Samuel Adams Debuts $200 Beer That’s So Alcoholic It’s Illegal In 12 States

Beer aficionados, take note. Samuel Adams just released a beer that’s unlike any other, with a price tag to match.

As Fortune explains, Utopias is a specialty beer released by the company every two years with a suggested retail price of $199 a bottle, although exact prices vary by market.

So what makes this beer so special?

Samuel Adams pioneered the practice of barrel-aging, which is the process of aging beer in a wooden barrel with the intention of making the alcohol take on the unique character of the wood and/or the flavor of what has previously been in the barrel.

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Utopias takes this practice, which has now become commonplace in craft breweries across the industry, and brings it to an extreme.

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This is the 10th time Samuel Adams has released Utopias, and this year’s incarnation was aged in a variety of barrels including new Scandinavian Aquavit barrels.

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A portion of the final blend was aged in Moscat (a type of dessert wine) barrels, which is a first for the beer.

The resulting beer clocks in at a staggering 28% ABV, and the taste is said to “be reminiscent of a rich vintage Port, old Cognac or fine Sherry with notes of dark fruit, subtle sweets and a deep rich malty smoothness,” according to the craft beer news site Brewbound.

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Utopias is also not carbonated like most brews, because the high alcohol level destroys carbon dioxide. If you’re wondering how anyone could chug a beer with 28% alcohol content and stay standing, Samuel Adams recommends sipping just a one ounce taste. (By way of comparison, the average alcohol content for craft beer is 5.9 percent ABV, according to CNBC.)

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The exclusive beer is in short supply, with only 13,000 bottles from 68 wooden casks being made available across the United States.

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However, in 12 states, you can’t get your hands on the beer at all!

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Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Mississippi, Montana, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Vermont and Washington have all banned the sale of Utopias due to its high alcohol content.

“My original idea for Utopias was to push the boundaries of craft beer by brewing an extreme beer that was unlike anything any brewer had conceived,” said Jim Koch, founder of Boston Beer Co., the parent firm of Samuel Adams, in a statement. “I’m proud to present to drinkers this lunatic fringe of extreme beer worthy of the Utopias name.”

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If you’re lucky enough to live in one of the states where Utopias is being sold, you can expect to see it on shelves soon. And remember to drink responsibly!

Until then, have a beer that’s poured from the bottom up!

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About the Author
Kate Streit
Kate Streit lives in Chicago. She enjoys stand-up comedy, mystery novels, memoirs, summer and pumpkin spice anything.

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