Shorts Imperial Spruce India Pilsner

Brewed by Shorts Brewing Co.
Style: Strong Pale Lager/Imperial Pils
Bellaire, Michigan USA

Serve in Dimpled mug, Footed Pilsner, Lager glass, Stein

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(750ml bottle) Pours a hazy golden body with a moderate white head. Aroma is very foul with notes of rotten eggs and spruce. Flavor of spruce, grass, and some offensive herbal qualities. I found this to be one of the less desirable beers I have had in quite awhile, though others that I shared this with raved about it. To each their own, I suppose. Interesting as I typically enjoy spruce beers.

GABF 2007: Poured a hazy yellow color with a white head. The aroma had huge spruce notes. It smelled like I was humping a tree in the forest. Big spruce flavor as well. The spruce is very dominant but it feels so right. Moderate bitterness on the finish that grows.. Sweet malty middle. Warming sensation is nice. Semi-dry finish.

Date: 10/11/2007
Mode: Bottle
Source: Brewfest, GABF

clear yellow, huge off white head, spicy pine aroma back by light sweet malt, sweet malt flavor balanced by strong spicy spruce, nice bitter finish more from the spruce than the hops,

Aroma: 7/10; Appearance: 7/10; Flavor: 7/10; Palate: 6/10; Overall: 15/20
Rating: 3.6/5.0
Drinkability: 8/10
Score: **4

From a 750ml Bottle. Purchased at the brewpub 9/2/07. Pours a somewhat hazy, dandelion gold color with a firm finger of creamy white head. Tons of blue spruce immediately overwhelms the nostrils, fresh and bursting with Christmas tree incense. A soft malty base lingers quietly in the background, careful to not interrupt the spruce soliloquy. There’s a distinct corn-like character to the malts in the nose, but it’s clean and not DMS. Full bodied mouthfeel that rides that border between sticky and creamy. The malt sugars are heavy and weighing on the tongue, but not unpleasantly resiny. Some supple sweet corn and honey dipped pale malts start off the palate, but are quickly overtaken by a crescendo of spruce flavor that continuously builds on the palate until it transforms to a high alpha, white grapefruit hop finish that dries up some of the malt sweetness. A bit too much sweetness and caloric body for my tastes, but the flavors are phenomenal. It’s remarkable and worth pointing out how the bitterness and spruce flavors aren’t hidden or muddled by the heavy body. The blue spruce flavors are intense and insanely authentic; its like chewing on a spruce bough, but doesn’t get overly pungent or astringent; this might be where the thick sugar base helps out some. The balance between spruce and hop flavors is quite impressive too; both are firm, assertive, and satisfying. This beer definitely delivers what it promises.

Taste from a bomber tried at Lost Abbey Brunch with awaisanen, cquiroga, Tomme, Sage and others. I think awaisanen brought it: Thanks Andy! I can’t believe I’m the first to rate this phenominal brew. Wow, what an aroma. It’s like sticking your finger in pine sap, then picking your nose. It’s a wonderful powerful Spruce aroma. Creamy full head that dies slowly. Pale, slightly cloudy yellow color. Nice pleasant bitterness and leans toward the sweeter side. A bottle of pure fun!