Samuel Adams Imperial White | Boston Beer Company (Samuel Adams)
Brewed by:
Boston Beer Company (Samuel Adams)
Massachusetts, United States
samueladams.com
Style: Witbier
Alcohol by volume (ABV): 10.30%
Availability: Year-round
Notes / Commercial Description:
No notes at this time.
Added by Jason on 01-16-2009
View: Beers | Place Reviews | Events
Ratings: 1,283 | Reviews: 643
Reviews by PrimScrewhead:
4.5/5 rDev +30.1%
PrimScrewhead, Jan 19, 2012
More User Reviews:
3.25/5 rDev -6.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3
Pours a hazy orange honey color with a small frothy white head. Excellent head retention and lacing. Flavor is overpowering spice, very sweet and honey like. It's tough to get past the over use of spices and honey but its definitely says "hey I'm here" to your tongue. The malts are a bit over-powering too. The alcohol is all there but I found myself not wanting to finish this.
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look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3
Pours a hazy orange honey color with a small frothy white head. Excellent head retention and lacing. Flavor is overpowering spice, very sweet and honey like. It's tough to get past the over use of spices and honey but its definitely says "hey I'm here" to your tongue. The malts are a bit over-powering too. The alcohol is all there but I found myself not wanting to finish this.
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4.35/5 rDev +25.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Pours a translucent light carmel. Solid finger of sticky thick head with ample lacing. Looks great.
Candy sugar, booze. Belgian yeasty, with a hint of citrus hops. Lots of delicious malt in there.
Hmm, awesome. Lots of malty booze like a Barley Wine. The Belgian Candy sugar hits (kinda a sweet bite). Hops are a faint thought in this beverage. Taint of bitter and smidgen of aroma.
Good thick body. Might be a little syrupy, though not sure you can get away from that at this ABV. Warms the throat, and ends with malt lovers Belgian dreams.
Feels a little over the top. Id be inclined to try this at ~8% ABV. I can only do 2 or so of these before it gets too much.
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look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Pours a translucent light carmel. Solid finger of sticky thick head with ample lacing. Looks great.
Candy sugar, booze. Belgian yeasty, with a hint of citrus hops. Lots of delicious malt in there.
Hmm, awesome. Lots of malty booze like a Barley Wine. The Belgian Candy sugar hits (kinda a sweet bite). Hops are a faint thought in this beverage. Taint of bitter and smidgen of aroma.
Good thick body. Might be a little syrupy, though not sure you can get away from that at this ABV. Warms the throat, and ends with malt lovers Belgian dreams.
Feels a little over the top. Id be inclined to try this at ~8% ABV. I can only do 2 or so of these before it gets too much.
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3.56/5 rDev +2.9%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
This might be the most visually attractive beer I've ever had. Served in a pilsner glass, the beer was a hazy red/orange color with a thick white head and plenty of lacing. Spicy orange aroma, like those Christmas ornaments stuck with cloves. Mostly citrus (orange) taste, faint spice, and malt. But way too sweet! Cloyingly sweet. One and done.
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look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
This might be the most visually attractive beer I've ever had. Served in a pilsner glass, the beer was a hazy red/orange color with a thick white head and plenty of lacing. Spicy orange aroma, like those Christmas ornaments stuck with cloves. Mostly citrus (orange) taste, faint spice, and malt. But way too sweet! Cloyingly sweet. One and done.
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3.62/5 rDev +4.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Presentation: It was poured from a brown 12oz bottle into a tulip glass.
Appearance: From the pour I got a bright orange body with lighter yellow hues at the sides of the glass. (This is much darker than a standard White or Witt beer.) On top was tall creamy off white head with fairly good staying power for a 10+% beer. It slowly fades to a wisp thin layer that makes some slick lacing.
Smell: The aroma has notes of spicy yeast, coriander, and orange peel back up by a mild boozy maltiness.
Taste/Palate: It has a warm and sweet overall character. There is a solid bready and wheat malt base with hints of spice, yeast, and bitter orange peel. Hops are light and blend into the background and the big abv adds warmth. The palate is full, smooth and slightly slick.
Notes: It’s much heavier and less drinkable than a normal Witt beer. This is interesting but way out of style.
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look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Presentation: It was poured from a brown 12oz bottle into a tulip glass.
Appearance: From the pour I got a bright orange body with lighter yellow hues at the sides of the glass. (This is much darker than a standard White or Witt beer.) On top was tall creamy off white head with fairly good staying power for a 10+% beer. It slowly fades to a wisp thin layer that makes some slick lacing.
Smell: The aroma has notes of spicy yeast, coriander, and orange peel back up by a mild boozy maltiness.
Taste/Palate: It has a warm and sweet overall character. There is a solid bready and wheat malt base with hints of spice, yeast, and bitter orange peel. Hops are light and blend into the background and the big abv adds warmth. The palate is full, smooth and slightly slick.
Notes: It’s much heavier and less drinkable than a normal Witt beer. This is interesting but way out of style.
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3.7/5 rDev +6.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
12 ounce bottle, w/o freshness info to be had. 10.3% advertised on the label. Pours cloudy, darker peach amber, off white head, tiny bubble thin head, then film and leaves nice fine and extensive lacing. The nose on this one is of lime, alcohol, sweet malts. I got notes of gin, lime, fruity/yeasty goodness. Unfortunately this one is a bit on the "hot" side, taking away from the taste enjoyability and ultimately drinkability as well. This one needs some work
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look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
12 ounce bottle, w/o freshness info to be had. 10.3% advertised on the label. Pours cloudy, darker peach amber, off white head, tiny bubble thin head, then film and leaves nice fine and extensive lacing. The nose on this one is of lime, alcohol, sweet malts. I got notes of gin, lime, fruity/yeasty goodness. Unfortunately this one is a bit on the "hot" side, taking away from the taste enjoyability and ultimately drinkability as well. This one needs some work
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3.4/5 rDev -1.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 2
A: A vigorous pour into a Boston lager glass, yielded a 1 finger head. Some lacing and clinging up the glass.
S: Smells of fruit, wheat and carmel.
T: spicy with some sticky sweetness coming through.
M: Med carbonation, med/full body.
D: Nice upfront malts and spice with quite a hot finish that make it hard to finish. A good warmer in a cold day.
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look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 2
A: A vigorous pour into a Boston lager glass, yielded a 1 finger head. Some lacing and clinging up the glass.
S: Smells of fruit, wheat and carmel.
T: spicy with some sticky sweetness coming through.
M: Med carbonation, med/full body.
D: Nice upfront malts and spice with quite a hot finish that make it hard to finish. A good warmer in a cold day.
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3.35/5 rDev -3.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3
Appearance: high carbonation, big head, cloudy, orange-brown in color
Smell: banana, clove, citrus, cardamom, and alcohol
Taste: It matches the smell to a tee, with more alcohol
Mouthfeel: smooth, medium body, spicy, creamy, with a small bitter taste due to the alcohol
Drinkability: Not for me. Too much of an alcohol taste to be considered a favorite. Very much a high abv version of their white ale. If you like the white ale, you should like this.
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look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3
Appearance: high carbonation, big head, cloudy, orange-brown in color
Smell: banana, clove, citrus, cardamom, and alcohol
Taste: It matches the smell to a tee, with more alcohol
Mouthfeel: smooth, medium body, spicy, creamy, with a small bitter taste due to the alcohol
Drinkability: Not for me. Too much of an alcohol taste to be considered a favorite. Very much a high abv version of their white ale. If you like the white ale, you should like this.
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3.9/5 rDev +12.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
The beer pours an orange color with a decent-sized white head. The aroma is about what I expected. I get a lot of coriander, with a little bit of orange peel to balance things out. Smells like a regular witbier, only more intense. The flavor is similar. The predominant flavor is the coriander, but there is some syrupy, sweet orange marmalade notes in there as well. There is also a little bit of detectable alcohol. Easy to drink. Medium mouthfeel and medium carbonation. I am not a huge fan of Imperial Whites, but this one was pretty good. It has a nice balance of the coriander and orange, which is what I look for in a witbier - imperial or otherwise.
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look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
The beer pours an orange color with a decent-sized white head. The aroma is about what I expected. I get a lot of coriander, with a little bit of orange peel to balance things out. Smells like a regular witbier, only more intense. The flavor is similar. The predominant flavor is the coriander, but there is some syrupy, sweet orange marmalade notes in there as well. There is also a little bit of detectable alcohol. Easy to drink. Medium mouthfeel and medium carbonation. I am not a huge fan of Imperial Whites, but this one was pretty good. It has a nice balance of the coriander and orange, which is what I look for in a witbier - imperial or otherwise.
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3.8/5 rDev +9.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
Poured from a bottle into a Sam Adams glass.
Appearance: Hazy amber color with a thin white head that lingered. Mild lacing on the glass.
Smell: Banana, mild cloves, wheat, hops.
Mouthfeel/Taste: Very smooth medium bodied. Taste of wheat and hops with mild notes of banana.
Overall: Very good beer. I have enjoyed this on several occasions.
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look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
Poured from a bottle into a Sam Adams glass.
Appearance: Hazy amber color with a thin white head that lingered. Mild lacing on the glass.
Smell: Banana, mild cloves, wheat, hops.
Mouthfeel/Taste: Very smooth medium bodied. Taste of wheat and hops with mild notes of banana.
Overall: Very good beer. I have enjoyed this on several occasions.
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2/5 rDev -42.2%
This is beer too sweet for me, however, it may be wonderful with sauerkraut and sausage and pork.
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This is beer too sweet for me, however, it may be wonderful with sauerkraut and sausage and pork.
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2.92/5 rDev -15.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2 | overall: 2.5
A-pours cloudy reddish brown with lots of yeast particulates and a generous white pillowy head
S-Sweet malt aroma and heavy on orange scent
T-Heavy on wheat and some alcohol, but fairly well hidden for this 10%+ beer
M-Syrupy-fairly cloying but cleans up quickly with a little alcohol bite.
D-Not bad given the strength
O-Ok, but for an amped up white, a beer like Hoegarden Cru tastes truly like a concentrated version of Hoegarden. This is a completely different beer-if it wasn't for the orange aroma I would not relate it to a witbier. The oily syrupy mouthfeel of this beer is a little offputting for me, but this is a decent beer that I wouldn't mind having again. Wonder how it will age.
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look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2 | overall: 2.5
A-pours cloudy reddish brown with lots of yeast particulates and a generous white pillowy head
S-Sweet malt aroma and heavy on orange scent
T-Heavy on wheat and some alcohol, but fairly well hidden for this 10%+ beer
M-Syrupy-fairly cloying but cleans up quickly with a little alcohol bite.
D-Not bad given the strength
O-Ok, but for an amped up white, a beer like Hoegarden Cru tastes truly like a concentrated version of Hoegarden. This is a completely different beer-if it wasn't for the orange aroma I would not relate it to a witbier. The oily syrupy mouthfeel of this beer is a little offputting for me, but this is a decent beer that I wouldn't mind having again. Wonder how it will age.
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3.21/5 rDev -7.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3
12oz bottle in a fancy glass.
Very nice deep dark amber with no head, slight lacing. Aroma is quite boozy for being over 10% abv. Quite spicy and slightly syrupy but not as much as 120min IPA. Pretty solid big beer from Sam Adams. It is really pretty good.
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look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3
12oz bottle in a fancy glass.
Very nice deep dark amber with no head, slight lacing. Aroma is quite boozy for being over 10% abv. Quite spicy and slightly syrupy but not as much as 120min IPA. Pretty solid big beer from Sam Adams. It is really pretty good.
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3.26/5 rDev -5.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
Reviewed 05/25/09
Been sitting on this one for a while now, figured that Memorial day is as good a day as any to review. Besides whats better then a white beer on a hot day.
Poured from a standard 12 oz bottle in a shaker glass. Firm pour evokes a quarter inch of fuzzy white head that manages to stick around for some time. Thick and viscous lace. Color is a deep murky orange, that is semi-transluecent at the edges.
Nose- Over ripe orange really dominates the nose. Some faint notes of clove. Mild orange zest.
Palate- Wow not the light summer white that was expecting. Heavy and brooding, this is a true imp white. Over ripe orange, orange zest dominate the flavor profile. Citrus tang really jumps up and grabs the palate. Alcohol really comes through. Finishes long, again heavy on the orange citrus notes.
Mouthfeel- soapy, syrupy, and well carbonated
Drinkability- Potent, and a bit heavy for my liking especially on a summer day.
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look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
Reviewed 05/25/09
Been sitting on this one for a while now, figured that Memorial day is as good a day as any to review. Besides whats better then a white beer on a hot day.
Poured from a standard 12 oz bottle in a shaker glass. Firm pour evokes a quarter inch of fuzzy white head that manages to stick around for some time. Thick and viscous lace. Color is a deep murky orange, that is semi-transluecent at the edges.
Nose- Over ripe orange really dominates the nose. Some faint notes of clove. Mild orange zest.
Palate- Wow not the light summer white that was expecting. Heavy and brooding, this is a true imp white. Over ripe orange, orange zest dominate the flavor profile. Citrus tang really jumps up and grabs the palate. Alcohol really comes through. Finishes long, again heavy on the orange citrus notes.
Mouthfeel- soapy, syrupy, and well carbonated
Drinkability- Potent, and a bit heavy for my liking especially on a summer day.
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4.3/5 rDev +24.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Samuel Adams' Imperial Series beers are made to be big, so it comes as no surprise that even the aroma on their Imperial White is exaggerated. Huge fruit aromas are present, reminiscent of oranges, berries, and apricots, surrounded by the spicy scent of coriander and lightly toasted grains.
On the tongue, the explosion of fruity flavors was so immediate and intense that it caught me quite off-guard: massive apricot and orange flavors dominate, far closer in their strength to a liqueur than a beer. Even the coriander spice is large, and between that and the grapefruit-bitter hops, my soft palate was left lightly tingling. Malty sugars make up the rest of the mix, bringing sugary alcohols and toasted grain notes.
Overall, this beer definitely pushes the boundaries of what it means to be a Witbier, as it contains all of the flavors regular fans of the style expect, but pushed to an almost inconceivable extreme. This beer is the flipside of nuanced. No doubt this will have a polarizing effect, some thinking the result fantastic and others finding it too powerful. Personally, I think it's superb.
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look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Samuel Adams' Imperial Series beers are made to be big, so it comes as no surprise that even the aroma on their Imperial White is exaggerated. Huge fruit aromas are present, reminiscent of oranges, berries, and apricots, surrounded by the spicy scent of coriander and lightly toasted grains.
On the tongue, the explosion of fruity flavors was so immediate and intense that it caught me quite off-guard: massive apricot and orange flavors dominate, far closer in their strength to a liqueur than a beer. Even the coriander spice is large, and between that and the grapefruit-bitter hops, my soft palate was left lightly tingling. Malty sugars make up the rest of the mix, bringing sugary alcohols and toasted grain notes.
Overall, this beer definitely pushes the boundaries of what it means to be a Witbier, as it contains all of the flavors regular fans of the style expect, but pushed to an almost inconceivable extreme. This beer is the flipside of nuanced. No doubt this will have a polarizing effect, some thinking the result fantastic and others finding it too powerful. Personally, I think it's superb.
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Samuel Adams Imperial White from Boston Beer Company (Samuel Adams)
3.46
out of 5
based on 1,283 ratings.