Samuel Adams Imperial Pilsner

The color itself is magnificent. An opaque, deep burnt apricott. Somewhat of a Sauterne bouquet with the earthy acitone, and a hint of chared citrus malt. Pours a tall, dense head with good hangtime. Superb lacework consisting of a full silky canopy w/ a few islands and a full, fluffy ring. The palate is super full bodied, almost like jello. I get alot of flavors here. Malted citrus up front turns to caramel, creamed coffee, butterscotch, and leather. I caught a glimpse of smoke. It’s pretty hoppy and hides the alcohol well. With everything I’ve mentioned I have to certainly call this a very complex Pilsner, unlike any I’ve ever had. One thing I’ve noticed, you can swirl the brew into a thick lather down to the last drop. Overall: Intense, complex, thorough, and most definatley enjoyable. I got one bottle this vintage and can’t wait for the next. I highly recommend.

What a wonderful beer. The brewers at Sam Adams really did it with this one. A wonderful imerial pilsner that I would recommend to the beer lover.

Pretty close to the perfect beer on the planet. I havent rated a 5 yet, but I reserve the right to go back and give it to this one. Cloudy amber, light pumpkin color with a full white head. Nose is hop explosion. Alot of graperuit, piney resin, pineapple and lemomgrass perfectly balanced with the sweet, biscuity malts. Expertly carbonated, with a medium body an smooth finish. A Sam Adams finest.

Wow! Pours like hazy gold with orange notes, or hazy orange with golden notes, either way it’s gorgeous. Nice foamy with head that dissipates fairly quick but leaves some decent lace in its path. Highly fragrant with all the citrus, pine, and sweet fruit presence that I crave. Flavor is well balanced with a sweet malty palate that dances with alcohol sprinkles and finishes in a nearly brutal hops assault. Honestly, to me, this beer is damned near perfect.

Obtained from the kind folks at Bullock’s in Marietta, Georgia, who were kind enough to hold onto their limited supply of this beer in the back until I showed up. Thank you folks, that is some customer service. Anyway, on to the review.

The 24 oz. bomber packaging, and a label different from the rest of the family line were the first hints that this was a different kind of Sam Adams beer. The pour confirmed the Über status of this Pils. Thick, cloudy, and deep orange, the beer looked much more imposing than its pedestrian non-imperial brethren. The head was relatively small at first, and all but vanished shortly after pouring.

The smell was a showcase of spicy and grassy noble hops. If you are susceptible to hay fever, you better watch yourself, or you might sneeze in this one. The only detriments to the fresh cut hop smell were the occasional alcoholic fumes. But hey, how much ABV can you hide under the pale malts.

The taste was even hoppier than the smell, with a salt and pepper pungent zing that was the primary taste overtaking all others. The malts were difficult to notice under this assault, but they were sweet and unobtrusive with nary a tinge of graininess. There was a bit of an apricot taste detectable as the beer got warmer. I couldn’t help but grin with each gulp as the hoppy waves washed over the tongue and down to my throat. That’s right folks I said gulp, since this has to be one of the most drinkable 8% ABV beers out there.

Mouthfeel was thick and juicy, and aftertaste longingly dry. A minimalist masterpiece, this seemingly simple beer just won me over. The draw here was neither the complexity of flavor, nor the potential of aging. Instead it was like a fresh bread coming out of the oven, aromatic, filling, easy to partake, and flawless.