Morimoto Imperial Pilsner - Rogue Ales

StonedTrippin

Colorado

4.05/5  rDev -0.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

I thought they were done with the morimoto brews, so when I saw this I had to pick it up, ignoring the 20 dollar price tag, because morimoto is just a boss. the boss of bosses. anyways, this pilsner pours bright honey colored yellow, with a colossal white head that doesn't relax much at all. the nose is a little sweet, a little floral, and hopped with some noble variety that really gives a nod to tradition in the genre pushing bomb. the flavor is well balanced and surprisingly interesting for a pils, which I usually find so uneventful. floral hop profile, grassy malt bill, and some excellent yeast that is light, but ties the whole thing together and tames the alcohol, which is expertly hidden. would never know this was almost 9% abv. feel is nice too, fuller bodied for the style, and well carbonated. sort of a richness to this that cool. it trumps out the refreshing qualities usually found in a pilsner, but it also adds an element of class and satisfaction I don't usually come away with from a pils. overall an excellent brew, expensive, but damn good.

Serving type: bottle

02-02-2013 17:29:06 | More by StonedTrippin

Siriusfisherman

Montana

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

As big of a pilsner I have ever laid my hands on, and up to this point I have not been impressed with the 'Imperial' versions of this beer style. Morimoto however, really changed my mind as to what this beer style can be. The flavor consists of pilsner malt, big herbal and floral hops, and some sweetness and booziness on the back. The bitterness up front cuts right through all the sweetness though.

Overall, a big tasty pils, I am not sure I love this one all to much, it has a lot of flavor but nothing compared to ales of similar strength. I would recommend it to anyone who is on the fence about it, and I am sure I will try it again.

Serving type: bottle

01-05-2013 02:27:33 | More by Siriusfisherman

GiantMidget

Pennsylvania

4.68/5  rDev +14.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Another Rogue in my collection.
Bought at a Wegmans in Collegeville a few weeks ago, pricey at 16.99 so I had very high expectations.
This beer delivered.

I drank this on New Year's Eve to ring in 2013.
What a terrific bottle it is in, never seen anything like it in my journeys.

Poured into a tall pilsner glass, minimal off white head that didn't linger long.
The golden hazy thickness throughout the pour lingered in the glass and it is a beautiful golden color.

The citrus scent mixed with an earthiness along with the Czech malt are evident.

I sipped this and let it last awhile. Wonderful job they did with this Imperial pilsner, the ABV definitely present and enjoyable. This is everything I'd look for in a great pilsner and the hops are terrific. Very good floral presence, maybe a bit of lemongrass.
Enough dryness to balance the slight sweetness of a pilsner. I would drink this again periodically only due to the pricepoint. Otherwise this would be a regular.

The ONLY thing I could say could be improved even a bit, which is minimal (still gave a 4 in the category) is the very slightly thin mouthfeel but it's balanced enough that I would never complain of it.

If you enjoy a good imperial pilsner, or other Rogues, or are feeling like treating yourself, I recommend this one.

Serving type: bottle

01-02-2013 02:56:54 | More by GiantMidget

Cookeeman

4.23/5  rDev +3.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Let me preface this review by saying that I don't normally enjoy Pilsners, mostly because I dislike the Czech yeast finish. That being said, this beer was amazing! It poured a hazy golden straw colour from a very cool ceramic pot-stopper bottle. The first flavour that struck me was honey, thick mellow warming honey. It had much less carbonation than normal pilsners, which I welcomed because it complemented the flavour better this way. The typical Czech yeast finish was totally buried in honey, with some grass and a pinch of hops. If it wasn't $18 a bottle I would definitely buy this very regularly.

Serving type: bottle

12-01-2012 01:01:08 | More by Cookeeman

Serge

Alberta (Canada)

4.48/5  rDev +9.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Ceramic bottle. A dark golden beer with a bubbly whipped cream like off-white head. The aroma is sweet malty with a strong hop presence giving it notes of grass, herbs, and citrus. The flavor is sweet malty at first, but very soon first the hops hits the tongue with notes of grass, grapefruit, hay and herbs, and then the alcohol comes a long with a power, that makes its presence known, then the alcohol resides a bit, to leave a quite acidic grapefruity note towards the quite bitter end. Now this is a complex interpretation of a pilsner.

Serving type: bottle

10-22-2012 21:06:14 | More by Serge

ckollias

Maryland

4.18/5  rDev +2.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Enjoyed this 750ml bottle out of a large snifter glass.

A: Pours a very hazy orange-yellow hue with a thin 1-finger white head that quickly dissipates into a wispy lace.

S: Mild grain and malt aroma. Not a huge head here.

T: Huge pilsner malt flavor with a general sweetness – followed a somewhat fruity middle. Hoppy background and finishes on the dry side. Alcohol is masked nicely by the malt.

M: Very strong and boozy. Chewy body and medium carbonation.

O: I’m not a huge pilsner fan – but this beer kicks ass. Very tasty and enough alcohol to make it interesting.

Serving type: bottle

08-22-2012 00:35:29 | More by ckollias

joemcgrath27

Alberta (Canada)

4.33/5  rDev +6.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A - just a little hazy bright golden, thumb of white head held at a half finger and left some lacing
S - light perfume and citrus, grainy, and a light booziness
T - starts with a mix of citrus hops and a strong mineral flavour, notes of perfume and herb, boozy sweetness, and a raw grainy malt backbone
M - light body, medium carbonated, starts juicy, turns to a mineral quality, finishing with an alcohol dryness
O - don't believe i've ever had an imperial pilsner, definitely enjoying this, much sweeter and maltier than a classic pilsner making it interesting and tasty

Serving type: bottle

08-05-2012 02:28:43 | More by joemcgrath27

cvm4

Mississippi

3.8/5  rDev -6.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Awesome looking bottle!

A - Pours a lovely crisp golden yellow. Pretty transparent. The top develops into a bubbly white head.

S - Crisp malts, sweet honey and somewhat grassy.

T - A bit hoppy for a pilsner. Nice grassy/grain notes with a pileup of flavors in the end.

M - Medium bodied, easy drinker.

O - Pretty much what I expected. When the bottle says imperial pilsner, you think pilsner kicked up a notch. I'm usually not a fan of Rogue but this is a good one and could lead others from the BMC category.

Serving type: bottle

07-26-2012 23:40:01 | More by cvm4

MacQ32

South Carolina

3.7/5  rDev -9.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A - Pours a hazy straw/slightly orange color into my brooklyn snifter with a nice dense head of very near white head that slowly dissipates and leaves behind excellent lacing

S - A fairly rich malt character, very grassy herbal hop aromas. Definitely getting some sweeter fruit smells as well which is a little surprising.

T - Traditional lighter pilsner malts with a mostly earthy/grassy hop aroma. Pretty good but one of my favorite things about a pilsner is the dry grassy finish. There are definite mildly tart/funk fruit tastes from what I can only presume to be the yeast which kind of spoils it a little for me. I did not expect that from a pils.

M - Appropriate carbonation (pretty well carbonate, which i would expect from a pilsner). Definitely less than medium bodied @ 8.8% which is pretty impressive.

O - I have only had one other imperial pilsner that i can recall, it was a (local) Holy City Trippin Brick and it was amazing. After having my first rogue xs (imperial IPA) and being totally blown away i was pretty pumped for this one.. although this is definitely a decent brew, there is no way I will ever pay 16.99 for this one again, the bottle alone is awesome and worth at least $7 or $8 I would think but this beer just wasnt quite special enough for me to spend that kind of money on 2 brews. Again, the review is based on quality not taking price into consideration. I'm giving it a 3.5 because taste is most important, and it was sadly my least favorite part of this one.

Serving type: bottle

06-15-2012 02:12:56 | More by MacQ32

smakawhat

Maryland

3.9/5  rDev -4.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from the large bottle into both a Pokal and a Pilsner style glass.

A brassy gold yellow, mostly 18 carat in color, slightly dull not totally clear but close, kind of buttery. Nice mix of slow rising cola carbonation, and a shocking white top. Left over scattered lacing as the head slowly settles, pretty good looking.

Even off the pour aromas fill the room. Sticky malts, little honey sweetness, subdued crispness with a large density and no alcohol heat at all. Small airy bitterness, but nothing too extreme.

Taste is a big ambush. Good god is this ever hoppy. Grassy, even almost a little oily finish of hop green rush and pine. Rushing resin and pine finish, no sweetness hinted that comes from the nose. A strong strange sticky yeast sensation also.

Overall not even a taste of alcohol heat, but it's a one trick pony beer, but boy what a trick it is. It gets strangely a bit more interesting as it warms up which is not how I would want this style. But regardless this is one impressive pilsner and it's quite shocking they pulled this off.

Serving type: bottle

05-27-2012 15:08:54 | More by smakawhat

jgreenearrow

Virginia

4.28/5  rDev +4.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Poured from a 750ml ceramic bottle into a pilsner glass.

A: The beer pours a slightly amber golden color with a thick, fluffy white foam forming at the top of the pour. Substantial lacing remains on the sides of the glass.

S: The aroma is very sweet. Grapefruit, tangerine, and grape juice dominate the nose. Some slight earthiness is also present.

T: The beer is quite sweet at the onset of the sip. Apricot, plum, and tangerine dominate the start of the sip. The typical Rogue yeast flavor profile is on queue. Wheat and grain enters in the middle followed by some bitterness in the finish. Some slight alcohol burn trails the sip, but is well masked.

M: The beer is medium bodied with nice carbonation. It drinks quite easily.

Overall, this is an excellent beer. The flavor profile is complex and bold, as one would expect from an imperial. The aroma and mouthfeel accompany the flavor very well to create an enjoyable beer. The ceramic bottle with the resealable top add a nice touch, although entirely unnecessary.

Serving type: bottle

03-05-2012 03:34:18 | More by jgreenearrow

ales4baldo

California

3.95/5  rDev -3.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

P-Seems to have a Japanese presentation. Imperial pilsner for an imperial country.

A-Has a nice cloudy orange cloudy look to it. Nice and foggy as well. Didn't have any head to it.

S-Smells like its a form of rice water diluted in honey. I get a lot of honey smell in here. Tons of malts and a little bit of hops.

T-A huge flavor of honey and sugar. Strong malts and Czech yeast. A strong pale ale. Get that bitter finish.

M-Seems to be a medium to full bodied beer. Lots of flavor for sure. Nice lemon and herb notes. Little orange. Somewhat like a saison.

O-A good beer. A good pilsner with lots of flavor. Nice body to it as well.

Serving type: bottle

01-15-2012 02:59:15 | More by ales4baldo

BeersCriteria

Texas

4.35/5  rDev +6.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A- Pours a nice golden color with a white head.

S- Floral and citrus aroma with a sweet honey scent.

T- A very good balance of sweet pineapple-like taste and a ripened grapefruit bitterness. The alcohol is well masked as well. Best pilsner hands down!

Food Pairing- Grilled fish tacos or a pineapple empanada.

Serving type: bottle

11-21-2011 03:03:52 | More by BeersCriteria

mrfrancis

Kentucky

4.22/5  rDev +3.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Pours a cloudy gold with a creamy white head. Looks like a quality pilsner.

S: Aromas of lemon, cream, caramel, and honey are present on the nose. Typical pilsner aromas, but a bit more assertive.

T: Opens tart and hoppy with notes of lemon, grass, straw, grapefruit, and kumquats, but quickly mellows to display malty flavors of cream, honey, minerals, and caramel. The finish is long and tart with notes of grass and citrus dominating.

M: Crisp, dry, and full-bodied with active carbonation.

O: I tend to dislike strong lagers, but this one was a pleasant surprise. Easily the best lager I've tried from Rogue.

Serving type: bottle

10-20-2011 17:56:18 | More by mrfrancis

July2Nov

Hawaii

4.22/5  rDev +3.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance: Hazy, Golden in color. Smallish head that minimizes to a good lacing around the edges. Btw...the bottle is pretty kickass too.

Smell: Mild amount of hops that melds well with the malts and a great citrus bouquet.

Taste & Mouthfeel: Good funky taste at first, grassy hops really come out with a wee bit of alcohol on the end tip. It's a pretty even-keel beer that doesn't have any peaks or valleys, but it sustains it's flavor profile during it all. Really impressed with this offering.

Overall: Pretty much love all of the Rogue beers that come in the ceramic bottles and this one is no different.

Serving type: bottle

09-06-2011 06:12:33 | More by July2Nov

SawDog505

New Hampshire

4/5  rDev -2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Nice beer, very over priced. Yellowish with a huge fluffy white head. Smell is solid, but for $16.99 better blow me away if I am going to purchase twice. Taste is better and more bitter then smell. Mouthfeel is very solid. Overall nice beer in my opinion, but step back and improve the price. I would have gotten into more detail, but my kids prevented me from writing as I was drinking.

Serving type: bottle

08-17-2011 23:30:36 | More by SawDog505

Knapp85

Pennsylvania

3.73/5  rDev -8.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

This beer poured out as a pretty clear looking golden yellow color. The head was white and fluffy at first, as it settled the lacing was light and didn't do too much. The smell of the beer wasn't overly grassy which I was happy about. The aromas were a little grainy and hoppy. The taste was better than expected, the flavors of some sweeter malts were upfront that faded into a subtle bitterness at the end. The mouthfeel was pretty slick, not too heavy or overly carbonated. Overall this beer wasn't too bad, best of the Morimoto series that I've had for sure.

Serving type: bottle

06-20-2011 03:42:35 | More by Knapp85

cburnsc1

Washington

4.83/5  rDev +18.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

I am a hop head at heart and that is why I could not believe the extent with which I would love this beer.

The colour was obviously golden being that it is a pilsener; this is where any similarity to the style would stop however. But wait, the colour isn't like that of a pilsener at all, it's more of a deep golden similar to a belgiam golden ale, beautiful and haunting.

The taste is malty and sweet up front followed by a crisp bitter finish. Like many of the Rouge brews in my opinion there is an almost earthy feel that is left to linger.

Overall this beer is amazing, but if your like me you think that 16.99 is too much for a 750ml. Rouge if you care at all take them out of those ceramic's and let the people enjoy them.

the

Serving type: bottle

06-16-2011 07:26:39 | More by cburnsc1

SkeeterHawk

Texas

3.83/5  rDev -6.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

I actually thought that I had reviewed this beer, so I haven't been getting it every time that I see it. Well, the other day I just decided that this would be a good beer to drink again and low-and-behold, I haven't reviewed it. Well, here we go:

Appearance: Pours a pretty hazy dark pee-colored yellow with a small cap of small white bubbles on top after a pretty quick pour. After a minute, there was still a pretty substantial ring of foam around the edge of the glass, so there must be quite a few bubbles rising.

Aroma: I initially got a pretty healthy dose of Saaz hops along with some toasty and slightly biscuity Pilsner malt. As the beer sits a bit, there is some sweetness that I think is just from the Pilsner malt, but it is nice. There is definitely hops in here, but they aren't dry or chalky at all, so the water is supporting it too. So far so good...

Taste: The flavor is a good bit hoppier than I thought that it would be from the aroma. There is a solid bitterness that you can feel right after you take the sip and it stays in charge until very late after the sip in the finish. Late after the sip, there is some alcohol coming out and warming things up on the back of the throat and even adding a tad of spice. The second or third sip is starting to show some malt presence. I am getting a little bit of toasty bread crusts and some caramel sweetness, but that is about it.

Opinion: This is a pretty good beer. It is a bit aggressive on the hops where I really don't think that it needs to be and this pushes it out of the Pilsner feel for me overall. It is more like an Imperial IPA with German Ingredients. I will certainly finish the whole thing, but it will be a while before I decide I need to try this again.

Serving type: bottle

03-04-2011 07:24:36 | More by SkeeterHawk

Haybeerman

Colorado

3.58/5  rDev -12.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A: Hazy gold color. Poured a 3 finger rocky white head with excellent retention. Decanted lazily lots of slow rising bubbles. Laced in patches.

S: Doughy malt. Light citrus/fruit aroma offset with grassy and peppery hops.

T: Big doughy malt up front. Transitions quickly into a lemon and grass bitter. Though starting sweet, finish was dry. Had some alcohol character.

M: Medium body. Ample carbonation. Dry and warm with a lingering bitter.

D: Big malty and bitter hoppy beer; made it balance. ABV a little daunting. It was pricey too.

Serving type: bottle

02-09-2011 01:15:24 | More by Haybeerman

Donnie2112

Alaska

4.05/5  rDev -0.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

poured into a shakers pint

appearance: Cloudy yellow that fades into a amber in the thick parts of the the glass, fluffy white head that laces nicely

smells: Pretty decent, sugary maltiness with a bit of an herbal hop back. Has an overall floral affect.

taste: Malts are clean and sweet, the flavors are sugary, there is not pronounced presence of yeast flavor and the hops are bitter, pronounced and create an overall floral affect. The whole experience is clean and continues with the floral theme I spoke of in the nose.

MF: Smooth, nice carbonation, not water thin like American Lagers nor as full in body as some other imperial styles.

Very solid beer, tasty, the hops are the star while maintaining that this style is fundamentally supposed to be subtle.

That said, I don't think this beer is worth the money that you pay for it, I've felt this before that Rogue makes very solid brews for way too much money.

Serving type: bottle

01-11-2011 05:45:31 | More by Donnie2112

CHILLINDYLAN

Washington

4.25/5  rDev +4.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Slightly hazed golden tangerine. Big frothy cream-colored head. Nice thick lacing.

Fruity pear. Lemon zest. Floral. Citrus, grass, herbal. Slight toastiness. bready yeast.

Herbal, citrus, floral, lemon. Hint of chocolate, vanilla, toastiness. Nice bitterness.

Refreshing. med body, high for style. Slightly dry and sticky.

Tasty and refreshing. Great imperial pils. Hoppy and bitter.

Serving type: bottle

10-11-2010 20:01:25 | More by CHILLINDYLAN

drabmuh

Maryland

3.73/5  rDev -8.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured into a DFH signature glass. Beer is dark yellow and very hazy with a head that runs away at the first sign of trouble and leaves behind almost no lacing, moderate carbonation.

Very malty, mildly pilsner-y aroma.

OK, this beer is really oddly super bitter. Its kind of disturbing. Its kind of sweet medium bodied and really really bitter. Its almost fruity in the middle but the bitterness lingers. Its a big bottle and I made it through the whole thing but I doubt i'll drink it again.

Serving type: bottle

09-12-2010 03:48:38 | More by drabmuh

matt20102

Michigan

4.08/5  rDev 0%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

Served at refrigerator temperature from the porcelain bottle into a goblet. Pours very slowly with a soap-foam head- large head bubbles (with very fine carbonation bubbles). Color is uncharacteristically cloudy for a pilsner; the appearance suggests a wheat beer.

Aroma is of fruity malt and apple cider although without any ester taste that could be expected from an 8.8% brew. This pilsner is labeled as 74IBU but the hop bitterness is so well integrated that there is no way that this number could be guessed. This is probably due to the obviously large malt presence. These two components are so large in this brew that any change could cause the flavor profile to go awry, but the balance between malt and hops is perfect. This super-big but suspiciously well-balanced beer, plus it's hefty 8.8%ABV, makes this is highly drinkable beer. This is an incredibly expensive beer, so it's not for everyday, but it is one that deserves it's place at special occasions. Recommended.

Serving type: bottle

07-30-2010 00:33:37 | More by matt20102

JasonA

Massachusetts

4.25/5  rDev +4.2%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

i bought this beer back in 2006 and have been sitting on it since. Not really by choice, but I never really had a desire to drink it. This is the white bottle, with red and yellow drawings.

Pours a transparent golden gold. Solid 2 fingers of frothly, yet light, yet thick. Lots and lots of bubbles moving through. Everything I would expect in a Pilsner, and this is after 4 years of aging. Thick thick lacing sliding all the way down the glass.

Suprisingly malty, yet crisp with alcohol. Maybe clove, maybe bready. Still very surprised at the amount of malt. Im not getting any hops, maybe a tinge of bittering, yet light.

Malty, crisp and light. For an overly malty brew the finish is simple. Almost perfect for a lawnmower beer. Bittering as it gets warm. Might be a tad bitter for a Pilsner. I could probably sip on this 8.8 brew for a lot longer that I should.

Not sure I would buy again only because expensive Pilsner's is not my typical expenditure. If I was forced to buy Pilsners, this would prolly end up at the top of my list.

Serving type: bottle

07-03-2010 22:10:50 | More by JasonA