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Samuel Adams Imperial Pilsner

Percentile
96
overall

bottled
common

on tap
unknown

Broad Distribution
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RatingsAverageScoreSeasonalABVStyle PctlServe in
9573.73/5.03.72/5.0Special8.8%99.2Lager 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.
 Most Recent Top Raters Highest Ratings Who's Rated This?  
 taalhiker (179), Dayton, Ohio, USA
3.5 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
8/103/57/103/514/20
Sep 26, 2008  
From bottle. Pours a cloudy amber with small off-white head. Aromas of floral hops and citrus. Thinner than I hoped for. Decent finish.


 harrisoni (6770), Ashford, Kent, England
3.6 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
8/103/58/103/514/20
Sep 20, 2008  
Bottle from a trade with someone off RB. Very hazy orange gold with thick cream head. Big heavy sherbert green hop aroma. Big leafy hop aroma. I mean, wow. That is an intense hop experience. Difficult to say what the base beer is as it is just so strangled and dominated by the hop. Yeah, a really interesting beer. But seriously, just too many hops. It is a pilsner? No. I don’t know what to say. Yes, I love tons of hop, so yes, it brings a massive smile to my face. But as a balanced, well made beer? Just too much. Too hoppy? Yes.


 johntreeter (122), Greenwood, Indiana, USA
4.8 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
10/104/510/105/519/20
Sep 1, 2008  
12oz brewery fresh before Jan 08. Pours a very hazy amber orange color with a dense one finger off white head that laced to the bottom. Aroma is the breath of the hop gods. Even after months of sitting in the store the citus and floral aromas of the hops are intense and green, like opening a package of hops for brewing. Flavor is almost all hops. Citrus, earth tones, and green hops dominate the sense of taste, yet the bitterness is very slight. The sweet maltyness it seems you have to wait for while the hops take a slight break in the long lingering finish. Light med body, soft mild carb, almost syrupy texture, and dry hoppy feel. This is probably a little out of "style", but one of the best beers I have ever drank and it seems to age very well.


 Imaena (259), Portland, Maine, USA
3.6 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
8/103/57/103/515/20
Aug 22, 2008  
Bottle from 4 pack 08’. Pours a ruddy orange amber with nice bone white head. Cirus and floral hops abound in the nose. Bitter and thin bodied. Hops explode in this. Interesting brew.


 kosko20 (302), Bemidji, Minnesota, USA
4.1 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
8/105/58/104/516/20
Aug 16, 2008  
So I forgot to rate this...don’t know how because I poured it next to Bell’s Hopslam and compared that way. Its tough to compare the beer to something like Hopslam but oh well. Aroma is strong hops, earthy notes of pine mostly, and also in there are lemons, floral and malt. Appearance is top notch, a nice semi-cloudy orange-red with an off white head. Flavor is hops, then afterthoughts of pine, malt, and lemons. Palate is thin bodied but with a nice bitter kick. Enjoyable, will buy and drink more.


HyreOne (9), York, South Carolina, USA
does not count click to see why this rating of Samuel Adams Imperial Pilsner  does not count
3.8 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
8/104/58/104/514/20
Aug 15, 2008  
Nice straw color with a little haze. Not much of a head - little lacy (maybe my glass is dirty). Smells of hops and malt. Strong hop flavor and nice bite. Malt tries to balance with flavor and aftertaste. Little bit more than medium mouth feel. A bit warming alcohol after taste. Keep forgetting this isn’t an Imperial IPA.


 NomDeBeer (399), Maryland, USA
4.1 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
8/104/58/104/517/20
Aug 14, 2008    Updated: Mar 9, 2009
Why doesn’t Sam Adams make more beers like this? Definitely their best offering that I’ve ever had. Incredible hop aroma, flavor, and bite. Earthy notes of grass and hay but just enough malt sweetness, body, and alcohol to back it up.


 alobar (1014), Harleysville, Pennsylvania, USA
3.8 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
7/104/58/104/515/20
Aug 12, 2008  
Thick cloudy amber color with a tall soapy head. Powerful aroma of hops with excellent lacing. Lots of hops in the taste. Bitter but with a nice sweet balance. Best Sam Adams I’ve ever had.



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