toddbates (95), USA
Jan 18, 2008 Bottle compliments of jehoey. As soon as you pop the top on this beer the aroma overwhelms your senses and the flavor does not disappoint.
 AdamGott (190), Idaho Falls, Idaho, USA
Jan 18, 2008 Wow. Probably the most excellently balanced EXTREME beer that I have ever had. Nice strong malty flavor blends well with the hops and then the warming effect from the higher alcohol level kicks in. My friend picked this up for me in Vegas and now I am extremely dissapointed that I can’t buy it here (Idaho).
Ok, halfway through the beer I have decided that the hops are probably quite a bit overdone and my over-exuberant 4.6 initial rating is getting knocked down a bit.
giberti (4), Rochester, Minnesota, USA
does not count  Jan 17, 2008 I’ve sampled a number of very hop heavy beers and this one hasn’t made me happy yet. This is the second time I’ve sampled this beer and I’m just not loving it. The hops are just too bitter with little reward left for the consumer.
ejdischer (11), Cromwell, Connecticut, USA
Jan 17, 2008 First off, NOT FOR EVERYONE. Flavor is amazing . If you like hops, you’ll love this. Cloudy for a lager. Tingling upon hitting the inside of the mouth. Hops somehow are not overpowering. They really got this right. Although $10 for a 4 pack is a tough spend.
biggmike (480), Hattiesburg, Mississippi, USA
Jan 17, 2008 Poured a murky golden/orangey color with pillowy white head that hung around a while. Aroma is quite hoppy with malty undertones. Flavor is also quite hoppy without being overly bitter and is balanced fairly well with the maltiness. Still, there is something missing that I can’t put my finger on. Maybe, I’m not a fan of Hallertau hops. Good mouthfeel, but alcohol comes through on finish. Good, but not really what I expected.
Maverick34 (686), New York, USA
Jan 16, 2008 2007 bottle. Too hoppy for my taste even though i expected it.it just didn’twork for me.
BobbyW3363 (154), Birmingham, Alabama, USA
Jan 16, 2008 2007 release. Pours a nice hazy golden color with a nice white head. Aroma of caramel and hops. Flavor is very bitter grapefruit-like hops against a caramel sweet malt background. Thick-bodied with a bitter finish. Pretty good... I seem to remember liking the 2005 version more.
marksahara (79), Atlanta, Georgia, USA
Jan 15, 2008 12 oz. bottle - 2007 vintage. Aroma is intensely saturated with citrus and floral hops, with a slight background of malt. Pours a hazy goldenrod with ~2 fingers worth of generously white fluffy crown, good retention and lacing. Flavour is significantly and intensely hoppy all the way through the taste with an immense malt backbone. There are some underlying roasty tones in the malt, which provide some balance to the monster hop bitterness. I am a hophead and I never knew Hallertau Mittelfrueh hops could be that bitter and provide that much hop flavour in a beer. Mouthfeel is medium-bodied, somewhat viscous and resinous, with moderate to spritely carbonation, enhancing the hop spiciness. Finish is very crisp, leaving a hoppy aroma in the mouth with a lingering bitterness that slowly dissipates. This is by far the best Sam Adams brew I have ever had, but it is definitely a sipper. I am going to experiment by cellaring a beer from this year’s vintage to see how it develops by next year - I predict the roasted malt tones to emerge and the hop bitterness to subside a bit, so we’ll see. Too bad this is not available year-round. It is a bit pricey but I don’t mind spending $2.50 per bottle each year to drink this on special occasions - this is definitely my beer version of a champagne.
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