(Courtesy Boston Beer)

On October 21, Samuel Adams, released its Utopias 2025 barrel-aged and blended beer like none other. And even if you could afford it (this monster retails for $240 this year and some stores will even mark it up higher) its 30% alcohol count is so high, at least for a beer, that it’s banned in 15 states.

By law, Utopias cannot 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 is understandably 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’s also illegal in Oregon and New Hampshire, two states with rich craft beer cultures.

Maybe the problem is Utopias itself…

It’s marketed as beer but it really owes more to vintage port or sherry. Due to its high 30% 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 exotic (which Samuel Adams returns on the odd year) is different each time around and this year’s batch is even stronger than ever!

Utopias is always made up from a blend of barrel-aged, cask-conditioned beers. The journey first begins at the Samuel Adams Cincinnati Brewery, where the beer is brewed and fermented.

Next, it moves to the Utopias Vault at the Pennsylvania Brewery in a towering 6,000-square-foot, climate-controlled space for barrel aging. After achieving the desired age, brewers blend it with previous vintage Utopias at the Boston Bier Keller, and the beer is finally bottled at Dogfish Head Brewery in Delaware.

Utopias 2025 was finished in Irish Whiskey, Amarone, and White Port barrels, along with traditional Ruby Port, Carcavelos, Cognac, and Scotch casks to deliver the layered flavors of caramel, oak, dried fruit, smoke, and subtle citrus.

“When we first began the Utopias journey over thirty years ago, we set out to explore the limits of what beer could be,” said Jim Koch, founder and brewer of Samuel Adams….

“Reaching 30% ABV is a remarkable milestone for Utopias— not for the number itself, but for what it represents: the relentless pursuit of craft without compromise. Every vintage, barrel, and bottle reflects decades of experimentation, innovation, and collaboration, delivering a sipping experience that is truly unparalleled, collectible, memorable, and worth the wait.”