Top 10 Imperial Pilseners Brewed in America
This Top Ten List of Imperial Pilseners is from the results of the U.S. Open Beer Championship, Great American Beer Festival, and World Beer Cup.The best imperial pilseners are full bodied, and they can be as dark as a light amber color. This style balances moderate bitterness and noble-type hop aroma and flavor with a malty, slightly sweet, medium body. A toasted, biscuit-like, bready malt character. ABV: 6.0%-10.0%. IBU: 30-60
1. Wild Boy Hopped Lager – Straub Brewery – Pennsylvania
2. Beavo – Firestone Walker Brewing – California
3. Kiwi Rising – Jack’s Abby Brewing – Massachusetts
4. Humulus Lager – The Bruery – California
5. Small Craft Warning – Heavy Seas Beer – Maryland
6. Hallertau Imperial Pilsner – Boston Beer Company – Massachusetts
7. Schell’s American Pale Lager – August Schell Brewing – Minnesota
8. My Antonia – Dogfish Head Craft Brewery – Delaware
9. ScareCity #1: Imperial Pilsner – Lagunitas Brewing – California
10. Morimoto Imperial Pilsner – Rogue Ales – Oregon
History of Imperial Pilseners
The origins of imperial pilseners trace back to the 19th-century evolution of the classic pilsner, a crisp, golden lager first brewed in 1842 in Plzeň, Bohemia (now Czech Republic). The original pilsner, exemplified by Pilsner Urquell, was a revolutionary beer style, combining pale malt, Saaz hops, and soft local water to create a refreshing, hop-forward beverage. As European brewing traditions spread globally, particularly to North America in the late 20th century, craft brewers began experimenting with the style, amplifying its characteristics to create a bolder, more robust version known as the imperial pilsener. This substyle emerged as part of the broader craft beer movement, where brewers sought to intensify flavors, increase alcohol content, and push stylistic boundaries, drawing inspiration from the “imperial” moniker used in other amplified beer styles like imperial stouts and IPAs.
Imperial pilseners distinguish themselves with higher alcohol by volume (ABV), typically ranging from 7% to 9%, compared to the standard pilsner’s 4-5%, and a more pronounced hop bitterness and malt sweetness. American craft breweries, such as Victory Brewing and Lagunitas, played a significant role in popularizing the style in the 1990s and 2000s, with beers like Victory Prima Pils and Lagunitas Pils showcasing enhanced hop profiles and richer malt backbones. European brewers, particularly in Germany and the Czech Republic, also adopted the imperial approach, though often with a more restrained hop character, staying true to traditional ingredients. Today, imperial pilseners remain a niche but celebrated style, appreciated for their bold yet balanced flavors, bridging the crisp elegance of traditional pilsners with the intensity demanded by modern craft beer enthusiasts.
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