Alaskan Pilot Series 2014 – Imperial Red – A First Tasting

What a great surprise it was to find a care package from Alaskan Brewing awaiting me earlier today…and better yet, the box contained a early sample of Alaskan Pilot Series 2014 Imperial Red.  Of course we couldn’t resist chilling and sampling….so giddy up!

As with all Pilot Series beers, this brew is created on the Alaskan 10bbl pilot brewhouse, then tested in the Rough Draft draft-only series of beers.  The special brews that pass that test are bottled and distributed…but don’t delay.  If you find this beer, buy it!  These are low batch beers and they won’t last long (and you’ll really want to try this one).

Right out of the gate (or bottle) you’ll notice the wonderful deep red color this beer pours.  Sitting in my snifter, it almost looks like a mahogany-colored fine cognac, but the nose will remind you it’s not.  This beer has a hoppy-citrus nose that is really pleasant and caused me to stop and sniff for a while before sampling.  Take your time and enjoy this one…

So how does it taste?  Not surprisingly, this is a really nice beer!  Imperial Red uses El Dorado, Bravo and Summit hops and as I expected from Alaskan, it still manages to strike a nice malty balance.  The hops are there, but the malty flavors are no wall flower, and with a biting 8.5% ABV finish (worth of the crab on the label) you won’t forget you’re drinking a big beer.

Alaskan Pilot Series 2014 Imperial Red turned out to be a really drinkable big beer.  It’s a nice bottle (and ABV) to share, so be sure to try it for yourself and share it with your friends and family.  This may be one of my all time favorite Pilot Series beers so a big thank you to Alaskan Brewing for letting me in on an early sample!
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