Imperial Spruce India Pilsner - Short's Brewing Company

Roke87

Ontario (Canada)

4.22/5  rDev +5.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12oz. bottle, chilled and poured into a pilsner glass

Appearance- Pours a light yellowish colour with a slight haze to it, but not enough to call it a hazy beer. Gentle pour yields about a finger of white head that quickly dissipates to a very thin almost afterthought of a head with a nice ring around the glass leaving minimal to no lacing throughout till finish.

Smell- Lots of resin and pine needle aromas coming from this one right away, a nice fruity flavour comes forward next and smells a lot like apricots, the nose is very interesting with lots of sweet notes and a bit of bitter aromas to balance it out as well, a good start.

Taste- Interesting tastes as well, very bitter right off the bat from the resin and pine needle tastes, some bready malts in the middle, that finish almost sweet in the finish from the fruity grapefruit and apricot aromas that transfer into the taste. Although some notes really remind me of eating a pastrami sandwich, not sure why that’s just what I’m getting out of it?

Mouthfeel- Medium bodied with average carbonation this one goes down smooth and crisp with a bittersweet finish to it.

Overall- From the aromas in the beginning right down to the last drop of deliciousness left in the glass, this is a very enjoyable beer and probably one of if not the best pilsner that I have had to date. Very enjoyable and a very well balanced and complex pilsner as well, great bitter flavours from the resin and pine needle, a nice mixed of hops and bready malts, and finishes with a somewhat sweet flavour of apricots and grapefruit. I was pleasantly surprised by this one as I had somewhat low expectations when I first picked it up at the liquor store, but am now wishing I had picked up more than just a review bottle. Would definitely pick this one up again and will be on the lookout my next trip down to Michigan.

Serving type: bottle

07-31-2011 03:05:59 | More by Roke87

Slay40

Michigan

4.5/5  rDev +12.5%

05-10-2013 18:54:47 | More by Slay40

brudz2134

Michigan

3.25/5  rDev -18.8%

05-04-2013 03:36:02 | More by brudz2134

szmnnl99

Michigan

4/5  rDev 0%

03-22-2013 01:12:03 | More by szmnnl99

SimcoeJoe

Michigan

5/5  rDev +25%

03-16-2013 12:55:53 | More by SimcoeJoe

Tchfunkta

Kentucky

5/5  rDev +25%

03-05-2013 17:45:05 | More by Tchfunkta

SaisonRichBiere

Michigan

3.5/5  rDev -12.5%

03-02-2013 01:58:37 | More by SaisonRichBiere

rpbuckeye

Ohio

4.25/5  rDev +6.3%

02-14-2013 15:46:13 | More by rpbuckeye

AlMarzo

Michigan

3.5/5  rDev -12.5%

02-09-2013 11:46:49 | More by AlMarzo

schmityl

4/5  rDev 0%

01-14-2013 00:16:02 | More by schmityl

jlindros

Massachusetts

3.74/5  rDev -6.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Careful pour prevents the sediment from going and yields a very light fizzy head that dissipates very quickly, crystal clear watery barely banana yellow color.

Nose is a little weird, starts with a light booze and esters with a big almost double Belgian blond like, light phenols almost, a light pine spruce tree sap like, and a weird musty almost arm pit like.

Taste starts with a bitter pine sap, and turns quickly to an icky dirt taste, like pure soil, acidic soil that came from under a pine tree. Definite spruce tip flavor, followed by big resinous astringent bitterness as well as spicy earthy hops. Underneath that is a bit of blond malts, sweet and slightly estery, maybe even phenols. Finish is a long bitter pine sap spruce tip flavor, nagging bitterness and a bit astringent, some spicy chewy hops too, and still a bit sweet and sticky.

Mouth is med bodied, lighter carb.

Overall a very unique beer. It wants to be that beer that reminds me of walking and chewing on the forest spruce lined sap and soil covered earth. However, they seem to have added extra earthy spicy chewy hops on top of it which was not needed and brings it down. It is bitter and astringent, earthy soil flavored, and malts and yeast at least bring nice Belgian blond flavors, esters and hint of phenols even which accent the spruce nicely.

Serving type: bottle

01-10-2013 20:59:27 | More by jlindros

t0rin0

California

3.25/5  rDev -18.8%

01-05-2013 04:07:43 | More by t0rin0

beergorrilla

Michigan

4.25/5  rDev +6.3%

01-02-2013 09:57:01 | More by beergorrilla

hopswap1

Illinois

2.75/5  rDev -31.3%

12-11-2012 15:50:25 | More by hopswap1

HevvyMetalHippie

Massachusetts

4/5  rDev 0%

11-09-2012 22:39:33 | More by HevvyMetalHippie

FishPondManager

Colorado

4/5  rDev 0%

11-08-2012 03:41:19 | More by FishPondManager

Knapp85

Pennsylvania

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

This poured out as a slightly hazy yellow color, the head was white. The retention fades and doesn't leave much lacing. The smell of the beer is spruce, big time herbal spruce aromas... Very pungent. The taste is also very much full of spruce but it's also nicely balanced. The spruce is huge upfront then settles into a nice dry bitterness in the finish. The mouthfeel is clean and crisp, very drinkable. Overall pretty damn impressive. It's got a ton of spruce flavors so if you're up for it give it a try. Very nice brew.

Serving type: bottle

11-04-2012 20:04:02 | More by Knapp85

ssimpson89

Illinois

4.25/5  rDev +6.3%

10-29-2012 00:40:13 | More by ssimpson89

cpetrone84

Pennsylvania

2.35/5  rDev -41.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

pour is a pale yellow, hazed, with a thin bubbly white head. Nose is piney and different, fair amount of pine with light lemon and herbal hop, notes of pepper. Taste is heavy pine sol, some lemon and pepper, body is syrupy and disjointed, favors are off putting and harsh, harsh carbonation, overly piney and artificial chemical notes.

Serving type: bottle

10-15-2012 13:38:46 | More by cpetrone84

JDizzle

Indiana

4/5  rDev 0%

10-03-2012 23:33:47 | More by JDizzle

xnicknj

Pennsylvania

4.5/5  rDev +12.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

12oz bottle poured into tulip - thanks to erikkoppin

Pours a clear golden color with a thin crop of white head resting on top. Dissolves almost completely, leaving a collar of haze and a few spots of lacing.

Tons of bitter pine hops and spruce in the nose. This reminds me of Christmas tree shopping with my parents when I was a kid, very earthy, herbal and fragrant. Biscuit and grain malt with some soft sweetness. Faint warmth on the back end.

Bitter and piny right up front with tons of resiny bitterness. Sticky and juicy with herbal spruce tones that continue to remind me of Christmas trees and camping. Mild backbone with grain, lemongrass and bread. Underlying sweetness with more spruce and pine tones towards the finish with a spike of warmth and bitterness.

Medium body, well carbonated, dry and lingering on the tongue. I've been a Short's fan for a while, but this might be one of my all-time favorites. This completely demolishes nearly every other beer in the genre, while completely nailing the described intention from the label - I want more of this immediately.

Serving type: bottle

09-24-2012 02:50:35 | More by xnicknj

shamrock071521

Michigan

4.75/5  rDev +18.8%

08-31-2012 04:22:13 | More by shamrock071521

neobob187

Florida

4.53/5  rDev +13.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a 12oz bottle into a DFH Snifter/Goblet.

A: a light yellowy golden color. Small amount of head but really great lacing all over the glass as you drink it.

S: not as heavy a nose as I'd expect from a beer this flavorful. There is a nice subtle pine/spruce smell, but nothing too crazy. Also a very subtle lemon.

T: For an "Imperial Pilsner" this beer is crazy hoppy. But I'm loving every second of it. Really nice grapefruit flavor from the Alpha Hops. Huge Pine/Spruce tinge. Also some really nice lemon and peppery bitterness in the finish.

M: Some really nice carbonation, very smooth, resinous and slightly dry finish.

O: An excellent and uniquely flavorful pilsner. I can really say I would drink this all the time if I lived in Michigan still.

Serving type: bottle

08-30-2012 02:44:22 | More by neobob187

HuskyinPDX

Washington

3.43/5  rDev -14.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Bottle opened on 8.21.12.

A - Pours a cloudy, light yellow with small white head that moves quickly to the edge.

S - A pine tree.

T - A pine tree with a lemony-soapy finish.

D - Mild carbonation with a light body.

O - Pine all-over the place. Some lemony-soap in the finish.

Serving type: bottle

08-27-2012 06:50:19 | More by HuskyinPDX

mothman

Saskatchewan (Canada)

2/5  rDev -50%

08-26-2012 17:40:34 | More by mothman