citrus. In fact, this stuff is pretty lousy. The malts are the only saving grace that add a nice sweetness. Nice try but no stogie.

TomDecapolis (3203), Skippack, Pennsylvania, USA

3.9	Aroma	Appearance	Flavor	Palate	Overall
3.9	8/10	4/5	8/10	4/5	15/20

Feb 2, 2006

Pours a hazy orange amber with an average off white lacing head. Aroma of orange hops, some grass but a nice caramel malt balance. Not what I would expect from a Pilsner thats for sure. Flavor was a bit dry, a little grass, some of alcohol. Overall dry and bitter. Again I’m not sure how they classify it in the Pilsner familiy. Based on the Rate Beer description of an European Strong Lager I would say this one is a bit too hopped to be classifed as that.

hotstuff (3176), Indiana, USA

3.2	Aroma	Appearance	Flavor	Palate	Overall
3.2	7/10	4/5	6/10	3/5	12/20

Jan 4, 2006

Bottle. Off-white large head that was mostly lasting, fine-small sized bubbles, sparse lacing, hazy, and a light orange hue. Nose was malty and hoppy. Sweet, malty and hoppy flavor. Hoppy palate. Light-medium body.

TheBeerGod (3167), Newport News, Virginia, USA

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

Dec 18, 2005

Bottle courtesy of OldGrowth. Cloudy amber with a small white head. Nose is rich and hoppy. Lots of citrus fruits (grapefruit, orange) and light pine blend with maple syrup and caramel. Plenty of chewy, sweet malts as well. Taste is hoppy and stringent with orange and grapefruit juice notes, light malts, and melon coming through. Hint of caramel as well. Much better than expected. Body is medium with lots of carbonation and lingering hop bitterness. Finishes with lots of hops, orange and grapefruit juice, melons, light pine, caramel, chewy malts and a bit of lemon. Very good beer! I knew they could make a good beer.

PorterPounder (3147), Tallahassee, Florida, USA

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

Jan 21, 2006 Updated: Feb 5, 2008

Rerate Labeled this time as Hallertau Imperial Pilsner - similar notes, solid, aftertaste is the killer on this one though - too overpowering. Original 3.6 ABC Liquors, Tallahassee, Fl - 24 oz bottle. Pours a murky dark golden with a good slightly off white head that leaves thick rings of lacing. Strong bouquet of fresh flowers and ripening fruit. Very full-bodied, fresh strong flavor with notes of citrus, faint chocolate, some sweet nuttiness and a hint of the high alcohol content. Excellent presence for a lager. Mouthfeel is thick and very creamy, but the aftertaste lingers much too long - much like drinking grapefruit juice after milk.

GeneralGao (3071), Iowa City, Iowa, USA

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

Oct 12, 2007

12 oz bottle. 2007 release. Poured a clear golden-orange color. Head was thick and white with good retention and lacing. Attractive aroma of malty caramel, subdued pineapple, pear, and flowery hops. There was some delicate sweetness on my tongue which was quickly overcome by moderate hop bitterness of about 6 or 7 on a scale of 10. The bitterness waned temporarily toward the end, but then returned after the finish and lingered on the back of my tongue. The flavor was hop dominated, but well supported by an ample malty caramel backbone, subdued fruitiness, and a warm splash of alcohol. I liked this beer a lot.

WeeHeavySD (3040), San Diego (Hillcrest), California, USA

3.4	Aroma	Appearance	Flavor	Palate	Overall
3.4	6/10	5/5	6/10	3/5	14/20

Apr 24, 2008

Bottle from Southbay from bikesandbeer, tis been in my fridge for months. Pours cloudy yellow with a 2 finger tan head. Nose is sweet hoppy and light. Taste is hoppy, crisp and overall flavorful. Its nice to have a Sam Adams beer I somewhat like.

Jukkabro (3039), Tampere, Finland

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

Dec 9, 2007

Dark coppery colored, slightly hazy apperance. Medium sized yellow head. Very rich, IPA-like aroma with flowery bitter hops and caramel, some lemon also comes up. Medium to full bodied. Flavor is also IPAish: flowers and sweet caramel, mild warming alcohol also comes up. Aftertaste dries with lastign alcohol. Good brew, maybe lacks some complexity.

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