The Swill: Samuel Adams Imperial White
The Still: Boston Beer Company
Boston, Massachusetts
http://www.samueladams.com/
The Drill: Imperial White Ale, 12oz bottle, 10.3% ABV
The Spill: The brewers at Sam Adams have launched a new series of beers called the Imperial Series. Each of the three beers in this line are brewed to be big. The Imperial White is a wheat ale, a style not typically known for bigness. However, this one is an enormous, exquisite exception. It pours a hazy, orange-copper color with a cream-colored head. The nose is citrusy and orangy, with more hop character than usually found in a wheat beer. The mouthfeel is delightful: malty and a tad syrupy. Carbonation is plentiful in a glass, but not so much that it fizzes on the palate like a Belgian. Taste characteristics include orange, coriander, and lots of malt. The sweet orangy flavor and the thicker mouthfeel give it a candy-like appeal, not unlike the Dogfish Head 90 Minute IPA that's been reviewed previously in this blog.
Says Bill: I really like this beer. It sells for $10 per 4-pack, which is steep, but you're getting a lot of bang per bottle in terms of flavor and alcohol, which, by the way, is well-disguised by the beer's overwhelming personality. Fast fact: the Russians got their hands on some English stout in the 19th century, which was brewed bigger and with more alcohol to help it keep over the long journey. It quickly became a favorite among the nobility, and "imperial stouts" were born. Since then, the term "imperial" has come to mean big, much like "double" has.
Refill?: Finally, a wheat beer that truly kicks ass. Let it kick yours: 4.5 taps out of 5.