Custom Riedel glass in hand, I went to work Tuesday finally intent on cracking into the $180 jewel in my beer collection, the 2009 Samuel Adams Utopias.
At the time I bought it, Utopias could still claim the mantle of world's strongest beer, but since has been surpassed by something called Tactical Nuclear Penguin; on name alone, I have no interest.
But the pedigree of the beer package in a replica of an old-time copper brew kettle makes it worthwhile - some of it gets aged up to 16 years, with time spent in sherry casks, Buffalo Trace barrels and other rich vessels. I had known about it for years, stared longingly at the 2007 edition Grand Cru had on the shelf for a brief while. But leaning on my employee discount, I couldn't bear the thought of some one-time customer grabbiing it for bragging rights. Those were going to be my bragging rights this time.
One of our old colleagues from the store came to visit, and that evolved into the perfect opportunity to sample to 2009 vintage, drawn from just 53 barrels. It was just a bunch of guys sipping greatness, without a drop wasted on those who would scoff at its differences from Sunday afternoon chug-a-lugs.
Some of the mixes include Utopias aged up to 15 years, so it should appeal to anyone with a tongue for fine bourbon or port. The bottle's bottom had the simple label "Ale brewed with maple syrup." How funny that so complex a beer could get boiled down to so few words. But the maple syrup would soon prove its worth.
The cap peeled off the bottle without a hint of escaping carbonation; this sucker was beer in name only. It had more in common with the store's shelves of port and sherry. Vanilla, oak, chocolate, mellowed-out molasses ... good God, any rich alcoholic flavor you could imagine popped up. The syrup added no thickness to it; this was a smooth customer, a sipper that could bowl over any beer fan foolish enough to underestimate its 25 percent alcohol content.
In many ways, it stops being beer at that point, but not amazingly complex concoction. While a decade has passed since I last sampled Samuel Adams Triple Bock, Utopias just levels that high-alcohol brew, leaving none of the rough edges or underdeveloped flavors.
The nose was downright epic. After I finished my sample, I kept sniffing the glass just to savor it a little more. Thanks to the lack of carbonation, I don't have to fear it going flat if I wait a few weeks for another taste.
A friend of mine questioned why I didn't just put the bottle on eBay ... to which I shouted "Because I want to drink it." I didn't buy the Utopias to make money; they can go for $300-400 online, but I wanted something soothing for a few friends with educated palettes. Everyone enjoyed it, and I went home with enough to sample again for a few more months. Having those moments is far more valuable than cashing in a rare bottle.
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