Great Moments In Brewing – This Samuel Adams Beer Was Banned in 15 States
Great Moments In Brewing – This Samuel Adams Beer Was Banned in 15 States
(Courtesy Samuel Adams Brewing)
Every two years Samuel Adams releases its Utopias beer and if you live in one of these states you won’t be able to purchase it.
Here’s the deal…
On October 23, Boston Beer, home to the Samuel Adams brand, released its Utopias beer. And even if you could afford it (this monster retailed for $240 in 2023 and some stores will even marked it up higher). And its alcohol count was so high, at least for a beer, that it was banned in 15 states.
By law, Utopias couldn’t be sold in Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Idaho, Missouri, Mississippi, Montana, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Carolina, Utah, Vermont, and West Virginia.
And while Utopias was banned in a number of southern states, who historically have been the last to update their Post-Prohibition alcohol regulations, it’s sobering to note that it was also illegal in Oregon and New Hampshire, two states with rich craft beer cultures.
Maybe the problem was Utopias itself…
It’s marketed as beer but it really owes more to vintage port or sherry. Due to its high 28% ABV (alcohol by volume) which effectively consumes any available CO2, this beer has no detectable carbonation. Yes, it’s malt-forward but it lays on the tongue more like cognac than any beer you’ve ever had.
This biennial release (they’ll be a new one this year) is different each time around.
Utopias are always made up from a blend of barrel-aged, cask-conditioned beers. So of those beers have been aging for almost three decades. Others half that and some for not more than a year.
In addition to aging in bourbon barrels, brewers also blended in beers that spent time resting in a combination of Carcavelos, Madeira, Ruby Port, and Sherry Oloroso barrels. And for the very first time Sam Adams brewers also added a blend aged in Sauternes French oak wine casks this year.
According to Samuel Adam’s the 2023 batch was finished on 2,000 pounds of Michigan Balaton cherries which added a slight sweetness and touch of tart flavor to the mix.
“We pioneered the barrel-aging and blending process of Utopias almost thirty years ago and continue that time-honored tradition today,” said Jim Koch, founder and brewer of Samuel Adams… “Since the introduction of Utopias in 2002, brewers have explored uncharted territory with each brew, experimenting with different kinds of aging barrels, new flavors, and different blending techniques. The result is always special and worth waiting for.”
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