Every two years, the brewers at Samuel Adams like to create an event—and there’s no easier way to stir the passions of beer lovers than the release of Utopias.
The biennial release, which carries a price tag of $199 and an ABV of a whopping 28%, is one of the beer world’s most highly anticipated events. Just 13,000 bottles of the beer will be distributed throughout the U.S., though not in 11 states, where it’s illegal to sell.
Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Idaho, Mississippi, Montana, New Hampshire, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Vermont all prohibit the sale of Samuel Adams Utopias due to that sky high alcohol content. The rest of the country can begin looking for it early next month.
As for the taste? Utopias is unlike other beers – from Sam Adams or any other brewer. It’s not carbonated, since the alcohol levels chew up any CO2. And it’s not a beer meant to be consumed all at once. Instead, the brewer suggests just a one ounce taste.
The taste is more like a fine liquor, with a sweetness like a port or cognac and a smooth, almost buttery, malt-filled finish.
“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.”
Editor’s note: This story initially incorrectly identified Ohio and Washington as states that prohibited the sale of Utopias. It has been updated.