i’ve been rearranging the cellar for a good part of the weekend to organize and create space for the incoming shipments. I finally got around to the beer corner - the space where all beer that I don’t drink when i buy it is sent. A lot of it is out of sight out of mind stuff with a ton probably over the hill. I still have a 2005 Sam Adams Utopia so i googled it looking for notes. I about fell over when I saw what people were asking (and apparently getting) for bottles. At $300 - $400 its more than my best bottles of wine. Anyone tried one in recent years? I’m guessing I will keep it for some super beer geek event, but I don’t go to those very often anymore, if at all. It seems like the perfect bottle to take to an event where people will be stoked to have a taste but i don’t want it to be over the hill.
I don’t know if it’ll be over the hill but I don’t think so. The thing basically drinks like Madeira.
If someone’s willing to give you that kind of coin for it, you might want to consider taking the dollars.
First option would be to crack it with a bunch of beer geeks. But with that not being much of an option, I’d agree with Brian.
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Utopia is good, but it’s not $300+ good.
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It’s 10 years old now. I admit that have not had an Utopia with any serious age on it, but with aged beers one always runs the risk of oxidation. And if you’ve never had an Utopia, a 10 year old one is not going to be representative of what it is.
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Sell it, buy a more recent vintage for half the price and still have some spending cash.
I would sell it. I tried the new vintage recently. Its fine. More of a novelty IMO. I can’t imagine owning a bottle or knowing what to do with it. Believe me there are plenty of wines like this too. It has nothing to do with the price re opening it more the style.
I should have mentioned it was a gift, so it would feel odd selling it. And I’m pretty sure it was a re-gift from Jim Koch originally although thats just a guess. In truth, I have never sold wine or beer at a profit, I’ve always preferred to pass things on at my cost. Odd, but sort of a karma thing. My preference would be to drink it with some friends but based on the abv and the size it would take a few. I had a taste of one at GABF years ago and it wasn’t my thing at the time. I also have a Balladin Xyauyu Kentucky that was also a gift that is similar in that it is a sipping beverage that could hold up for a few years. Maybe pop them both over the holidays. Come to think of it, the family is headed to the LA area between Christmas and New Years. I could always pack it away for a beer geek afternoon at one of the locals.