Samuel Adams’ latest beer is its most impressive offering yet! Earlier this month, the brand announced the release of its 2019 Utopias – a very exclusive collection that consists of sought after barrel-aged and hand-bottled booze.
This year’s annual Utopias collection (the brewery’s 11th overall) is billed as an “extreme” beer and is being sold for a whopping $210 per bottle. Put another way, a keg of this stuff will set you back more than $33,000!
The drink was blended, aged and carefully finished in dedicated barrel rooms at Samuel Adams’ three breweries in Boston, Lehigh Valley, Pennsylvania, and Cincinnati, Ohio. Furthermore, this beer clocks in at a robust 28 percent ABV, making it illegal to sell in or ship to 15 states. The high alcohol volume is a result of the fact that only 77 wooden casks of Utopias were brewed in 2019, meaning each beer is very concentrated.
For context, Sam Adams Boston Lager has an ABV of 5 percent and most vodka is somewhere in the 40 percent range, though this beer is actually more potent since vodka is typically sold in larger quantities.
As far as taste goes, the beer was crafted to be reminiscent of rich vintage Port or fine Sherry thanks to its unique barrel-aging process, brewing techniques and Cognac and Madeira finishing barrels. The result is a drink with distinct vanilla notes and subtle nutty and elegant dark fruit aromas.
Per a press release, the ruby black, uncarbonated 2019 Utopias collection challenges drinkers’ expectations of beer and, impressively, get better with age. That means drinkers can feel free to enjoy a portion of the beers now and save the rest for other occasions.
The limited release will be available in select locations starting on Tuesday, October 15, and will be on tap in the Samuel Adams Cincinnati Taproom for the fist time ever next month.
Though the high-end beer market is small, the alcohol market is thriving, especially when it comes to celebrity-backed brands. Last month, former Vampire Diaries costars Ian Somerhalder and Paul Wesley confirmed they were teaming up once more to release a spirit together. Somerhalder broke the news by taking to Instagram and asking, “Can you imagine if the Salvatore brothers had their OWN bourbon?”
And in July, former Breaking Bad costars Aaron Paul and Bryan Cranston revealed that they were joining forces to launch a mezcal after releasing a series of clues on Instagram. The mezcal has been embraced by many fans.
