Samuel Adams Utopias - 10th Anniversary

There are big beers and there are big beers.  Samuel Adams Utopias, with an ABV of 27%, is neither.  It's extreme.

The story behind Utopias is almost as good as the beer, and yes, although Utopias is un-carbonated, served at room temperature, and is 53 proof, it is still very much a beer.

According to Sam Adams founder, Jim Koch, the origin of Utopias dates back 20 years.  In Jim's effort to explore the untouched extreme boundaries of the beer spectrum, in 1994 he released Triple Bock, the first ever "strongest beer" (17.5% ABV).  

On a side note, I still have one bottle of Triple Bock left.  It has been years since I've had my second to last bottle and sadly, my hazy memory doesn't hold a lot of good memories.  I'm thinking about opening my last bottle before the end of the year and giving it another try.

Triple Bock was followed up by Millennium in 2000 and ultimately the first batch of Utopias in 2002.  

The journey of Utopias from mash to bottle can boggle the mind.  It is made with a blend of liquids, aged in several different types of wooden casks, some aged for 19 years.  This year's batch even includes some of the original 1994 Triple Bock, an ode to this beer's extreme origin.  In the end, Utopias was finished in single-use bourbon casks.  It is easy to see, based simply on the Utopias brewing roadmap, why this is such a complex beer.

My first taste of Utopias came during our tour of the Sam Adams brewery earlier this year.   Not only was our taste a special treat, stumbling on the casks of Utopias "hanging out" in the brewery was even better.

Utopias has always been served in a bottle resembling a traditional brewing "copper", or kettle.  This year is no different, but in an added splash of nostalgia, roots have been etched on the sides to give homage to the 20 plus years of history that goes into this 10th anniversary batch.

I want my bottle of Utopias to last through the New Year, so I'm enforcing the 2 ounce pour rule.  It may be a little tricky.  This batch is out of this world and I have hard time visualizing 2 ounces.

Utopias exclusivity and longevity of aging is also reflected in its price of $160 a bottle.  In my opinion, the price is well worth it.

Only 15000 bottles of Utopias are available for sale.  I've got bottle bottle 14915. 

The Taste

The nose is of dark fruit and raisins.

On first taste, more of that dark fruit with a subtle woody undercurrent.  The finish was a mixture of sweet malt and spice. On subsequent tastings, it's difficult to figure out exactly what's going on, as so there are so many different layers.  It is complex.  Although there is no denying the presence of the alcohol, the brown sugar like sweetness beats it down.  The sweetness of Utopias lingers on the lips and the spice profile camps out in the back of the throat.  It really is phenomenal.  

Utopias is the perfect after dinner drink.  If you get the opportunity, get a taste, or better yet, add it to your Christmas list.  It is that special of a beer.

Note:

The wonderful people at Sam Adams provided me with not only this fine bottle of Utopias, but the Utopias tasting glass by Reidel.  My Christmas is over.