Samuel Adams Imperial White Ale

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

2009 Bottle. Aroma of malt and apricots. Appears orange to brown with very little head. Tastes of alcohol and malts with a strong aftertaste of apricot. Well balanced, but a bit edgy toward the end. Overall a great beer.

I’m gonna go a bit above because I am also partial to wits in a more pure or bastardized form like we have here. A nice take off on the traditional style. Darker color than other wits. On the nose, cloves a bit of orange maybe? Nice finish leaves the palate but also reminds you that you are drinking a 10% beer. A bit of warming alcohol in there as well, a wit that would work nicely in the winter or on a cooler spring day perhaps. I would not say all that complex, but I would not expect this type of beer to be. I am glad though that we are able to get this beer easier now where I am at.

Wow, okay this sucker is strong. It’s good, but strong. Pours a cloudy amber with a good spice to the smell. The thing that really hit me was how creamy it was. It’s thicker than most American beers, and that is definitely not a bad thing.

Pretty solid brew here. Not too special or unique, but not unpretentious. It is an American version of something Germans and Belgians can do better. So not the best, but the stark ABV pays its dividends all the while. Thumbs up, though it won’t be a standard for me.

Bottle. Cloudy amber body with a fizzy, off-white head. Nice aroma of tangerine, coriander, banana, caramel and wheat with a hint of flowers, but just a hint. The flavor is moderatley to heavily sweet and lightly bitter. It finishes moderately sweet and lightly bitter and moderately acidic. Strong spicy tastes with some citrus and alcohol in the finish. Full body with a sticky texture and moderate carbonation. This does more than push the boundaries of a witbier. It falls off the edge, losing any semblence of being dry, crisp, refreshing or fully carbonated. Too sweet. Too sticky. Too spicy. But the aroma is very nice.

Bottle. Pours orange with an off white head. Juicy malty aroma with light citric notes and some spices. Juicy pineapple candy like flavor, with light citrus and not enough spice. Not bad.

12 oz. bottle. Pours a cloudy yellowish brown. Nice off white head. Looks highly carbonated. Wheat, yeast, orange and spice in the nose. The carbonation isn’t as aggressive as I thought it might be. It has a creamy mouthfeel. Tastes of gingerbread, alcohol, and some candy sweetness. Some lemon/coriander is lurking in there too. Sticky mouthfeel in the finish with the candy lingering a bit too long. Too sweet and not in very good balance.

Cloudy orange in color with an average sized off-white head. Aroma is heavy in banana with notes of caramelized sugar and light citrus. Taste is of citrus with light banana notes, yeast and a little honey. The alcohol burn kinda sneaks up on you and in the finish dominates the palate with a hint of a caramel and yeasty aftertaste.