Help: Sam Adams Imperial White (10.3% ABV)

I must say that this is one of my favorite beers I have ever had from america. It is strange because it is brewed with various citrus and spices which I always think gets overdone in beers. I don't know how it finishes so amazingly with a 10.3% abv.

Even if you don't share my tastes in the beer, can anyone who has drank it help me try to put together a clone? I am not expecting a perfect clone (even if I had the exact recipe I doubt I would be able to clone it well) but I want some help getting started on this.

This has been asked a good bit and I have yet to find an answer

[Edit 7/24]
Ok off of Sam Adams' website I have this much info:

Original Gravity: 23.0° Plato (1.096)

Alcohol by Vol/Wt: 10.3%ABV – 8.0%ABW

Calories/12 oz.: 321

Malt Variety: Two-row Harrington, Metcalfe, and Copeland pale malts and Malted Wheat

Hop Variety: Hallertau Mittelfrueh Noble Hops

Yeast Strain: Samuel Adams ale yeast

Typical spices include coriander and orange peel giving the beer a citrusy flavor that complements the wheat.

Click to expand...

Time to experiment when I get a frementor freed up!

Good luck with it and let me know how it comes out. It is one of my favorite beers of all time and they do a phenomenal job of hiding the high alcohol. One word of caution, don't plan on drinking it anytime soon. A fellow HB'er brewed an Imperial White and it took about 8 months till it was drinkable, and another 4 till it was great.

On a side note, I have 4 bottles of the Stout and 4 bottles of of the White that I am going to keep for about a year and pop. Ill let you know what kinda of new flavor profiles emerge after it ages.

SurlyBastard said:

Good luck with it and let me know how it comes out. It is one of my favorite beers of all time and they do a phenomenal job of hiding the high alcohol. One word of caution, don't plan on drinking it anytime soon. A fellow HB'er brewed an Imperial White and it took about 8 months till it was drinkable, and another 4 till it was great.

On a side note, I have 4 bottles of the Stout and 4 bottles of of the White that I am going to keep for about a year and pop. Ill let you know what kinda of new flavor profiles emerge after it ages.

Click to expand...

Sounds like a good plan. I had one the day I bought it a few months ago and it was awesome. I had one two nights ago and I decided to pour it like a hefeweisen (mix up all the sediment in the bottle) and it was even better (due to age, not sediment).

SurlyBastard, next time you drink one take a note at how much spice/orange peel/yeast sediment is actually in the bottle. I am thinking of harvesting yeast from the bottle but I am not sure yet.

PS: I can't afford a carboy at this point so it will be a few months before I can brew this up anyway