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Samuel Adams Imperial Pilsner

Samuel Adams Imperial Pilsner  - European Strong Lager

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 Percentile 
96
overall
Brewed by Boston Beer Company
Style: European Strong Lager

Boston, Massachusetts USA

bottled
common

on tap
unknown

Broad Distribution
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 Ratings  Average  Score  Seasonal  ABV  Style Pctl  Serve in 
9563.73/5.03.72/5.0Special8.8%99.2Lager glass
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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?  
 Taverner (822), San Ramon, California, USA
4 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
5/105/58/104/518/20
Dec 5, 2007    Updated: Jan 28, 2009
I love the hops - they hit with a strong pine flavor. The flavor is crisp - for an IPA lover as myself this is awesome. Pours a rich copper with a lot of head that sticks around (as it should in a good Pils) The malt is barely noticeable - its the hops that dominate this one. 2008 Batch: Very nice - marking this one up to 4.


 17thfloor (1402), Chicago, Illinois, USA
3.9 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
8/104/58/104/515/20
Dec 5, 2007    Updated: Oct 23, 2008
[Rerate 8 / 4 / 8 / 4 / 15] Fresh 08 Bottle - Pours a clear orange with a medium fluffy off-white head. Piney aroma, some grapefruit, resin, sweet caramel, and a bit of tropical fruit which is unexpected. Medium mouthful with very active fluffy carbonation. Flavor is off-dry biscuit with tons of salty and bitter hops. I would not recommend drinking this without some good blue-cheese! [ 9 / 4 / 7 / 4 / 15 Smells like a pine tree, a little less annoying than that of dfh i.i.p.a. Amber pour with medium white fluffy/sudsy head. Sweet caramel malt with some sharp and spicy hops to follow. Very intense, lots of bitter. Salty finish. ]


 shintriad (698), Toronto, Ontario, Canada
4.5 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
9/105/58/105/518/20
Dec 4, 2007  
This is even better than I could imagine, on par with the Alpha King...yet more so. Cloudy, coppery orange with a slick wall of lacing that isn’t going anywhere. The fresh, exotic hop scent is right on the money, lets you know you’re drinking a beer with balls. One of the stickiest mouthfeels I’ve ever had in a beer, much less a Pils. Full, soft carbonation with a grapefruit-soda like sweetness and a harsh bitterness in the finish and maybe even wine-like astringency, but it’s at an almost perfect level of balance. Not sure all that alcohol was necessary. Other than that, this is a wickedly good take on the style.


chrisbaar (10), Dixon, Illinois, USA
4.1 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
9/104/59/104/515/20
Dec 4, 2007  
Bottle. A cloudy orange beer, similar in color to an unfiltered wheat. The first thing you notice with this beer is the nose, and it packs a wallop. Very pungent aroma from the Hallertau hops. I am a bit of a hop nut so I did enjoy it, at least through the first two bottles. The taste is malty and somewhat sweet when you finally cut through the extremely strong hop taste. An impressive brew, definitely not for a new or novice beer drinker.


 dmac (1417), Toms River, New Jersey, USA
4 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
7/104/58/104/517/20
Dec 4, 2007  
12 oz 2007 bottle purchased at Ocean W&S. Pours a hazy cloudy orange with some fine bubbles clinging to the side of my pilsner glass and an awesome thick frothy white head that looks like it should be eaten with a spoon. Mild aroma does not reveal the pleasure your taste buds are about to expierence. Aroma of fresh hops and caramel malt. Full chewy body that is highly quaffable with just the right touch of carbonation and finishes with a nice bite. Flavor of citrus hops, caramel and a slight touch of grain. Really well done and a nice suprise from Sam, way to go.


dmccuiston (3), midlothian, Virginia, USA
does not count click to see why this rating of Samuel Adams Imperial Pilsner  does not count
4.1 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
9/104/58/104/516/20
Dec 2, 2007  
Beautiful hazy orange brown pour with a nice thick cream head. The aroma is a sign of what’s to come - HOPS!! A true hop-head delight with hops at the beginning, middle and end. Suprisiing beer all the way around. Nice ABV content that will absolutely sneak up on you. This is not your typical Sam Adams.


 pantanap (1322), Chicago, Illinois, USA
3.3 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
7/104/56/103/513/20
Dec 1, 2007  
bottle....pours a hazy orange brown with a medium sized white to off-white head....nose is very hop assertive dominated by grapefruit and other flower-like aromas....very hoppy flavor to go along with the aroma that leaves a lot of bitterness in the finish. flavor was also a little grassy as well which, to me, made it taste a little off.


 f351c4v (404), Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, USA
3.8 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
8/104/58/104/514/20
Dec 1, 2007  
Pours a cloudy, amber color with a large, fluffy white head. Big, fresh hop aroma, very crisp, minimal citrusy scent. Slick bodied and yes, it’s very hoppy. Sharp, dry finish, lingering bitterness. Hard to believe you’re drinking a Sam Adams! Worth picking up.



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