Imperial Pilsner
Lost Coast Brewery and Cafe

Beer Geek Stats
From:
Lost Coast Brewery and Cafe
 
California, United States
Style:
Imperial Pilsner
ABV:
7.5%
Score:
Needs more ratings
Avg:
4.04 | pDev: 7.18%
Reviews:
9
Ratings:
9
Status:
Retired
Rated:
Jun 20, 2009
Added:
Jul 05, 2007
Wants:
  1
Gots:
  0
No description / notes.
Recent ratings and reviews.
Ratings by roan22:
Photo of roan22
Reviewed by roan22 from New Jersey

4.56/5  rDev +12.9%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5
I had this on draft less than a week ago, on Labor Day night, at Teresa's Next Door. I was unfamiliar with this beer, but choosing it ended up being a great "new beer on draft" experience for me. The bartender (Mikey?) was raving about it himself.

Its a perfect sunshine gold color (looked luscious!) served in a traditionally-shaped pilsener glass. Had a fresh white frothy head. Appropriately carbonated. 7.5%

Tastes beautifully crisp. Tiny bit boozy, but its imperiel style so I expected it. Hoppy bite kicks ass...subtley creeps in, but a blast of bitterness keeps my hop craving palate very pleased. Very, very enjoyable beverage and I hate to say it..it rivals Braumeister Pils to me in terms of favorite pilsener. Its west coast too...man its a tough call (for a girl born in California but moved to Pennsylvania at age 10...where we know pilseners).

I'll just say I am thrilled that west coast brewers are doing great, hoppy things in the world of imperiel pilseners. An east coast tradition (well, pilseners anyway). Nice work Lost Coast!
Sep 07, 2008
More User Ratings:
Photo of thain709
Reviewed by thain709 from Pennsylvania

4.06/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
A - Cloudy golden yellow body...1.5 fingers of white head...laces the entire glass

S - Not much on the nose...a few malty aromas

T - I can't believe how wonderfully balanced this beer is...starts off with a sweet caramel malt flavor...then it transitions right into a great hop bitterness...the malts come right back and take the edge off the hops...it's all about the balance

M - Medium bodied...crisp and refreshing

D - This is the best pilsner that I've had to date...and for being an imperial the alcohol is hidden very well...I was very pleased with and look forward to having more
Jun 20, 2009
Photo of John_M
Reviewed by John_M from Washington

4.3/5  rDev +6.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
On tap at the Drafting Room in Exton the other day.

The beer pours a somewhat hazy gold color with good head retention and lacing. I don't get a lot on the nose, just some light biscuit, some pepper and a bit of honey. On the palate, however, this is really delcious. I get sort of tangerine lime flavor, with some interesting honey and biscuit flavors. Mouthfeel is very smooth and long, and I'm impressed by how well balanced this beer seems. There is some light bitterness as well, but it doesn't dominate the beer. Drinkability is exceptional; the alcohol is well disguised and I could easily see myself having several.

Impressive. Can't remember the last time I had a beer from Lost Coast I liked this much. It would be very nice if this beer becomes more available, though I guess that's probably unlikely. Too bad.
Jun 08, 2009
Photo of Hophead101
Reviewed by Hophead101 from Pennsylvania

3.93/5  rDev -2.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4
had the pleasure of tasting this beer at Capone's on 11.19.08 after a work trip with a client in the area.

I only recall ever having a Lost Coast maybe once before, and I don't even know what it was. But here in PA, we don't get much, if any, lost coast beers for our sampling. So I was quite excited to give this beer a shot on draft.

The waitress brought over the beer with a beautiful cloudy amber color to it. Just one of those beers that seemed to be calling out to you to consume. It had a nice thick head, very frothy bubbles and the head stuck around for quite some time. It left a bit of lacing on the glass, but not too much. overall, I very nice and inviting looking beer. The smell was just as inviting, but a little more shy. There was a citrus smell, none in particular, but a balanced citrus smell combined with a nice malty backbone.

Now for the taste, WOW. First impression is a great malty, buttery and creamy taste. But the pleasant surprise was the generous amount of hops contained within this beer. Very happy to have a little extra 'hop' for this imperial pilsner. To top it off it had a nice subtle but evident alcohol twinge in the palate. Kind of has a bourbon aged taste to it.

The mouthfeel on this beer is great. Nice complete mouth coverage with the taste in a soft and delicate manner and has that little alcohol kick to turn it up a notch.

This is quite a nice beer and highly recommend trying.
Nov 20, 2008
Photo of NJpadreFan
Reviewed by NJpadreFan from New Jersey

3.53/5  rDev -12.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Lost Coast- Imp. Pilsner

On tap at Isaac Newton's- Newtown, PA

A- Deep cloudy orange with a thick foamy head.
S- Big spicy orange peel aroma. Grassy hops and alc very present.
T- Hot alc, spicy black pepper, yeast, and orange peel.
M- Dry and spicy with a thick sweet malty finish. Hot alc. pinches.

Overall- A bit spicy hot for a pils but good malt, hops, and a dry finish make this a good evening sipper.
Sep 15, 2008
Photo of msubulldog25
Reviewed by msubulldog25 from Oregon

4.08/5  rDev +1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5
Several times I've tried this imperial pilsner, each time from a keg (that has lasted well over a month) at Bailey's Taproom (Portland, OR). Well, once at Concordia Ale House, too. Poured to an imperial pint each time.

A: Orange-ish/golden color with plenty of light, cascading carbonation. Capped with a white creamy head, nearly a finger high, and graced with a lovely lace trailing down the entire glass. Really couldn't ask for a much nicer looking beer...

S: Crackery/bready malt, slightly salty? Nice hints of herbalness and flowers/grass.

T: Amply full of malty sweetness and a sourdough bread maltiness. Herbal hop bittering. A slightly tart flavor of citrus fruit lingers in a finish that is otherwise quite dry.

M: It's hard to conceal 7.5% abv in this pilsner; it creeps out with a bit of unwelcome heat. Still the mouthfeel retains a moderate crispness and finishes dry. Bone dry.

D: Not perfect, but I do love this beer. I realized that I've had this 4 times in less than 4 weeks, which means it's something I keep coming back to for a reason. And that reason is that it's very good. Smooth, full-flavored and deceptively easy to drink...another one I'd recommend.
Sep 08, 2007
Photo of DUNDERBAK
Reviewed by DUNDERBAK from Florida

4.22/5  rDev +4.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
Tasted on a hot Tampa day, on draught, Beautiful yet hazed copper gold appearance with a nice Lacey head, good legs typical at 7% and up.
Aroma, not your classic European pilsen, oh, but the American hops, Right? Doesn't taste like saaz, nevertheless, so much hops needed to balance such a malty lager, they hit the mark as Lost Coast often does.
Not as sweet as a few American Pilsen home brews I've had and many may say the hop may be too much with regard to the light malts, but to hell with them!
No DMS, apparently no adjuncts, just a great beer on a hot summer day, But after two or three I can't find my lawnmower.
Jul 29, 2007
Photo of flexabull
Reviewed by flexabull from California

3.81/5  rDev -5.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4
Found this on tap at the Mt. Shasta Resort.

Pours a slightly hazy bright gold color with a firm but small head.

Aromas are faint, a bit of spice and floral smells. But not much on the nose.

Flavor is full, with a very creamy character. Some spices, yeast flavor, a touch of green fruits, and a nice clean floral hop bite on the finish.

Mouthfeel is nice on this one. Supple, smooth and clean. Very full and thick in the mouth.

Drinkability is pretty good. Not a really an easy beer to knock back, it's a bit stiff on the ABV. But it's quite tasty and worth a try.
Jul 06, 2007
Photo of CWiggins
Reviewed by CWiggins from North Carolina

3.85/5  rDev -4.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
I was offered a sample of this by the 'tender at Tyler's in Durham,NC. Knowing that I need to try more pilsners, I opted for the full serving. It came in a Lost Coast pint glass, showcasing its cloudy, dark yellow color and bright golden highlights. The one-finger head lingered for a short while, then a thin, off-white foam remained until the last drop was consumed.

A bit of spice accented the aroma, which mostly consisted of citrus and hops. On the first gulp I knew I was on to something special: the flavor was quite yeasty, with a floral stress in the middle and followed by a clean, hoppy finish. I was impressed by the thick, creamy texture of the whole experience, and I certainly enjoyed the bread-like feel of the aftertaste.

I admit to not having a lot of experience with pilsner-style beers; the fact of the matter is that I just don't find them very interesting. Lost Coast's Imperial Pilsner and other strong pilsners may be very worth investigating for those who share my lack of enthusiasm!
Jul 05, 2007
Imperial Pilsner from Lost Coast Brewery and Cafe
Beer rating: 4.04 out of 5 with 9 ratings