Wow talk about a high end beer !

Sam Adams has this mega high octane beer over 28% abv. made in limited batches, for those 1%ers that have to have the highest alcohol and longest aged beer on the planet. It does come in a pretty cool container as it should for the price ! But you can only buy it by law in 35 of the 50 states because of the alcohol content !

not the first year released iirc

Regular Sam Adams is bad. Is the Utopia four times worse? 10X? 20X?

I think Sam Adams is among the best mass produced (domestic) beers

How do you define mass produced? I think anyone in national or multi-region distribution, at a minimum is mass produced (my definition would anyone making over 30,000 barrels). By the narrower definition, I can think of a dozen breweries that I’d prefer. BTW, they’ve been making that stuff for at least 15 years. I tried it in 2009 at GABF. Wasn’t impressed.

Without a doubt. It’s remarkably consistent from airport to airport - and the benchmark mass produced American lager.

Utopias is delicious.

If I could find it at retail price I would get two.

It tastes like sherry or tawny port without the sweet edge.

No they’ve been releasing this for well over a dozen years now. Ive had it on a few occasions and I really enjoyed it for what it is.

Cheers,

Bud

I think Sam Adams is fine. At a local movie theater chain Sam Adams or its seasonal variant is the best beer they carry, and that’s about the only time I drink it.

Utopia is DNPIM. Had it once and felt it tasted like PX sherry that had somehow gone bad.

I dug up some Sam Adam’s Triple Bock in my wine cellar from 1998 or 1999. I hated it then, wonder if time has helped.

This is like drinking a liqueur and not a beer. Syrupy and decadent. I’ve bought at $190 and shared with friends. Something truly unique.

I hated it, too, but wish I had cellared some to see. Let us know!!!

I’ve been looking locally…it’s a phantom here.

I’ve had a couple of these in the past. Both times I opened and shared with friends. The opinions were always mixed - some people flat hated it, and some of us were just ok with it. Reminded me of a Sherry or a Madeira, but like Michael said, had gone bad… well not really bad, just not really good. Made an easy decision for me to pass going forward.

Have seen the Utopias at a couple of local Costcos for $189.99.

I once told a winemaker friend that I liked to go to the Costco wine section so I could see who was in trouble. He originally disagreed but later said that I was right. If someone is making a true “artisan” product, you won’t find it at Costco. When you take the step of selling to Costco, you no longer qualify as true craft or you’re going bankrupt.

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Bear in mind that Costco also buys from sources beyond just direct with the winery/chateau/distiller. The DRC/ScrEagle/SQNs don’t have other, more mass market labels under their ownership that would give Costco leverage to say “give us some of the allocated stuff, and we’ll also move a crap ton of your other bottles”. Yet I’ve personally seen those aforementioned bottles on sale at Costco through the years.

Sam Adams obviously brews plenty of product in very large qtys. It’s only natural they’d be kicking down cases of their ultra high-end product to what is likely one of their largest retail accounts.

Our Costco maintains a Sierra Nevada section of the beer aisle…lots of “Into the Woods” and small bottling runs. Makes Costco runs more fun.

Local beer guy said he put in a request for a 1/6 barrel. 5k was the cost and when I asked how must for a taste he said around $10 per ounce. I hope he gets it because that’s the only way I want to try it.

That’s a pretty good price. His cost would be around $7.50/ounce.