Samuel Adams
The Sam Adams ‘Utopias’ is a biennial release from the Boston brewer that’s revered by beer snobs across the country for its unique flavor profiles and extremely high ABV % that renders it illegal throughout parts of America.
This is the 11th Utopias release from Samuel Adams and for this year’s unique brew there were only 77 wooden casks brewed in total and it’s actually an interesting blend of batches. You can trust that this is no ordinary beer and you are getting what you pay for, in a sense, because the complex brewing process of Utopias takes significantly longer than your typical beer.
Samuel Adams says this beer ‘starts with a special blend of two-row pale malt combined with Munich and Caramel 60 malts that impart a rich, ruby color.’ And that’s just the beginning.
It is made with three varieties of hops (Spalt Spalter, Hallertau Mittelfreuh, and Tettnang Tettnanger). This collection of exquisite hops was hand-picked to balance out the sweet malt.
The 2019 Samuel Adams Utopias is a blend of batches with some having been aged up to 24 years in an array of barrels. At this point, it sounds more like a Single Malt Scotch Whiskey than a beer but it’s definitely a beer, one that’s illegal in 15 states. Some of the barrels used for aging include Scandinavian Aquavit and Moscat barrels.
If you are in the market for a 28% ABV beer then I guess you’re in luck with this one but I hope your wallet’s sitting thick at the moment because it’s not cheap. A single 25.4oz limited-edition bottle of the 2019 Samuel Adams Utopias will retail for $210 if you can find it in the store and I’m sure that price will soar on the secondary market.
The bottle itself is pretty badass and it’s clear that a portion fo the high price tag accounts for the unique bottle and this is where they kind of lose me. I’m not really into spending money on the bottle itself when it’s the beer inside that is the only thing I care about.
As far as the taste and flavor profile is concerned, Samuel Adams brewers say this has a ‘deep rich malty smoothness reminiscent of a vintage port, cognac, or fine sherry.’ It is best paired with Clam Chowder, Mango-Chili Chicken, and Fruit-Topped Bread Pudding (according to Sam Adams).
Due to the 28% ABV, the 2019 Utopias is illegal in Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Idaho, Missouri, Mississippi, Montana, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Carolina, Utah, Vermont, and West Virginia.
If you want to find a local retailer you can click here to visit the Samuel Adams website to find the nearest place to buy this beer.