Sam Adams Hallertau Imperial Pilsner

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Sam Adams Hallertau Imperial Pilsner

Unread postby Brewer » Fri Dec 28, 2007 1:39 pm

I didn't drink any bourbon on Christmas Day, but I did get to enjoy a couple of these Imperial Pilsners. I have to say, this is the best Pilsner I have EVER had. I'd also say that I don't even typically like Pilsners, finding them to bland. Not this bad boy! It is loaded with malty, hoppy flavors. It packs a punch too, at 8.8% alcohol. Upnon pouring the beer into a nice tall glass, there was lots of those nice tiny bubbles, forming a wonderful head. Before tasting, you have to savor the wonderful aroma of this beer. The aroma is a great prelude to the super taste sensations that await you. It is awesome!

For a little info regarding this beer, the back label says in part: "Yes we're a little obsessed with hops. Every autumn I (Jim Koch) travel to Bavaria to hand select the prized Noble Hallertau Mittelfruch hops. We are celebrating these extraordinary hops with our Imperial Pilsner. This one-of-a-kind brew uses enourmous, almost reckless, quantities of hops, which give the beer an unmatched flavor dimension and complexity."

This beer has been hard to find. I'd tasted it months earlier at a birthday party, and had been seeking it out on LI ever since. Finally it showed up at a local distributor. It is a bit expensive: $12 for a 4-pack, but well worth the price once you enjoy the lucious flavors of this beer. When I think that the price is $3 per bottle, its not so bad when compared to what I'd pay for a crappy beer at a bar. If you can find this beer, and you love hops, give this a try. You won't be sorry!
Bob
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Re: Sam Adams Hallertau Imperial Pilsner

Unread postby OldJack » Sun Jul 27, 2008 8:28 pm

Interesting to find this post. I was also impressed by this brew. My usual beers of choice are stouts and high-alpha ales. (High alpha means "hopped out the freakin' wazoo" for those who don't speak fluent beer.) I don't care fort most lagers because most of them taste slightly skunky even when fresh- I suspect something about the fermentation process invites some flavores I don't care for.

With the oomph of the added hops, that twang I taste in most lagers is gone. Instead, the bitterness of the hops is balanced by the crispness in the finish inherent to lagering. It is just beautiful.

That said, it ain't for the faint of heart. I'm pretty sure SAHIP can make the tongue of most Bud drinkers go into spasm.
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Re: Sam Adams Hallertau Imperial Pilsner

Unread postby Brewer » Mon Jul 28, 2008 10:21 am

OldJack,

I'm glad someone else had the pleasure of tasting this beer, and thanks for sharing your thoughts. I too am a "hop head" and was definitely not disappointed in terms of hop aroma and flavor with this exceptional beer from Sam Adams. I wouldn't imagine any of it would still be on store shelves, but if you like well flavored beers, give this a try.
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Re: Sam Adams Hallertau Imperial Pilsner

Unread postby PaulO » Wed Jul 30, 2008 9:45 am

Have either of you tried Hop Slam by Bells? It is another highly hopped beer. I had it a few weeks ago at the Indiana Microbrewer's Festival. I gather that if a lot of hops are added as finishing hops (or dry hopping) the beer picks up more of the floral charecterisics and less of the bitterness. I have a home brewer friend that adds so much hops to his home brew. It's like he's trying to prove it's home brew to everyone. Usually I like wheat beers and stouts the best. Some IPAs are good too.
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Re: Sam Adams Hallertau Imperial Pilsner

Unread postby BuffaloBill » Tue Dec 30, 2008 12:07 pm

Innaresting... I've had this 4-Pack in my hands two or three times over the holidays while shopping around and didn't buy it due to the high alcohol content. I was thinking it would be all alcohol and no flavor - passed on it. Now I'll be getting some for sure... Thanks guys! BB
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Re: Sam Adams Hallertau Imperial Pilsner

Unread postby Brewer » Sat Jan 10, 2009 1:21 pm

BB,

Did you get to buy this brew? I'd like to know what you thought about it.

This Pilsner was available on LI for a short time, and I bought a bit more, since it is soooo good.
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Re: Sam Adams Hallertau Imperial Pilsner

Unread postby BuffaloBill » Wed Jan 21, 2009 10:42 am

Haven't found any around since the holidays... BB
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Re: Sam Adams Hallertau Imperial Pilsner

Unread postby Brewer » Fri Jan 23, 2009 9:54 am

When, if, you see it, you have to buy as much as you can, while you can!
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