My Antonia - Dogfish Head Brewery

brotherloco

California

4.05/5  rDev +0.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

750ml bottle. 2012 Edition. Served in a tulip.

Pours a mostly clear pale gold with a big three finger head. Pillowy off-white foam settles slowly. A nice amount of delicate lacing left in the glass.

Aroma of sweeter than average pilsner malt with hints of spice and bubblegum. Some earthiness. Not getting the hops I expected, but there are tropical fruit citrusy notes in the background.

Initial flavor has a bit of the malty sweetness from the nose, but more of a peppery brine that leads to a dry bread crispness through the middle and finish. Flavor evolves in an interesting way and leaves a lingering noble hop bitterness. Alcohol lingers under the surface but doesn't stick out in any way.

Medium bodied with medium-low carbonation. A real nice natural softness from the bottle conditioning. Great feel.

Serving type: bottle

10-05-2012 02:50:00 | More by brotherloco

SolipsismalCat

Pennsylvania

4.23/5  rDev +5.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured into a pilsner glass.

A: Slightly hazy golden yellow with two-finger, white, foamy head that lasted several minutes. Pretty good lacing.

S: Fruit and citrus. Subtle sweet malt.

T: Moderate sweetness and light bitterness. Herbal quality with subtle sweet malt very much like the nose.

M: Medium bodied with soft carbonation. Smooth and refreshing.

O: Nice herbal quality to it. Smooth and drinkable. I like this.

Serving type: bottle

09-20-2012 01:11:55 | More by SolipsismalCat

Redemption10

Massachusetts

3.23/5  rDev -19.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Smells great, looks a bit hazy for a pils. Mouthfeel is average for a pils. Taste is a bit disappointing as it has a strange bitterness to it that I have not experienced in a pils or an Imperial pils. About 2 fingers of head and I drank this out of a pilsner glass. Almost a weird chemical aftertaste. Not great not terrible. Very middle of the road-I was hoping for so much more. Cheers!

Serving type: bottle

09-17-2012 00:48:43 | More by Redemption10

Durge

Connecticut

4.48/5  rDev +11.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Enjoyed at the Fairfax brewpub this imperial pilsner is a very clear pale amber color with a decent white head and plenty of lacing. The nose hit includes deep maple malt and nutty red grapes with some wheat wine ideas. Very nice. And thankfully the taste follows suit! Wow. Again, somewhat like a wheat wine brew in my book. Pleasant fruit sweetness blended expertly with nutty grain. A medium bodied beer with a pretty viscous feel, slightly cloying but not a problem. Delicate carbonation and smooth going down for an imperial. Delicious.

Serving type: on-tap

09-12-2012 15:52:25 | More by Durge

Oakenator

Pennsylvania

3.83/5  rDev -4.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Light gold in color and definitely hazy towards the end of the bottle. Head is overbearing and often overflows the glass even after just a moderate pour. It does linger nicely once relaxing. The mouthfeel is great with a finer and frothy carbonation. Smells of a pilsner beer mixed with honey. Taste has a lot of sweetness - again honey - but the pilsner is hard to detect. Its still a good beer but have trouble putting it in a pilsner category.

Serving type: bottle

09-06-2012 01:51:42 | More by Oakenator

GilGarp

Colorado

3.83/5  rDev -4.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

750 mL capped bottle served cold into a chalice.

My Antonia is a pale golden yellow yellow with a slight haze. The head is thick and slow to settle leaving lace behind.

Aroma is not as hoppy as the label ("continuously dry-hopped") would have you believe. It smells fruity, floral, and mild with a bit of citrus.

Flavor is much bigger than my nose hinted at. This is a big bitter bruiser of a pilsner. Lots of pepper, pine, and bitter citrus peel. A little sweetness at first but then a punch of hops, and a dry crisp finish.

Mouthfeel is light in body, nicely carbonated, crisp, clean, and, I'll say it again, bitter.

This beer is one that seems to have some highs and lows but overall is pretty solid. I just wouldn't buy it again at that price - around $12.

Serving type: bottle

09-05-2012 22:57:42 | More by GilGarp

wspscott

Kentucky

4.2/5  rDev +4.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

750ml bottle in Sam Adams glass
bottled: 2012A

A: Crystal clear with a very fluffy, white head with lots of lace.
S: A floral spiciness with a little bit of malt sweetness, interesting nose.
T: The hop profile is very interesting, slightly sharp but very smooth. There is a floral/herbal mix, with a little bit of citrus in the back. The malts come through as a grainy sweetness and balance the hops very well. As it warms, I get an impression of honey, but not too sweet. No sign of alcohol
M: Very crisp and round at the same time, lots of carbonation.
O: An excellent beer that respects "tradition" but is somewhat unique at the same time. The combination of hops really works here. I don't normally spring for $10 bombers, but anyone who like a good pils should give this a try. Highly recommended.

Serving type: bottle

08-28-2012 23:27:09 | More by wspscott

dansmcd

Australia

4.18/5  rDev +4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A - Nice big soapy white head with great retention, dried apricot colour underneath, sheets and streaks of lacing to the end.

S - Pine resin hops, rainforest mulch, faint sahti character, toffee. Very interesting.

T - Very earthy flavours of juniper twigs and soil, caramel and toffee provide some sweetness.

M - Very complex and full mouthful, moderate carbonation.

O - Different. Lots going on in this one, like a complicated film you have to watch a couple of times to pick it all up.

Serving type: bottle

08-27-2012 08:57:52 | More by dansmcd

RblWthACoz

Pennsylvania

3.6/5  rDev -10.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Immediately, I can tell that this is going to be a different beer than the Borgo version. The nose is kind of an unusual citrus thing. The flavor profile is vastly different as well. There is much more tang and citrus on this, and I just want to say that the word "clogged" comes to mind. Perhaps congested would be more appropriate as there seems to be too much going on and piled together, leaving little room for the beer to speak subtly at all. And yes, I realize this is DFH and subtle would never be a word associated with the brewery. But I am comparing this version against the Borgo version. Overall, judged to style, I'll say that this is "okay." A bit too vibrant for me. The refined nature of the Borgo interpretation speaks to me in volumes, while this one seems more like a three line blurb on the 10th page of yesterdays newspaper.

Serving type: bottle

08-25-2012 18:32:32 | More by RblWthACoz

blaje

Quebec (Canada)

3.65/5  rDev -9.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Hum, imperial pils... interesting...!
Cought my attention for sure. Lets see what we got here!

Pours yellowish golden, translucide, no yeast suspension. Head is great and fluffy but rapidly dissipating and leaving a small lacing around the glass.

N- metal nose as many pils. Ethanol fruitness, faint fresh bred,

M- dry, carbonation is as usual for a pils, medium and a bit fizzy. Medium-low body and bitterness is faintly astringent.

O- Even though that I’m a beginner in Imperial pils, This example should be a good representant of the style, Not knowing that this is an “imperial” version, I would have found this brew a good example of German pils drank many times before. One regret : I didn’t bought the Italian pendant of this DFH beer from Del Borgo. Missed a good chance to don’t a comparison.

Reviewed from notes

Serving type: bottle

08-24-2012 14:59:51 | More by blaje

brentk56

North Carolina

3.95/5  rDev -1.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Appearance: Pours a hazy golden color with a slight chill haze; the white meringue head leaves a smattering of clumps and dots behind

Smell: Bready and sugary malt underpins the grassy hop character

Taste: The bready/sugary malts are quickly dominated by the grassy hops, though they maintain their presence from start to finish; qiote a bit of peppery spice in the middle, too; the aftertaste has a bit of a grainy character, as well

Mouthfeel: Medium to full body with moderate carbonation; some warmth in the gullet

Overall: While I like a bit of crispness in a pilsner, that aspect is hard to find in an Imperial Pilsner, and this beer is no different; otherwise, it is a very good example of the style

Serving type: bottle

08-19-2012 21:17:50 | More by brentk56

Beer_Runner

3.48/5  rDev -13.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

No enjoy by date on the label.
Poured slowly into a standard pint glass.

A: Poured to a huge four-fingers-plus of fluffy, off-white head. The head slowly disapated to about one-and-a-half fingers and left a ridiculous amount of lacing. The brew is a bright golden straw color and very clear.

S: The aroma is very mild. It consists of just hints of caramel malt.

T: It has mild flavors of lightly roasted, slightly sweet and bready malt. There is also some grassy and bitter hops with just a hint of citrus hops, too.

M: The body is light and there is a good deal of carbonation.

O: This is a good beer for a hot day. The flavors are mild and the focus seems to be on carbonation and balance. As the label states, this is a different type of beer for Dogfish Head. I am glad I tried it. It is a good beer to serve chilled at a summer picnic.

Serving type: bottle

08-17-2012 23:49:20 | More by Beer_Runner

dbrauneis

New Jersey

3.9/5  rDev -3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Pours a clear medium golden yellow in color with light amounts of visible carbonation. The beer has a finger tall creamy bright white head that reduces to an extremely thin film covering the entire surface of the beer with a medium sized thick patch of large bubbles and a thin ring around the edges of the glass. Moderate amounts of lacing are observed.

S: Light to moderate aromas of floral hops and citrus hops with the floral hops being slightly stronger.

T: The flavors starts outs with some moderate amounts of malt sweetness including some grainy malts. After that, there is a moderate presence of hops - both floral and citrus/grapefruit. Light amounts of bitterness that does not linger.

M: Medium bodied with moderate amounts of carbonation. Crisp with some moderate dryness in the finish.

O: This beer is pretty easy to drink and the higher ABV is very well hidden. Not quite as good as the version from Birra Del Borgo but it is enjoyable and a much better value (considering it costs less and is a much larger bottle).

Serving type: bottle

08-06-2012 23:32:59 | More by dbrauneis

Bung

North Carolina

3.78/5  rDev -6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

750. Gold/orange pour with a rocky white head. Really retained.

Aroma, get some pilsener type malt, straw, light citrusy hops.

Taste, Some nice biscuity/straw malt and citrus at first. Get more bitter from there out. Builds slowly, mostly grapefruit. The finish is the weekness as the bitterness is a bit astringent.

Almost medium bodied for a pilsner, maybe a bit much. The much also shows again with a bit of warmth that seems to be accentuated by the bitterness. Still, the carbonation is nice and it still drinks ok.
This was good, I just think I don't prefer the imperial pilsener for an imperial lager.

Serving type: bottle

08-03-2012 02:23:25 | More by Bung

MacQ32

South Carolina

3.65/5  rDev -9.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A- Pours a fairly hazy and light golden straw color with a monsterous fluffy near white head. Retention is very good, superb lacing.

S - German hops and a light sweet malt profile. Sizable citrus presence as well which is unusual but very welcome, slightly tart. Grainy as well.

T - Little to no malt flavor. Mostly citrusy initialy followed by a grainy slightly dry but tame bitterness. Slightly tart and dry finish.

M - Medium/lighter bodied. Well carbonated

O - Quite good, the only thing i dislike is the tartness which interrupts the otherwise ideal characteristics of this beer. Otherwise the flavor profile is ideal, its drinkable and enjoyable overall.

Serving type: bottle

07-31-2012 00:31:39 | More by MacQ32

TheRealBigC

Nevada

3.9/5  rDev -3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a cloudy golden color with a fair amount of head. Hops are a little more present on the nose, but the malty profile comes through on the tongue. It's definitely stronger than a regular ol' pilsener, but it's not out-of-this-world. It doesn't have to be, because that's not why we drink pilseners. This beer is still refreshing while also providing a little extra warmth.

Serving type: bottle

07-28-2012 20:08:44 | More by TheRealBigC

stephenjmoore

Maryland

4.1/5  rDev +2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A- Clear straw/golden body with a thick white head that leaves good lacing.

S- Hops come through along with some light malt. Smells like a less potent 60 minute.

T- Hops and malt both come through. Flavor profile is reminiscent of a malty IPA which is surprising given the light color and clear body.

M- Crisp and clean, but closer to medium-bodied than most pilsners. Also leaves a sticky feel in the mouth.

O- Almost like a pilsner/pale ale/IPA hybrid. Not your typical pilsner, but very tasty and enjoyable.

Serving type: bottle

07-17-2012 23:57:25 | More by stephenjmoore

Aml42000

Washington

3.63/5  rDev -9.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

A- Clear golden color with a fluffy white head showing excellent retention and lacing.

S- Pleasant pilsner malts on the nose. A bit of biscuit/brioche.

T- I love this style of pilsner with a healthy dose of hops. It starts with the slightly sweet/grainy beginning one might expect before transitioning seamlessly to a taut, bitter finish.

M- Soft and elegant. Perfect carbonation balances the hop bitterness/austerity and the sum of the parts leaves the palate refreshed and dry and without a choice except take another sip.

O- I wish I could find more pilsners like this one. I'm sure there are many German/Czech examples, but few fresh ones. This packs refreshment and complexity in one bottle and is one of my very favorite DFH beers.

Serving type: bottle

07-08-2012 01:13:08 | More by Aml42000

movieman7712

Alabama

3.55/5  rDev -11.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

This was an excellent example of an American Imperial Pilsner. I am not much of a pilsner lover (generally prefer heavier beers) but this was a delight. My buddy and I really enjoyed this as a nice switch to the conventional American pilsner genre. A heavy, yet pleasing pilsner.

Serving type: bottle

07-07-2012 01:40:17 | More by movieman7712

bump8628

Oklahoma

3.63/5  rDev -9.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

On-tap at Star Bar in Denver (I love that place). This was a nice find. Hazed straw gold with a thick puff of white foam. Solid blast of herbal and citric hops - black pepper, lemon pith, mint, grass. Sweeter than expected with some sugar cookie and raw dough. A tad yeasty. Definitely one of the better takes on this style, but the sweetness is too much for more than about 12oz and some dryness would really help bring out the pilsner qualities of the beer.

Serving type: on-tap

06-15-2012 20:38:10 | More by bump8628

OStrungT

California

4.3/5  rDev +7%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

This beer pours a clear yellow color, with a thick, fluffy, white head that fades ever so slowly, leaving a massive lace.

This beer has a very dominate citrusy hop aroma. Some grapefruit, and a little pine as well. I also get a peppery, grainy aroma.

This beer tastes like it smells. Citrus and pine with a little grain.

This beer is very crisp and refreshing. The 7.5%ABV is well masked in both the aroma and the flavor.

This beer would make a good session beer. It is refreshing, and not overbearing. It tastes good also. It is a little high in alcohol.

Overall: Although not a huge fan of the style, I really enjoyed this beer. I enjoy IPA's and other hop forward styles, so this beer is a no brainer for me.

Serving type: bottle

06-13-2012 01:15:46 | More by OStrungT

claspada

New Jersey

4/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours thicker than your average pils, almost appears to resemble a light trippel.

Aromas of earthy hops come through slightly in the nose, with a hint of pilsner sweet maltiness.

The tastes are quite smooth overall. Letting it warm up a bit you get crisp, sweet and yet dry maltiness with a slight bitter earthiness in the finish.

The mouthfeel is near prefect, smooth and nicely carbonated. Much more carbonated than I expected considering the style - Imperial Pilsner. ABV is no where to be found in the finish.

Overall this is extremely drinkable and quite refreshing, perfect for a warm Saturday evening. Didn't have any problems finishing the pint @ a rapid pace, even though I wanted to enjoy it, couldn't help myself.

Serving type: on-tap

06-04-2012 10:25:47 | More by claspada

ummswimmin

New Jersey

4.25/5  rDev +5.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I picked up this bottle in pursuit of reviewing all 104 styles. In the meantime I got my rating in another beer from this style.

I knew that I liked this beer because a friend of mine (Naugros on BA) shared this as a gateway beer for pilsners. I think he was right on with this, good call.

It looks like a pilsner; light yellow and a ton of foam. You get some really good, chunky lacing on the glass.

It is an interesting mix of pilsner and hoppy smell coming out of the glass. And you taste the same presence in the flavor. These two distinct flavors play off of each other really well. I'm surprised they work so well (so were most of the people I talk to about this beer).

This is a very good beer. I paired it with italian, which is a very good call.

Serving type: bottle

06-02-2012 23:46:19 | More by ummswimmin

FlemingVSKing

Florida

4.3/5  rDev +7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This is my first "imperial pilsner".

I wasn't sure quite what to expect, other than at least a somewhat more hoppy presence.

As it turns out there is a bold hoppy presence and this really feels like an IPA, even though it's a pilsner.

I love IPA's so this gets a good value for me. The color is very translucent and not particularly impressive but the head, head retention, and lacing and a pure delight.

The flavor is also bold and enjoyable, slightly of bitter hops with a 50/50 floral presence to give it a good balance and strong drinkability factor. The nose and intial aroma are equally atractive.

There is no real complexity however, which holds it back a little bit from being absolutely ideal, but still it's a strongly crafted brew with obvious quality, and I would certainly recommend it to any one who is a fan of hops or bold lager brews.

Serving type: bottle

05-30-2012 00:06:59 | More by FlemingVSKing

BostonHops

Massachusetts

4/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

pours a burnished golden-yellow with a touch of haze to it; two finger creamy off-white head shows good retention and great lacing. overall a very nice presentation.

nose is citric hop-forward with background notes of malt, honey, and maybe a hint of pepper. crisp, hoppy flavor is somewhat reminiscent of an IPA, and while there is a bit of style overlap, the pilsner malts remind you what it is. well perceived sweet, honey-like presence. 7.5% ABV is well hidden. reasonably complex and balanced. not the biggest fan of the style but this is tasty.

smooth, medium-bodied mouthfeel with prickly carbonation. decent drinkability.

originally reviewed: 02-09-2011

Serving type: bottle

05-25-2012 22:55:33 | More by BostonHops