Samuel Adams Utopias - Boston Beer Company (Samuel Adams)

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BA SCORE
98
world-class
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974 Ratings

THE BROS
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world-class
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rAvg: 4.45
pDev: 12.13%
Reviews: 412
Hads: 562

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Brewed by:
Boston Beer Company (Samuel Adams)

Massachusetts, United States

Style | ABV
American Strong Ale | 29.00% ABV

Availability: Rotating. bottle (389), on-tap (17), cask (4), growler (2).

Notes:
No notes at this time.

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Reviews

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Reviews by stakem:

stakem

Pennsylvania

4.33/5 rDev -2.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Random Friday night tasting at my house on Friday the 13th produced some strange offerings for quite a spontaneous night of sampling beer. This was my second time trying utopias so the shock and awe of having this was not a factor this time around. My first experience with this brew was on tap at the EBF earlier this year, this time the offering came via a 2009 bottle.

Freshly cracked open, it was carefully poured in 2oz samples among 5 of us. Utopias appears a clear dark amber color. No head as expected but it clings and coats the inside of the glass as it is swirled.

The nose of this brew is a sweet mixture like dark fruits almost like plums and raisins that have been candied and caramelized. However, after that initial hint of sweetness in the aroma, the sherry-like booze and alcohol opens up and is readily noticeable. Hints of plums, raisins, slight metallic twang, oakiness and some smoke character all blend together to compose the smell of this brew.

Utopias is full bodied, no carbonation and is absolutely riddled with unavoidable alcohol character that seemingly evaporates in the mouth. Caramel sweetness upfront gets dominated by an astringent burn of alcohol and a bitterness with flavors of oak and other woodsiness that numbs the tongue. Lingering flavors suggest chocolate and raisins. Even though it is seemingly sweet, it has a drying quality about it that makes the mouth salivate. The alcohol has quite a medicinal quality about it and is very warming all the way down your throat and into the stomach.

What this beer is, makes it very hard to evaluate and review. All things considered, it's drinkability is decent for a sipper in small samples. Everything else about it is just different due to the high abv. It is of great importance to mention that despite the high alcohol, it does have an array of flavors and depth unlike other beers I had that were high abv and all solvent alcohol taste. This is one of those beers that of course I would drink again if offered but not something I would buy due to the price.

A strange side note: during our tasting 1 of the individuals used a plastic EBF tasting cup while the rest used a small 4 oz sampler glass. Utopias served in a plastic cup smells significantly different than in the glass. I know it sounds strange but everyone at the table recognized this difference. In the glass it smelled more metallic and the alcohol was much more evident. Inside the plastic taster, the smell was more sweet and the alcohol was less pronounced without the previously mentioned metallic twang.

Serving type: bottle

08-15-2010 17:31:50 | More by stakem