Samuel Adams Utopias

Utopias

 

Samuel Adams in Boston, Massachusetts, United States 🇺🇸

  Strong Ale - American Special
Score
8.08
ABV: 28.0% IBU: 45 Ticks: 167
Truly the epitome of brewing's two thousand year evolution, Samuel Adams Utopias® offers a flavor not just unlike any other beer but unlike any other beverage in the world. Each release is a blend of batches, some having been aged up to 16 years in the barrel room of our Boston Brewery, in a variety of woods. We aged a portion of the beer in hand-selected, single-use bourbon casks from the award-winning Buffalo Trace Distillery. Some of the latest batches also spent time in Portuguese muscatel finishing casks, as well as sherry, brandy and Cognac casks. This flavorful, slightly fruity brew has a sweet, malty flavor that is reminiscent of a deep, rich vintage port, fine cognac or aged sherry.
 

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6
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 4 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 6

Pour is a clear brown with no head. Aroma is all alcohol. Very fusel alcohol. Flavor is a different animal. Brown sugar to start then comes a hot cocoa with some red wine notes followed by a spicy nutmeg and cinnamon. I had a very small sample and that was enough for me. Unique and good enough for a very small sample.

Tried on 12 Aug 2023 at 23:18


7

Taster from Bottle, Thx Yngwie. Dark brown with little head. Malts, Fruity, boozy, raisins, strong, sweetness.

Tried from Bottle on 03 Jun 2023 at 18:55


7.5
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 10 | Overall - 8

Amber pour and a small head Good intensity in the aroma Yes it is sweet, but within limits. Soft carbonation level. Easy to drink Toffee, dried fruits, caramel sauce, vinous, oak, port and some oxidation in the flavor [Strange bottle at Yngwie Plaza in Tveit, Norway]

Tried from Bottle on 20 Apr 2023 at 15:08


9

Straight caramel

Tried from Bottle on 02 Jun 2021 at 12:07


8.9
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 9 | Flavor - 9 | Texture - 10 | Overall - 9.5

Sweet & malty with elements of barley, soy sauce, honey, caramel, pineapple, raisin, fig & molasses. Wonderfully complex. Incredibly long finish. Alcohol well controlled.

Tried on 30 May 2021 at 18:33


10
Appearance - 10 | Aroma - 10 | Flavor - 10 | Texture - 10 | Overall - 10

Bottle. 2019 Vintage - 28% A- Sherry, oak, vanilla, caramel, figs, sugared plums, subtle apple brandy. A- Dark copper color, clear liquid, no head. T- Gooey caramel, Madeira port wine, vanilla, sweet maple, raisins, subtle earl grey tea, subtle nuttiness, very subtle anise, oak, malty. P- Full body, slightly oily texture, no carbonation, complex finish. O- Had no idea I was going to have the opportunity to split a bottle of this from an unexpected grocery store trip on a random January day at the last minute. What a fantastic surprise timely with my 4,000th rating. This is definitely a liquor at least through the tasting experience side of things but hey, that's why it's loved right. Reminds me of a steroidal iced bock. I could contemplate the flavors in here all day. Many thanks to those involved in procuring this bottle. The best part was having it at a spur of the moment with good friends around a kitchen table. No fanfare, just pure enjoyment. Perhaps not as big of a whale as it once was, but still pretty damn special for me.

Tried from Bottle on 19 Jan 2021 at 14:31


9
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 9 | Flavor - 9 | Texture - 10 | Overall - 9

(Bottle, 2011 vintage, 27%) Dark brown colour, with no head. Malty, vinous, slightly roasted nose with notes of caramel, treacle, raisins, prunes, Madeira (or Port) wine and wood. Malty, vinous taste with caramel, burnt sugar, treacle, dark cherries, port wine, raisins, oak wood, toast, ashes, roasted nuts, well aged cognac, maple syrup, honey, tar, a touch of raspberry balsamic vinegar and a vinous, burnt sugar finish. Low bitterness. Full body, quite sweet. More like a brandy or a port than a beer. Despite the apparent booze presence, it's really tasty. Definitely a bit overprized, but seriously good beer. Excellent!

Tried from Bottle on 24 Dec 2020 at 22:38


9.6
Appearance - 10 | Aroma - 10 | Flavor - 9 | Texture - 10 | Overall - 9.5

2015 bottle. Technically a beer, but unlike any beverage I've come across. Starts with a port-like vinous sweetness, then quickly develops a decadent middle, full of caramel, molasses, licorice, cinnamon, vanilla, and dried cherries. Grows boozy and rich, with deep notes of bourbon, cognac, baking spice, and oak, before finishing with a lengthy fruit cake and wood fade. Stunning, really, like an evolved barrel-aged barleywine, layers upon layers. Lingering alcohol never overpowers; I could sip this for days upon days. Doesn't quite pass the duck test if you're calling it a beer, but who cares. Worth the price. I'll put it back on the shelf and sample again and again. Thanks, Sam Adams.

Tried from Bottle on 13 Aug 2020 at 03:18


7.5
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 8

Pour @ Fermentoren, Copenhagen. Vintage 2013. Pours still, syrupy brown. Aromas of walnuts, booze, caramel, dark fruits, vanilla. Taste has porty wine, walnuts, caramel, light acidity, booze, bitter tannins.

Tried on 06 Nov 2019 at 16:55


8
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 9 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 8

3rd LCRBM. 2003 bottle. Aroma of malt whisky mixed with raisin. The very sweet flavor has raisin and banana and is very brandy-like. Very malty, very alcoholic, but somehow this is very well integrated in this malt beverage (I don’t know if I can call this a beer). Magic stuff, extreme in al ways thinkable.

Tried from Bottle on 26 Aug 2019 at 12:07