Sam Adams Double Agent IPL Review

Name: Sam Adams Double Agent IPL
Style: American Pale Lager
ABV: 5.0%

Since I'm over half way through my Sam Adams Spring Seasonal Pack, I figured I would move on to the more interesting beers of the bunch. This time around, it's Sam Adams Double Agent IPL (India Pale Lager). I do have to give Sam Adams credit, they do have some pretty interesting ideas for some of their beers; In their seasonals, regular offerings and limited releases.

Looking over the description of the beer, which is claimed to be, in my own words, a very hop forward lager. The first thing that pops into my head which reminds me of when I had Hop Cream from Capitol Brewing on tap (which I will be reviewing in the not-so-distant future).

IPL pours a golden yellow color with a moderate amount of carbonation. From the start, it looks like your average golden lager.

However once you move onto the smell, it's an entirely different story. The smell is very piney & citrus hop heavy and forward. If one were to close their eyes and take a whiff, they would probably believe they are smelling a rich IPA.

And like the nose, the flavor has strong piney hops notes, along with a strong citrus rind and yeast flavor. Aftertaste is has a strong resin flavor, which sticks around for a while.

The body is fairly light and the carbonation is rather mild as well. This helps in conjunction with the flavor since it already "unique" enough as is.

There's more than meets the eye with this beer, which will be off-putting to those who are used to their golden lagers. However if you're feeling a little adventurous then this beer would be a good choice for you.

Sam Adams Double Agent IPL - 8/10