Samuel Adams Utopia: A beer of superlatives

November 5, 10:54 AMDallas Craft Beer ExaminerPaul Hightower

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Image: Samuel Adams

This is a story about a beer of superlatives.

• One of the strongest (if not the strongest) beer in the world at 27% ABV.
• One of the most expensive beers in the world, with a suggested retail price of $150 per bottle.
• One of the most difficult beers to obtain, as its alcohol content prohibits its sale in 12 states.

Samuel Adams Utopia from the Boston Beer Company is brewed only once every few years. It is made in small batches—this one was only 53 barrels—which makes it very rare and highly sought after. The bottle alone is a prize, as it is a small custom ceramic container in the shape of a mash tun (a piece of industrial brewing equipment).

This year’s release is a blend of a few different beers, a couple of which have been aged in Scotch whiskey barrels. To achieve such high levels of alcohol without distilling, maple syrup is fed to the beer throughout fermentation to keep the yeast alive and producing.

I had the privilege of sampling the 2003 edition when a generous local pub owner brought out his own bottle one night and gave tastes to our table. (Otherwise, this beer is far beyond what even my robust beer budget will allow.)

One would expect a beer like this to be an alcoholic mess. Surprisingly, it is quite smooth and drinkable, retaining its beer-ness without being whiskey-hot. Its aroma is a bit medicinal but it has flavors of sweet malt, smoke, maple syrup and complex elements of vanilla, white chocolate and wood.

If you pair the Utopia with a meal, you are wasting both beer and food. This is best as an after-dinner digestif.

Availability: Select liquor stores around DFW. Call individual locations for availability, may have to be special-ordered.

Other beers by Samuel Adams: Imperial Stout

Cheers!
paul@scientist.com