Samuel Adams Imperial White Ale

Brewed by Boston Beer Company
Style: Belgian White (Witbier)
Boston, Massachusetts USA

12oz. bottle. Sweet, perfumy, spicy aroma, citric and fruity with notes of orange, peach, coriander, clove, honeysuckle, mildly toasty malt and vaporous alcohol. Medium-dark golden orange-yellow color, hazy, with a lasting, very fine head. Flavor is sugary, spicy and fruity, orange, lemon and banana characteristics throughout, some caramel and mild bitterness with lingering clove, coriander and peppery alcohol. Moderate degree of effervescence, palate is rather thick and warming, body is decidedly full. A bit brash and uncouth, but I knew what I was getting into before I even bought it and didn’t expect any particularly refreshing traits. That said, don’t let it get too warm.

Bottle. Poured a dark cloudy orange body with thin head. Aroma is a light hops and amber scent with some coriander and citrus. Flavor is an nice combination of coriander, orange peel, marjoram, honey. Nice after taste and very smooth for the 10% ABV. A nice little treat.

12 oz. bottle. Pour is orange in color wth a thin white ring of head. Heavy on the spice, with apricot, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cereal wheat, sugary. A little sweet for my tastes, although I don’t find this offputting. Probably a little too sweet for me to enjoy more than 12 oz. of. Not bad for what it is.

Amber to bronze in color with a smaller beige head. Big fruity aromas. Mostly marmalade, with wheat, toffee, and a hint of spice in the background. Fairly heavy feel. Caramel and wheat sweetness in the front. Some orange rind in the middle and into the finish. LInger has just a hint of spice. I do not find that this has much in common the finesse a good wit offers. Not a bad Belgian strong ale.

Cloudy orange amber color makes the pour look a lot like honey, and the head atop is small. The smell is that of coriander, orange peel, and banana, and it is quite strongly scented too. The taste is definitely several notches above a typical Wit, and the concentrated phenols rush in rapidly to form a barrage of clove, white pepper, banana puree, and apple skins. Surprising the taste is very short lived as the alcohol immediately dries the palette leaving a warm but vacuous aftertaste with a ghostly spiciness. Needless to say the next sip is necessary due to these parched throat conditions. Definitely different than a typical Wit, and probably closer to a wheat wine than anything else. I am glad Boston brewing company is still experimenting.

12oz bottle, 4pk. Pours a very deep golden orange. Very sticky appearance. Thick off- white head. Huge lace. Strong aroma of fruit, honey, some spice, and bubblegum. Lots of coriander in the nose, fruitiness. Flavor has a bit of vinous grape juice and a bit more coriander flavor to match the heavy aroma. Very thick textured, especially for a ’witbier’. Very strong and very thick bodied. Chewy texture. Very nice malt character, full and heavy. Heavily spiced. Bold and beautiful. This is a top notch beer from Sam Adams.

The aroma is big and sweet with malt, yeast, spice, honey, fruit, butter, and alcohol. The appearance is not white but deep gold with an amber hue. The flavor is like the aroma with an alcohol taste up front and a buttery, malty finish. The palate is thick and smooth. Overall this is a good beer but not really a white ale.

Found this one bottled at Binny’s in St. Charles, Illinois. Cloudy, dark orange pour with a medium tannish head that filmed nicely, very well balanced nose of grape and spice, bready malts, and citrusy hops, flavor has some banana, clover honey, cinnamon, raisin, orange, and a thick, oily mouthfeel. Not at all alcoholic, despite the potency. Very impressive.