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

Seekerpilgrim

Washington

3.56/5  rDev -5.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Pouring a very clear burnt yellow, there is a meaty sweetness on the nose, reminiscent of jerky, mixed with the pine tang of Simcoe hops (of which there are seven varieties in this brew!), and the slightest hint of citrus courtesy of just about everything else. On the tongue, surprisingly smooth for so many hops. There is still a very strong bite, but the brewers seemed to have created a balanced chorus of pine, citrus, earth, and fruit, so the flavor is brief and the finish crisp, like you'd expect from a typical lager.

This is perfect with meaty sandwiches, bratwurst, or gyros (to help balance the feta), but also a great introduction to the more hop heavy world of IPAs and such. A great palate cleanser, perhaps your third or forth to wake up those taste buds. Cheers!

Serving type: bottle

04-26-2013 23:54:50 | More by Seekerpilgrim

woodychandler

Pennsylvania

4.24/5  rDev +12.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

As a self-avowed hophead, I am and remain a big fan of Samuel Adams' Hopology Collection. I managed to try all of the varietals that went into the original Latitude 48 series as well as the newer one with Mosaic hops and this is a cool idea. A hop-forward lager?!? Brilliant!

From the bottle: "Brewing innovation is about asking "what if?". What if we gave an IPA a new identity and used some of our favorite West Coast hops, with their grapefruit, piney, & tropical fruit character, in a lager? The result is this boldly hoppy & flavorful brew with the crisp smoothness of a lager. Cheers! [undersigned] Jim Koch".

This did not act like a lager on the pour, producing a massive, dense two-plus fingers of tawny head that formed following a cascading-like action. Color was a deep-gold with NE-plus quality clarity and Croesus and Midas sat across from me, rubbing their hands together. The nose was grapefruit and pine and thanks to my deep inhalation, my eyes watered a little at its intensity. My mouth also began to water, but that was a separate issue. I could not wait any longer and went for my first sip. Mouthfeel was medium but the hops were intense on the tongue, burning away the old, dead taste buds and paving the way for a lot of taste. The taste showed that the hops had not been squandered, instead, intermingling and giving a real bite to a style that can often be unobtrusive. Finish was very dry, just the way this hophead likes his beers. I really like what they are doing with hops up there in Boston!

Serving type: bottle

04-25-2013 20:57:40 | More by woodychandler

Luigi

North Carolina

3.6/5  rDev -4.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Pours out a clear copper color with a large two finger white head (served in a 14 oz. pilsner). Head is near perfect as it clings to the glass till the last sip.

The aroma is dominated with pine and grapefruit bitterness. There is not much balance. But, from an ex hophead, this would be perfect.

The taste is again dominated with pine and citrus hops bitterness. The finish is dry with bitterness lingering on the tongue.

I really enjoyed this lager. But, because of the aggressive IPA style hops there is really no style to compare this beer to. Overall a solid brew for the hophead in all of us.

Serving type: bottle

04-25-2013 05:48:27 | More by Luigi

rajendra82

Georgia

4.5/5  rDev +19%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.75

The veer looked very nice in the Pilsner glass I chose, with a golden colored clear body, a two finger thick head, and lots of fine carbonation. The smell was typical of a West Coast IPA, with lots of grapefruit, orange peel, and some pine, as well as some spicy smells. The taste was juicy, citric, very clean, and had some bubblegum notes in mid sip, with clean finish. I drank the beer warm from the grocery store yesterday, and it taste a bit lifeless. With time to chill today, the beer was much more lively. The mouthfeel was very soft, aided by the pillowy head, and about a billion finely textured carbonation bubbles. This is one the best beers to ever come out of the Sam Adams brewery collections.

Serving type: bottle

04-25-2013 03:58:16 | More by rajendra82

gr0g

New Jersey

3.6/5  rDev -4.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Clear, amber in appearance. A two-finger head leaves some very nice lacing all around the crown of the pint glass. Floral, hop-forward aroma. Smells fresh and inviting, but hardly interesting. A clean, crisp, pilsner-like lager flavor, augmented by a moderate hop kick. Grassy, just short of being "piney," with a bit of citrus. Moderate bitterness all the way through. Well-carbonated, with a texture that's nice and slick.

While enjoyable, this IPL won't be taking the place of any of my favorite APAs or IPAs. I do prefer it over the Sam Adams Alpine Spring, though.

Serving type: bottle

04-24-2013 22:48:51 | More by gr0g

tewaris

Minnesota

3.5/5  rDev -7.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pint at Stub & Herb's. Clear with a good head... somewhat darker than I thought it would be. Light and crisp on palate with an appropriate malt base that keeps it well from being watery. Certainly hoppy but hops are in the backseat... highlight to me is the light sweetness and bready character; and yet a clean and refreshing taste.

Well balanced with a lingering but mild bitterness at the end of the crisp finish. Very drinkable beer, I will buy it again.

Serving type: on-tap

04-23-2013 05:01:26 | More by tewaris

hosehead83

Ohio

3.68/5  rDev -2.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured from a 12oz. bottle into a standard pint glass
Chill-hazed golden color, nice, bone-white head of foam.
Aroma-Faint citrus note, distant "catty" hop note
Taste-Faint, piney hops, mellow citrus zest, light-bodied but pretty flavorfull for a lager. Would make a nice"crossover" craft brew for the newby craft beer drinker.

Serving type: bottle

04-22-2013 18:06:58 | More by hosehead83

brewcrew76

Wisconsin

3.53/5  rDev -6.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A - Clear golden copper with a few finger head and small wisps of lace.

S - Clean and crisp aroma. Light sweet malt with even lighter citrus. Herbal and flowery notes.

T - Slightly sweet and bready. Light fruity, grassy hops. Clean and crisp.

M - Medium body and well carbonated.

D - Fairly easy to drink. Wish there was a bigger hop presence.

Serving type: bottle

04-21-2013 22:34:04 | More by brewcrew76

jkrich

Indiana

3.8/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Poured from a freshness dated bottle: clear, bright with a deep golden hue and a foamy white-head. Intricate lacing added to the attractive appearance.
Very pronounced American hop aromas of bittersweet, tropical fruit and pine were evident upon opening the bottle. This impressive aroma was sustained after pouring in the glass.
I suspect if more lagers tasted like this, the lager would become more popular among ale drinkers. The refreshing smoothness of a lager with a hop profile found most often in an American pale ale. The flavor begins with a very nice, faintly bitter fruity profile with a lingering piney flavor in the aftertaste. The malt is minimal as this is meant to be refreshing and thirst quenching.
Fairly light bodied with strong lager-like carbonation and a slick, smooth mouthfeel that is typical of a lager.
The brewery can call it an "India Pale Lager" if they must; to me, this is simply a flavorful, sessionable and refreshing lager that I will enjoy often during the warm months ahead.

Serving type: bottle

04-20-2013 23:08:48 | More by jkrich

RonfromJersey

New Jersey

3.64/5  rDev -3.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

Copper body alive with carbonation streams. First shows excellent clarity, then developes chill haze. Two fingers of tight white foam.

Mild aroma of grapefruit and other citrus.

Light and sweet malt beginning. Citrus fruit. Bitter nip. Clean finish.

Light mouthfeel.

A nice lager with a dash of extra hops that drinks lighter than Boston Lager. Boston Beer should brew this through summer.

Not an equal to the Imperial Pilsner of a few years past.

Serving type: bottle

04-17-2013 04:03:21 | More by RonfromJersey

LXIXME

New Mexico

3.53/5  rDev -6.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Big off white head slowly settles into a nice lacing above a clear bronze copper colored beer.

Big hoppy aroma with some soapiness mixed in with the citrus and pine hops aspects.

Citrus hops seem to outweigh some pine aspects and the light soapy maybe yeast like qualities of this IPL.

A light soapy quality to the light dryish aftertaste of this medium bodied beer.

I liked the hops qualities of this beer but the light soapy, for lack of a better way to describe it, aspects of this beer were a turn off for me.

Serving type: bottle

04-16-2013 23:21:58 | More by LXIXME

cjgator3

Florida

4.5/5  rDev +19%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.75

12oz bottle

A- Pours a golden orangish color with a nice off-white head with great retention and lacing.

S- The aroma is malt with fresh citrusy hops. Very nice!

T- The taste like the aroma starts out with a nice malty backbone making way for the hops in the finish. The hops used in this beer provide the perfect balance of bitterness and flavor.

M- The mouthfeel is between light and medium bodied with a good amount of carbonation.

O- Overall, I really enjoyed this one. I purchased this as part of a mixed pack with other Sam Adams beers but this one really stands out as something I would puchase again in the future on its own.

Serving type: bottle

04-14-2013 23:24:45 | More by cjgator3

JesseMurdock

Hawaii

3.54/5  rDev -6.3%
look: 3.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.25

This sounded like an interesting concept, a heavily hopped lager. I just don't think it worked. The hops seemed odd with the level of carbonation and crispness of this lager. Gave the beer a nice aroma of citrus and flowers but seemed to clash with the taste. Stick to Boston Lager if you want a refreshing lager or just pick up an IPA if you are in the mood for hops.

Serving type: bottle

04-14-2013 22:24:43 | More by JesseMurdock

superspak

Michigan

3.9/5  rDev +3.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12 ounce bottle into lager glass, best before August 2013. Pours fairly crystal clear golden amber color with a 1 finger dense white head with great retention, that reduces to a nice cap that lingers. Spotty soapy lacing clings down the glass, with a moderate amount of streaming carbonation. Aromas of grapefruit, lemon zest, orange zest, tangerine, pineapple, floral, light pine, light bread, and floral earthiness. Nice and pleasant aromas with good balance and complexity of hop notes; a bit weak on strength. Taste of grapefruit, lemon zest, orange zest, orange rind, tangerine, pineapple, floral, light pine, light bread, and floral earthiness. Fair amount of floral citrus bitterness on the finish; with lingering notes of citrus, citrus zest, pineapple, floral, light pine, and floral earthiness on the finish for a good bit. Very nice balance and complexity of hop flavors; with a moderate malt backbone and zero cloying flavors after the finish. Medium carbonation and body; with a smooth and fairly sticky mouthfeel that is nice. Alcohol is very well hidden with hardly any warming noticed after the finish. Overall this is a very nice hoppy lager. Great balance and complexity of hop flavors; and very smooth to drink. A very enjoyable offering.

Serving type: bottle

04-14-2013 07:46:50 | More by superspak

HalfFull

California

3.6/5  rDev -4.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Bottle poured into a pint glass, showing a clear golden copper with a half inch of off white cap. Light retention and lace with very little apparent carbonationn in the liquid.

Offers a nice hop aroma, with citrus notes interplaying with a herbal/flowery character as well. Not much of a oily/resin character yet bright and tropical in nature.

Taste is slightly sweet with citrus and bready malts on the tongue. Offers again a light level of carbonation and a rather short finish. Feel is squarely in the middle of the road. Full for a lager yet lighter than one might expect given the solid look and aroma.

Overall a decent brew yet a bit nondescript as well. Lacking in bitterness vs. what I expected from the label, what with 'double' and 'IPL' mentioned, though I'm referring largely to the 'IPL' here as double is obviously not an ABV reference. And at 5.0% it drinks like a citrusy Pale Ale. Low carbonation is surely a deterring factor for this particular bottle. A decent Pale Lager yet not representative of expections.

Serving type: bottle

04-14-2013 06:45:27 | More by HalfFull

Mavigo

Michigan

3.54/5  rDev -6.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Served in a pint glass. Not really a fan of IPAs.

A: Pours a golden amber color with a short off white head with medium amounts of patchy lacing.

S: Hops present, wheat, grains, grasses, barley

T: Tastes pretty good, very smooth, has a mild kick from the hops, have experienced worse so this is not bad at all.

M: Bit carbonated but doesn't really tarnish the beer at all. Medium bodied.

O: Overall this was alright, might have liked it a bit more if it wasn't a IPA, but not too bad. Would probably have again but wouldn't seek it out.

Serving type: bottle

04-12-2013 20:53:37 | More by Mavigo

Dodo2step

Pennsylvania

3.6/5  rDev -4.8%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

P- Wegmans

A- clear crisp golden color. 1 and half finger head that is fluffy and mountainous. Nice lacing on mug.

S- heavy on the citrus notes. grapefruit, pineapple and pine hops. no malt detectable.

F- grapefruit and pine come to the front with some biscuit wheaty malt in the background.

M- dry and refreshing. It is good on a hot spring day from what i just experienced. Very realxing and goes down smooth.

O- Not a bad beer and you cant go wrong with too many sam adams. a nce fail safe if out at a bar and its on tap with BMC's.

Serving type: bottle

04-10-2013 23:09:12 | More by Dodo2step

RickS95

Indiana

3.9/5  rDev +3.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

It's got the slight orangey color of an IPa, but it's excessively clear like most offerings from Sam Adams. The head is a brilliant contrasting, very bright white with the look of an IPA head. Craterous with good retention, nice lacing.

Pleasant smell with a blast of pineapple, pine and grapefruit. There is a grainy smell in the background, pale malt maybe.

Surprisingly good, refreshing taste. It's like an IPA with the citric notes, but like a lager has a smoother, less aggressive, sort of watery finish. It's like a hybrid, the first part is IPA, the second part is lager. Grapefruit, pine, bubble gum all dance on the tongue.

It's somewhat strange, but it works. It's got the taste and smell of an IPA, but lacks the bitterness many people don't appreciate. Extremely refreshing. Crisp and clean. Each sip scrapes the tongue clean so the next sip has a clean palate.

Overall, it's a good beer. Very easy to drink and almost a session beer so in the summer you can enjoy a cooler full of them. Kind of strange, but a nice change of pace.

Serving type: bottle

04-08-2013 03:20:50 | More by RickS95

SludgeFactory327

Massachusetts

4/5  rDev +5.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a transparent, pale orange color wih a thin but lingering head. Citrusy, west coast IPA hop aroma, pleasant and familiar somehow (Long Trail IPA?). Very smooth and easy drinking; definitely a lager in that regard. Beyond that one trait, it's more IPA than Lager for sure. Hop character dominates, but not too sticky on the palate. Definitely worth a try on a spring day.

Serving type: bottle

04-07-2013 23:35:21 | More by SludgeFactory327

estlinska

Arkansas

4.11/5  rDev +8.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Served in a standard shaker on 4/6/13. Pours a golden amber color with a strong 1cm of fizzy head that evaporates into islands of fuzz on the top of the beer. It leaves thin lacing that persists rather well. The beer is very clear and has absolutely no haze to it with great light penetration. The nose is a gorgeous citrus hop bomb recalibrated with that biscuit-like breadiness of a good lager. It really does open your eyes and I found myself very impressed with how well they worked well together. The taste was very good. It was crisp like a good lager, tasting of warm baked bread, but it has a strong resin and citurs punch as well. It was full of lime peel, resinous pine flavor, and a strong flavor of oranges and magoes. Very good and clean on the palate, perfect carbonation overall. This is a very good offerening from a very good beer company. This gives you the hop flavor a hop-head would love at a very sessionable 5% and the twist of the lager yeast just makes it nice and refreshing.

Serving type: bottle

04-07-2013 18:25:03 | More by estlinska

ArrogantB

Colorado

4/5  rDev +5.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Heard some chatter so I picked up a bottle of this. Thick orange color, good suds. Smell is quite hoppy, citrus, floral, pine, almost west coast. Flavor matches the smell pretty well but not as fruity as an IPA. Crisp lager finish. This was a solid beer, low alcohol, strong hops. I went back for another sixer not too long after.

Serving type: bottle

04-07-2013 17:36:12 | More by ArrogantB

Billolick

New York

3.79/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

Part of the Samuel Adams Mix-pack, purchased at Peekskill Bev, Peekskill, NY. Best before July 2013 notched onto the label.

Pours clear medium amber. Frothy lite tan head, leaves ample and lasting low sheeting and bits of lace low in the glass.

Floral and leafy hop nose.

Better then average hop package, especially for the style. Easy drinking and pleasing brew, decent sessioner at 5%. Nothing special, but would work just fine in a pinch, sort of a hoppy brew with training wheels. Good one to encourage a hoppy beer newbie to check out.

Serving type: bottle

04-07-2013 00:06:48 | More by Billolick

Apellonious

North Carolina

3.69/5  rDev -2.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

12 oz bottle from 6 pack.

A - IPL? Pour a dark orange ruby with a two finer head that fades quickly. Lace hangs on side of glass.

S - grass, lemons, hops, some biscuit

T - bread, back end bitterness, very mild fruit, grass and sea salt

M - carbonation on the high side. Sharp finish.

O - nice attempt. I have never searched this combo out, and not sure it completely works, but it may open up some lager only palates out there.

Serving type: bottle

04-06-2013 22:28:21 | More by Apellonious

Slatetank

Pennsylvania

4.04/5  rDev +6.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

I picked this up as part of the spring thaw mixed case -enjoyed chilled in a mug.

The lager pours a deep golden/ light amber with thick white head and ultra fine bead with streamers of lace, retention is good. The smell is very herbal and has some citrus odors with lemon rind and light pepper. The mouthfeel is great with crisp spicy quality and slight resinous element from hop oils with light astringency and mild bitterness as it has a semi-dry finish with mild sweetness in the mid palate.

The taste has a genlty herbal but not really grassy taste more subtle and finessed with smooth bitterness blending with light citrus flavor and a pleasant lemon accent with mild dry herbal hop mixed with a peppery quality reminiscent of saaz with some slight grapefruit tinges in the back and a pretty dry finish flavor wise. This is a great hoppy lager which is smooth enough to warrant a second taste and very drinkable with nice hop flavor and subtlety w/ residual bitterness that brings you back after the swallow.

Serving type: bottle

04-05-2013 18:44:29 | More by Slatetank

Turbojet307

New Hampshire

4.63/5  rDev +22.5%
look: 5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75

Nice Job on this one. I really enjoy this beer and hope that it is one I will be able to purchase year round. These are becoming harder to find in 12 packs, I'm guessing thats because it was a one time brew. The case I bought the other day has a best buy date of July 2013, I'm guessing they were brewed around january. They still are tasting very good to me.

Serving type: bottle

04-05-2013 10:07:10 | More by Turbojet307