Samuel Adams Utopias
Samuel Adams (Boston Beer Company)

 

First time having this beer. Aroma is alcohol, whiskey barrel, caramel, & wine dryness & a hint of vanilla. Would have been much without the wine barrel aging I believe. Boulevard brews one that is similar & I think is better. 2025 Vintage.

2023 vintage newly opened and poured in a 2 oz serving into a whisky tasting glass. Taking on a white whale of mine. Been saving it for my 5000th review. So here we go.
Appearance – The beer pours a deep brown color with a notes of mahogany. Not surprisingly, there is no head on the beer. While the lack of head isn’t surprising, I was anticipating something with more viscosity, but really it was not all that intense. Now don’t get me wrong, you can see a thickness to the beer, but it is lesser than many imperial stouts out there.
Smell – Hyge and rich with tons of sweet sugary smells. There is a huge presence of molasses and caramel, mixed with toffee and maple syrup. Along with these comes a big showing of fruit cake with the caky smell mixed with raisin, plum, cherry, and fig. At 28 % abv, you also get the boozy aromas with a rum like smell mixed with the aromas of brandy/cognac and deep red wine. Rounding it all out is a bit of wood and some earth, mixing with the rest to produce a very warming and sweet smell.
Taste - The taste begins with a massive and thick bready flavor with notes of char and some grist. The sweet that was in the nose is in the taste, just not quite as intense. The sweet is heaviest of molasses, but has notes of toffee and maple as well. The larger proportion of the sweet actually comes from some of the dark fruitcake flavors of fig and prune, along with some of the dark wine/port wine flavors. While somewhat lighter upfront, the boozy nature of the brew is appreciated throughout, with it starting with a warming port wine nature and developing into a rather heated but enjoyable brandy-like taste. All the while the bready fades a tad, all while some of the wood barrel flavors and notes of earth join in. there is a bit of a surge in the boozy heat at the end, mixing with the rest and leaving one with a very warming, sweet, slightly medical, and robust taste to linger.
Mouthfeel – The brew has a thick and tongue coating feel, with zero carbonation, very much akin to a liqueur.
Overall – A very interesting brew for sure. I am glad I was able to get a bottle to try. Like a bock on steroids mixed with brady and some liqueur. One to sip and savor.

 

 

 

Strong notes of plum and other stone fruit give this beer qn almost savory flavor. Add to it the oakiness from the barrels it was fermented in, and the scotch/cognac/red wine those barrels held previously, and you have a layered taste experience. Strong alcohol warmth, but no burn like you would expect from a 60-proof alcoholic beverage.
No carbonation, which is (I guess) to be expected with such a high ABV. Pours clean and clear, brown but not opaque.
The aroma is strong, with the plum and cognac really taking the forefront but not overwhelming the other aromas present.
Mouthfeel is smooth and clean, almost unctuous, with a lovely lingering aftertaste

2025 vintage that pours a dark mahogany brown color that is crystal clear, allowing you to look through the beer from the top and see through the bottom of the glass because there isn’t even a senior head on the beer, as expected with a 30% ABV (!!!!!) beer.

The nose is exceptionally boozy up to a couple of feet away after you crack open the beautiful ceramic bottle. That’s to be expected. Not as expected was the ability of the other aromas to shine through, with loads of oak, rich caramel, vanilla, port, plums, booze soaked dark cherries, smoky peat, honey, and a whiff of citrus. My goodness.

The booze behaves itself on the taste, quickly appearing up front, then sliding to the back of the palate as a substantial warming that never goes away. The beauty of this beer is the balance of all the flavors that follow, with the caramel, vanilla, and port first up, with the port flowing into the plum and dark cherry, which ease into the oak, smoky peat, and honey. Incredible.

The mouthfeel is like drinking a fine spirit that coats the palate. This is, quite simply, stunning. I’m glad I saved enough to age, because I think this will be a treasure to savor 5 or 10 years down the road.

2023 vintage. Pours a not particularly appealing murky brown color, of course completely still. Aromas and flavors lean very barleywine-ish, with notes of molasses, caramel, brown butter, soy sauce, bourbon, and sherry. Viscous, mouth-coating, and of course very boozy. This is a slow sipper. Pretty incredible example of the far reaches of the term "beer" -- although beyond that I'm not sure it justifies the $249 price point, especially in 2025 when there is fairly easy access to many excellent barrel aged barleywines in the 15-25% range that are priced at least somewhat lower (especially the many offerings Anchorage puts out).

85/100

This review is as much about the elusive Samuel Adams Utopias 2025 as it is just how I came into not one, but TWO bottles of it!

Poured a jigger into a snifter-shaped taster. Dark amber with no carbonation, head or lacing, but does leave a thin film behind when swirling it.

Alcohol is the first to hit the nose, followed closely by vanilla, port, maple syrup, stonefruits.

Like the nose, the tongue registers the alcohol heat first, maple syrup, vanilla, remnants of the port and bourbon barrels and so many other layers as it wanders over different areas that react to different flavors.

Overall, well, what can you say about a unique brew. It's unlike anything else. It's on everybody's bucket list. So how did I score two?

I love trying beers I haven't come across. The liquor store one town away has hundreds of brews in a rotating stock and I'm there regularly.

I drive a truck for a living, mostly in New Jersey. They told me I needed to pick something up in Boston. On the way back I needed fuel and food. Got off at a random exit, fuelled the truck, pulled into the shopping center where I'd get a sandwich and noticed a liquor store next door. I figured they'd have my favorite beer - ie: one I've never had before.

Sitting on the counter was an empty Utopias 2025 box. I picked it up, walked over to the clerk and asked "Do you have this?!" He answered "Yes." "I'll take it! He had only gotten one bottle. I literally walked into it.

The following Friday I walked into the local place and saw another bottle of Utopias 2025 but wanted to let someone else have a chance. When I was there a week later it was still there. I grabbed it, of course!

 

Look - Pours a clear, dark brown color with no head, as expected from a 28%ABV beer.

Smell - Bourbon, dark fruit, cognac, sherry, and port. Nice!

Taste - Bourbon, dark fruit, cognac, sherry, and port. Strong, but good.

Feel - At 28%ABV, this is a sipper. Luckily, since it's uncarbonated, you can store it after opening. Feels nice, but perhaps a bit strong for my personal liking.

Overall - A very nice, interesting ale. I might like it a bit sweeter, but it's very good.

 

One ounce sample generously provided by @Bishop and poured into a SP stemmed taster. Barleywine brown with hardly any bubbles. Rich caramel and toffee on the nose with noticeable but incredible alcohol sting to it. Tastes follows. Pretty intense but a highly enjoyable sipper. The mouthfeel is medium-full leaning towards the thinner side but kind of allows for some drinkability given the high abv on this thing. Overall, a wonderful brew. One I honestly thought I would never try so was thrilled on the chance to do so and loved the aromas and flavors. Hints at port wine but overall drinks like a beer. Really good stuff.

2023 Utopias, Received from @Bishop as an incredible act of BeerAdvocacy during the Barleywine/Stout BIF #2.

Poured from a small 2ish oz bottle into a Bier Brewing tasting glass.

The beer pours an amber/brown color with no head and no lacing to speak of.

The aroma is Boozy with caramel and brown sugar notes. as the beer warms you can detect notes of dark fruits, but the dominant aroma is similar to a nice bourbon.

The flavor is similar to the nose... boozy with maple syrup and caramel notes. Caramel and burnt sugar notes, as the beer warms I get raisin and cherry notes. The beer is completely still and finishes dry

Overall, this beer definitely leans more into the spirit category than beer. Dry and boozy with complex flavors, this would definitely be worth the price of admission if it were more readily availible.

Small vial received from @bishop in an epic act of thoughtfulness and generosity, stemming from the Barleywine/Stout BIF #2
Poured into a Bottle Logic snifter

2023 release

P poured at approx 56 degrees F; a slight whisper of carb as I unscrewed the vial; pours a murky deep chestnut w/ no head or ring; a bit murkier than I expected
N massive boozy toffee and caramel notes, along with some burnt sugar character and vanilla; amazing
T boozy throughout, with notes of toffee, sharp dark fruit/vinous elements, and brandy; definitely warming in the finish
Mf spirit-like, with just a touch more body; very little carb, as to be expected
O a boozy sipper with elements akin to a mega English barleywine or a complex spirit; either way, Utopias is unlike anything I've had before; what a tremendous opportunity to try it!

Review date: 04.05.25

Utopia 2023 from Boston Brewing. Received from @Bishop in a LIF associated with BS BIF #2. 2.2 fl oz bottle. Reviewed 06/04/25 (Review 3494). Note that I use DD/MM/YY protocol.
Stored in at room temperature in the turtle room, at home: served at 76.2 degrees F in a hand washed and dried crystal Glenfiddich whisky glass. The final temperature is 77.0 degrees F.
Appearance – 4
First pour – Amber Brown (SRM 18), clear.
Body – Amber Brown (SRM 18), clear. Under direct light, same. When rear-lite, same.
Head – None.
Lacing – None.
Aroma – 4.75 – Boozy. Distinctly smokey (tending toward peat) and oaky with raisins. No yeast, no hops.
Flavor – 4.75 – Begins hot and sweet. No yeast, no hops. Complex alcohols, much more than just ethanol (28 % ABV, according to the website). The tannins from the barrels don’t impact the flavor as much as the vanillin. Peatiness is very mellow, compared to the nose. Golden raisins. No dimethylsulfide or diacetyl. Marked palate and gastric warming.
Palate – 4.5 – Full: slightly syrupy: virtually no carbonation.
Style: Follows the style guidelines as condensed by BA.

Final impression and summation: 4.5 Distinct boundary pusher territory! Thanks @Bishop for sharing this with your beer brethren! If I ever run across one, I’ll do the same!

Sampling a 2.5 oz sample at just below room temperature and pouring into my stemless snifter. Part of the Imperial Stout and Barleywine BIF#2 and the chaos that it entails. This beer is a 2023 vintage.
The beer pours a murky brown to chestnut color. Absolutely no head even with an extremely aggressive pour. I do get some legs on the glass like a merlot or liquor.
Aroma is hot! Definitely fusol notes and some mild brown malt note and burnt sugar, but brown liquor is dominant and hot. I think a little port wine note here too. No hop character here.
First sip reveals a medium to lighter body with sticky texture and no carbonation.
Flavor is intense on this one. I get some brown sugar and butterscotch with a little strong black pepper and fusol bite. Solid warming on the swallow. Definitely sweeter bourbon notes mixed into this one also. I keep coming back to butterscotch or like a werthers on the flavor after I swallow each sip. Never any hop character.
No doubt this is a sipping "beer". I use quotes as this is much more a liquor experience than beer. I am happy to have tried this under reviewable conditions and enjoy what I have, but dont believe I would buy a full bottle of this beer at the price.

Received a pour from @Bishop in the second Barleywine and Stouts BIF.
The pour is rather what I expected for this; not normal. Good color, though a bit murky which wasn’t expected.
The aroma (normally I cannot smell a beer; this is not an ordinary beer) is hot, as in what whiskey or bourbon smells like. Cheers for that.
The taste is amazing. If bourbon tasted like this I’d drink much more of it. Dark chocolate, dark fruit, bourbon - lots of bourbon. No idea how they got a beer to taste like this, but wow.
The feel is appropriately viscous. This begs to be sipped.
OA, so glad I finally got to try this.