Samuel Adams Imperial White Ale

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

First, I don’t think this is as bad as many have made it out to be. Spicy citrusy aroma with notes of coriander, cloves, banana and citrus complements a good flavor profile of toffee, orange rind cloves and spice. Alcohol presence creates a nice warming effect, but doesn’t impair the flavor. Although this doesn’t really meet the typical characteristics of a Wit (close though on the spice) it is still a good beer. Definitely a good Belgian Strong Ale from SA

Pours cloudy dark caramel color with off white head. Very sweet candy aroma with corriander, oranges and alcohol. Cloyingly sweet and alcoholic with some corriander. Hard to drink. Medium body with minimal carbonation and a syrupy mouthfeel.. If I am in the mood for a witbier I want something that is light and refreshing. This is neither.

Bottle. Aroma of coriander, yeast, candi sugar, sweet malt, some bubblegum, alcohol. Flavor strong on the coriander and alcohol with some citrus fruits, and above all is extremely sweet. Incredibly syrupy mouthfeel, they really pushed themselves too far to create a massive so-called white ale. Not a winner.

Bottle. Pours a slightly hazy orange with a small white head. Aroma of sweet melon, honey, and sweet orange. Flavor of alcohol, sweet melon, banana, some vegetal notes. A rather bland and boozy Belgian and certainly not reminiscent of an imperial white. This is pretty bad, and I couldn’t finish the glass... 5/4/5/3/11 (2.8/5)

VERY cloudy pour. Much darker than a wit, but I can see the wit in there.....reminiscent of my first marriage, I got no head at all. The aroma is ester alcohol and some spice. FULL bodied, this thing has a delicate flavor that I didn’t expect. After the first taste, the finish is pure alcohol. Some age might help, but its not like these four bottles will last the weekend or anything....I likey.

Pours a hazy amber body, like no Wit I’ve ever seen, under a rather quick, whitish head. Aroma is strangely malty with caramel notes amidst lemon, vanilla, banana and a pronounced alcohol presence. Thick in the mouth, yet silky rather than sticky. Alcohol is rather dominating in the flavor with more banana and a candi sweetness. Finish is dry and tart. I would not drink this if I had a taste for a good Witbier, but I would surely drink it again. ~~~~~~~~~ 12 oz. bottle from Cornfield. (TYVM)

Sample at the Total Wine Beerfest, Jacksonville FL 4-18-2009. Must have some people rating here that either don’t like Wit’s or dont like beer. ( a 1.8 would be a Bud Light or similar trash!) This was an amped up version of a typical Wit, and very well done. All the right flavors, but in a big brew, and more sweetness than expected. Excellent.

Well, overall, I don’t know how ’white’ this stuff really is; it’s kinda misleading. Looks more like a pale yellow hazey wheat. Smell is good but a little volitile. Whisky orange and banana bubblegum impact on the taste buds. Rather strange and overthe top in alky. Alky in yer face. Tho it is alky forward, I don’t think it has the 10+% stated here. Nearly annoying at times. Rude and unbarable finish....go figure!