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(Courtesy Boston Beer)
Boston Brewing’s Samuel Adams is releasing one of the world’s most expensive beers…And we have to ask who can afford to buy this beer…other than cartels?
First released in 2002, when the concept of ‘extreme beer’ was still novel, Samuel Adam’s Utopias release was buzz-worthy event to be sure.
After all, the craft beer biz hadn’t seen beer barrel-aging and blending at that level of sophistication back then, nor were consumers being asked to pay more than $200 for the privilege of exploring its complexity.
Samuel Adams only releases this pricy small-batch exotic every two years. And at 28% ABV its 2019 Utopias, owes more to a vintage port or fine sherry than to beer…just sayin.’
There’s no doubt that creating a Utopias release can be an expensive and time-consuming process for Samuel Adams. Barrel-aging, takes time and time is money in the beer biz. The attention to blending that goes into a $210 release has to be substantial…
And this year’s Utopias release may have been influenced by Firestone Walker, that Paso Robles-based brewery has definately refined the art of beer blending over the years…
(Courtesy Boston Beer)
Utopias 2019 is a blend of batches, some having been aged for 24 years. And this year’s recipe includes Utopias in a variety of barrels including new Scandinavian Aquavit barrels as well as a portion of the final blend aged in Moscat barrels for the first time.
Sam Adams brewers also utilized several yeast strains during fermentation, including one normally reserved for champagne, and a “ninja yeast,” created for its ability to survive and continue fermenting in an environment that has such a high alcohol level.
So yes, elaborate…and pricey, that too.
At $210 dollars a pop, this year’s ruby black, un-carbonated Utopias release will, no doubt, be making its way into the mansions of assorted tech and cocaine oligarchs, before it shows up at any bottle-share we’ll be attending.
And maybe the fact that only 77 wooden casks of Utopias were brewed in 2019 validates its exorbitant price, but were not sure.
But one thing is for sure…we don’t expect we’ll see a promo bottle of the 2019 Utopias showing up at the American Craft Beer compound any time soon.
