Samuel Adams Imperial Pilsner

Brewed by Boston Beer Company
Style: Strong Pale Lager/Imperial Pils
Boston, Massachusetts USA

Serve in Lager glass

12 oz. bottle. Pours a cloud, deep gold with hints of light orange. The foam is thick and consists of fine, small bubbles at first - but they slowly collapse into one another forming ever larger bubbles until a thin layer of off-white foam remains, consisting of medium-sized bubbles. The aroma is heavenly. It definitely reminds me of Samuel Adams Boston Lager - big German Hallertauer hop nose and what smells like the same yeast. The aroma also has other decadent layers beneath the hops: lemon meringue and poundcake with a slight lacing of ethanol. The malts provide a vinous quality to the aroma that blends nicely with the hops. The flavor is quite pleasant - the front of the tongue detects a pleasant amount of biscuity, sweet malts, balanced by a strong, but no overpowering, level of bitter hops. The carbonation zing blends with the bitterness to provide something akin to acidity - but not unpleasant (almost refreshing, in fact). The middle of the tongue picks up on the battle waged between sweet, caramel malts and spicy, noble hops. It is great while it lasts. But therein lies the strange part - it doesn’t last long. The finish is very dry and peculiarly short-lived. The beer finishes with only the faintest memories of sweet malts and big, bitter hops (some alcohol, too). The mouthfeel is excellent - perfect level of carbonation for this type of brew. It lends a nice. crisp zing to the tongue. Overall - a knockout beer. Perhaps I say that because I love hops. The only thing disappointing is the finish - it is simply too short-lived. It makes the tongue feel dry and unloved. Perhaps this is an artifact of the incredible amount of hops (supposedly 110 IBUs, and -unlike many other heavy-hitters- this bitterness level was actually *measured*, not just calculated/projected).

Imperial Hallertau Pilsener-I had this a few years ago, the rating is based on what I remember. Overpowering hop bitterness, I believe the flavors were mostly pine, some citrus. Malt was in the background. A great beer for a hophead like me.

Had this beer a long time ago, hard to remember it, but I remembered it being a very solid crisp beer.... A lot better than I expected for a pilsner, considering I’m not a particularly big fan of the style...

Quite the looker, pouring a hazy orange with a lasting thick head. Aroma is bland, though, malty and nondescript. The taste explodes with thick toffee and caramel malt sweetness, only to have this sugary front swept aside by a thick, floral, resinous swipe of Hallertau hops. The finish lasts for days, but is tempered by the honeybun-like malts that stick around for the finale. Solid, smooth, perky texture, I’d drink this again if it ever shows up in SC. (4/24/09)

i think they road tested this one before coming out with their noble pils to see if they could replace their white ale for the spring seasonal. draft selection, clear yellow with no head or lacing, sterile abv flavor with some hoppy floral characteristics. macro carbonation but with some spiciness that makes it a little more enjoyable than i thought, but overall, another so-so effort from sam adams.

Review from notes, sampled 12/14/2007 Sampled this at the German Beer Festival and later out of a bottle. Pours a cloudy golden orangey color with a fluffy white head that just wouldn’t quit. Carbonation on this one is a bit on the high side. Smell is overwhelming hops, but not the spicy or citrusy smell that one would expect from an ipa with "c" hops in it. Definitely a much more flower like smell. The taste didn’t really do it for me. Very bitter as one would expect, but not a flavorful bitter. Maybe my pallet isn’t ready for this beer, but I would have liked some grapefruit, or citrus flavors in with the bitter, but it just wasn’t there. Medium body with bitterness all around. I saved a couple of bottles of this and I think it will be really interesting to see how these hold up over time. As they are now, I think they are a bit harsh.

Poured into a pokal. 4.5 A: Medium orange color. Clear, but not crystal clear. Two fingers of thick frothy head with good retention and lots of lacing. 4.0 S: Mainly citrus. A little earthy with freshly cut grass. A hint of sweetness. 3.5 T: Again citrus (grapefruit and mandarin foremost). I’m getting hints of some woodiness as well. Begins sweet with a bitter finish. There’s actually a lot of sweetness, but it’s a roller coaster ride from sweet to bitter with every sip. Not only is this beer unbalance, but it’s unbalanced twice because of what was already mentioned. Still, the sweet part is good and the bitter part is good as well, but my tastebuds aren’t up for the craziness. It’s like transfering fish from hot water to cold water and back again several times only much less torturous. 4.0 M: Medium body. Moderately creamy with good carbonation. 3.0 D: The brew is good, but one beer is plenty due to the crazy revolving taste. Serving type: bottle Reviewed on: 01-28-2009 02:37:22

4th February 2008
Golden hazy beer. Smooth palate. Lots of intense hop fruit and all round hoppy goodness. Delicious and hugely drinkable.

Pours a Golden Color with aromas of malty red licorice. Taste is very malty with an intense hop finish. Very bitter at the end... like a bad break up.