Boston Beer Co., the brewery behind the “Samuel Adams” brand of beers, announced Monday the release of its biannual series of beers, “Utopias,” which are so potent they cannot be sold in 15 states.
The beer, a 25.4 oz bottle that sells for about $240, contains 28% alcohol by volume, more than five times the potency of typical beers in the U.S., according to 6 ABC. As such, the beer is illegal to sell in Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Idaho, Missouri, Mississippi, Montana, North Carolina, New Hampshire, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Carolina, Utah, Vermont or West Virginia, 6 ABC reported. (RELATED: Retail Sales Surprisingly Increased Last Month After Plummeting In July)
Utopias, described as an “extreme beer,” is aged in barrels that previously held Carcavelos, Madeira, Ruby Port, and Sherry Oloroso, according to a press release.
The beer was first introduced in 2002 and is brewed every other year in batches of about 13,000 bottles, 6 ABC reported. It will be sold beginning Oct. 11 at specialty liquor stores.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – OCTOBER 12: A view of Samuel Adams during Oktoberfest hosted by Andrew Zimmern at The Standard Highline on October 12, 2019, in New York City. (Photo by Daniel Zuchnik/Getty Images for NYCWFF)
The 2021 brew was aged in Sauternes French oak casks, “which brings subtle notes of honeyed apricot and caramel to the rich layers of flavor,” and finished on 2,000 pounds of cherries, including Michigan Balaton cherries, the press release stated. The cherries also add “a slight sweetness and touch of tart flavor” that “would enhance the overall profile of Utopias, to create a rich flavor of black cherry and dark fruits, with hints of maple and vanilla,” according to the press release.
“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,” Samuel Adams brewer Jim Koch said, according to the press release. “The result is always special, spirited, and worth waiting for.”