Samuel Adams Double Agent IPL - Boston Beer Company (Samuel Adams)

JamesMN

Minnesota

3.44/5  rDev -9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Appearance: Beautiful honey copper color that is completely translucent with bits of effervescence rising towards what was a one finger frothy off-white head after the pour and has now dissipated to a thin film. Lacing looks imminent. If the head hadn't disappeared so quickly this would have been a near perfect appearance.

Aroma: Dank citrus and overripe tropical fruit. Hints of pine as well and basically completely hop dominated but not super aromatic.

Taste: Very interesting because it tastes like an ale. The dank hop blend from the aroma comes through right away in the flavor along with a light malt bill. There is almost an onion/garlic hop character going on that isn't ideal for my palate but some may enjoy. The bitterness is pretty moderate and I'm actually surprised at the depth of flavor considering the low 5% ABV. The finish is pretty much the average crisp lager/hoppy beer experience and the aftertaste is all bitterness.

Mouthfeel: Medium in body which is an accomplishment in its own right. Lager-like carbonation but it's not overdone. Easy drinkability and could be sessioned.

Final Thoughts: I'm not sure how fresh the bottle is because it only has a mark for when it will be best by (July). However, I tend to think any hop forward beer tastes the best within a month of being bottled/canned. After that length of time it's possible that the dank onion and garlic flavors could be more perceptible as the citrus/tropical fruit characteristics fade. That being said, I enjoyed Double Agent IPL if for no other reason than it was a great idea by Samuel Adams to create a super hoppy lager. I think it's an interesting avenue to go down that hasn't been experimented with nearly enough. Would I drink it again? Yes, the fresher the better.

Serving type: bottle

03-19-2013 21:10:12 | More by JamesMN

Docrock

Illinois

3.75/5  rDev -0.8%

06-19-2013 02:15:12 | More by Docrock

EagleTalon

Arkansas

3.74/5  rDev -1.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

Pours to a generous white head and excellent lacing. Bright copper color. Aroma is hop-dominant with citrus and pine prominent. No esters. Flavor is clean and lager-like as advertised with a hoppy finish. Mouthfeel is light and easy. Overall, a good tasting hoppy lager that defies style conventions.

Serving type: bottle

06-16-2013 22:13:47 | More by EagleTalon

JimPhelps

Connecticut

4/5  rDev +5.8%

06-16-2013 18:23:54 | More by JimPhelps

csmartin6

Illinois

3.75/5  rDev -0.8%

06-16-2013 17:40:19 | More by csmartin6

McStagger

California

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

A: Pours a fairly brassy/amber color with good clarity. Carbonation is moderate, with little bubbles floating to form a khaki white head. Two fingers worth of fairly rocky foam, with moderate retention. Lacing is good.

S: Certainly smells hopped up. Lot of tropical fruit, with a touch of herbaceousness and some grapefruit undertones. Balanced with the malts, which strike me as being crystal, with some sweetness and breadiness in the mix as well.

T: Clean and crisp and straight to the point. A lot of the fruitiness in the nose is lost in the palate. It's instead replaced by a more pungent taste of herbal hoppiness. The finish is very much a lager, being clean and dry with maybe a touch of roastiness. Aftertaste of straw and milled grain.

M: Fairly light bodied, with some substance. Nothing overly wowwing about the texture.

O: Looks and smells great. Just wish they could have gotten more of the awesome fruity boquet into the taste of the beer. The lager yeast and the West Coast hop varietals don't seem to get along very well.

Serving type: bottle

06-16-2013 07:18:43 | More by McStagger

tedho21

Pennsylvania

4.5/5  rDev +19%

06-15-2013 12:32:51 | More by tedho21

b1515152004

Pennsylvania

3/5  rDev -20.6%

06-15-2013 12:32:45 | More by b1515152004

Gregg_Kawakami

Hawaii

3.75/5  rDev -0.8%

06-15-2013 08:10:52 | More by Gregg_Kawakami

BRYeleJR

Massachusetts

4.25/5  rDev +12.4%

06-14-2013 23:48:36 | More by BRYeleJR

leprechaunandfatman

Illinois

4/5  rDev +5.8%

06-14-2013 00:47:23 | More by leprechaunandfatman

BKBassist

New York

3.75/5  rDev -0.8%

06-13-2013 05:59:40 | More by BKBassist

JMUbrewz

Virginia

3.75/5  rDev -0.8%

06-12-2013 19:47:45 | More by JMUbrewz

Brew33

Ohio

2.75/5  rDev -27.2%

06-12-2013 16:58:57 | More by Brew33

I_BYE_MI_BEER

Michigan

3.5/5  rDev -7.4%

06-11-2013 18:09:03 | More by I_BYE_MI_BEER

shacawgo24

Illinois

4.5/5  rDev +19%

06-11-2013 04:45:12 | More by shacawgo24

Keginator70

Massachusetts

4.06/5  rDev +7.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Poured from a bottle into a stemmed pilsner glass. The head was three fingers thick from a tilted pour releasing a piney, woodsy, earthy aroma. Combined with the clear golden color I found myself ready to rumble.

The aroma transitions to savory with a hint of lime complimenting a nice, mild caramel ( reminds me of Belgian) malt. Just enough bitterness throughout finishes dry on the tongue, sweet on the palate. The mouth feel is smooth, light but in no way watery; should go great with anything humans eat.

I am left wanting more. Pleasantly surprising and easily the best rendition of an IPL or hoppy pilsner I have tried. Sorry Victory and Jack Abby. Kudos to BBC and all apologies for assuming an affordable quaff can't be top shelf. Thanks for setting me straight. Round two-ding!

Serving type: bottle

06-10-2013 17:53:22 | More by Keginator70

CoachC

Florida

3.89/5  rDev +2.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - bottle into a pint glass, copper color with a 1 inch head

S - smells of hops and notes of caramel

T - very tasty brew, hoppy yet drinks like a lager

M - medium bodied with a nice mouthfeel, great with food

O - another solid offering from Sam Adams, hoppy and refreshing. Good when paired with food

Serving type: bottle

06-10-2013 04:53:17 | More by CoachC

gmfessen

Michigan

4.44/5  rDev +17.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured from the bottle into a pint glass, Double Agent is a clear peachy-orange color with a two-finger, soapy white head. The nose is as advertised, all west-coast hops. Piney and citrusy, pleasant boquette. The name Double Agent is well used, the hop flavor and aroma is there but the lingering bitterness you would expect from an IPA is abscent. Seems like a good "wet hopped" beer. Intense flavor, none of the bitterness - well done. Mouthfeel is medium to full in body with a minimal, inactive carbonation. Overall, this is possibly one of my new favorites, I hope SA keeps it around for a while.

Serving type: bottle

06-10-2013 01:36:32 | More by gmfessen

AOShabaz

Massachusetts

3.75/5  rDev -0.8%

06-09-2013 22:19:27 | More by AOShabaz

msturek

Texas

3.75/5  rDev -0.8%

06-09-2013 21:33:43 | More by msturek

skloeff

Missouri

3.5/5  rDev -7.4%

06-09-2013 18:34:56 | More by skloeff

civicm87

New York

3.25/5  rDev -14%

06-09-2013 04:45:02 | More by civicm87

animal69

Louisiana

3.5/5  rDev -7.4%

06-08-2013 23:13:04 | More by animal69

Paul_Apsley

Michigan

4/5  rDev +5.8%

06-08-2013 12:20:18 | More by Paul_Apsley