Special Brew

Tasting Notes

The aroma leans toward grainy malt sweetness with a faint hint of corn and a mild, somewhat harsh alcohol presence that's hard to mask at this strength. On the palate, it's malt-forward with a thin sweetness, minimal hop character, and a warming alcohol bite that dominates the back end. The body is medium to light, and the finish is dry but with a lingering alcoholic heat rather than any clean bitterness you'd expect from a conventional pilsner. This is a beer where the high ABV defines the experience more than the underlying ingredients.

About the Brewery

Carlsberg is a Danish brewing giant founded in 1847 in Copenhagen by J.C. Jacobsen, and it ranks among the largest beer companies in the world by volume. The brewery is historically significant for its scientific contributions to brewing — the Carlsberg Laboratory isolated a pure lager yeast strain in 1883 that became foundational to the global lager industry. Today the group owns hundreds of brands across dozens of markets, with its mainstream lagers dominating European on-trade accounts.

Food Pairings

At this ABV, food pairing is less about complementing flavors and more about managing intensity. Strong, salty cheeses like aged cheddar can stand up to the alcohol heat and cut through the malt sweetness. Fatty charcuterie — salami or cured sausage — works for the same reason, with the fat absorbing some of the warmth. Spiced or heavily seasoned street food, like a döner or a curried dish, can match the beer's boldness without being overwhelmed by it. Plain salted crisps are a practical companion that keeps the palate from fatigue.

Style Guide

Imperial Pilsner is essentially a pilsner brewed to a significantly higher ABV than the style's typical 4-5% range, sacrificing some of the delicacy that defines conventional pilsner in exchange for strength. It retains the pale malt base and nominal lager character of the original style but tends toward more sweetness and less of the dry, hop-driven bitterness that Central European pilsners are known for. The style doesn't have a strong traditional lineage — it's largely a commercial category used to market high-gravity lagers at an accessible price point. It sits adjacent to malt liquor in character and intent, though it's marketed under a more prestigious pilsner label.