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| Courtesy of Samuel Adams |
SAMUEL ADAMS RELEASES 2015 BATCH OF EXTREME BARREL-AGED BEER, SAMUEL ADAMS UTOPIAS
Rare, Limited Edition Beer Hits Shelves in November
Boston, November 10, 2015–The
brewers at Samuel Adams today announced the limited release of
highly-coveted Samuel Adams Utopias, a beer unlike
any other. Only the ninth batch brewed since the first release in 2002,
this year’s Utopias, like previous vintages, was brewed in small
batches using traditional methods,
blended with previous vintages going as far back as 1992, then finished
in the Barrel Room at the Samuel Adams Boston Brewery.
About Samuel Adams Utopias
For
beer fanatics, Samuel Adams Utopias has become one of the most
sought-after beers on earth. Meant to be savored like a fine cognac or
port, Utopias is a rich, uncarbonated extreme
beer known for its extraordinary flavor profile. Utopias has aromas of
wood, toffee, cocoa, raisin and maple, which hint at its distinctive
flavors, which range from
hints of molasses, earthy wood, dates, and light smoke to nuts and toffee.
With each new batch of
Utopias, the brewers at Sam Adams push for a complex flavor profile, and
during this process have created brews with alcohol levels reaching
over 30% ABV; this year’s beer is 28% ABV and
is best enjoyed as a two ounce pour in a snifter glass at room
temperature. While some of the barrels have reached over 30% alcohol,
the brewers blend down because the goal is to craft complex flavors, not
an extreme alcohol percentage.
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| Courtesy of Samuel Adams |
About the Barrel-Aging Process
For
the 2015 Utopias, the Sam Adams brewers used a variety of malts for the
brewing process and during fermentation used several strains of yeast,
including one traditionally reserved
for champagne. The beer was then blended with Utopias vintages from
previous years including some that have been aging for more than 20
years in the Barrel Room. Aging the beer over a longer period of time
accentuates the beer’s distinct vanilla notes and
creates aromas of ginger and cinnamon. Some of this aged beer is over
twenty years old, old enough to drink itself.
About the Brewing Process
Utopias is brewed using
traditional methods. The brewers begin with a blend of two-row Caramel
and Munich malts that imparts a rich, deep amber color. Noble hops –
Hallertau Mittelfrueh, Spalt Spalter and Tettnang
Tettnanger – are also added to lend complexity and balance. During
fermentation, several yeast strains are used, including one normally
reserved for champagne which the brewers call a “ninja yeast.” This
fresh beer is then blended with a variety of different
barrel-aged beers and “finished” in a variety of barrels to impart
additional complexity and flavor.
About the Finishing Barrel Process
This release of Samuel
Adams Utopias also uses a blend of beer finished in a variety of
barrels. “Finishing” is a creative way for the brewers to impart
additional flavor from a variety of barrels before the beer
is bottled. This final step of finishing the beer lasts several months
before the beer is bottled and imparts flavors ranging from fruit like
cherry and raisin to chocolate, leather and oak.
The multi-step and lengthy process results in
flavors reminiscent of a rich vintage Port, fine Cognac, or aged Sherry,
while feeling surprisingly light on the palate.
New this year, the
brewers used White Carcavelos wine barrels to finish the beer, in
addition to barrels that once housed cognac, Armagnac, ruby port, sweet
Madeira, and Buffalo Trace Bourbon. White Carcavelos
wine barrels help to amplify the dried fruit and oak flavors of this
year’s Utopias. Carcavelos wines are blended and fortified like a port,
are off dry and topaz colored with nutty aromas and flavors. Carcavelos
comes from a small region of Portugal and the
barrels are very rare, which made the Sam Adams brewers all the more
excited to experiment with them as finishing barrels.
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| Courtesy of Samuel Adams |
Founder & Brewery Jim Koch on 2015 Utopias:
“Sam Adams Utopias is
the lunatic fringe of extreme beer. The recipe stretches the limits of
the brewing process, flavor complexity, and as a by-product, alcohol
content. While barrel aging is now a mainstay of
a thriving craft beer community, we have been experimenting with barrel
aging for nearly 25 years and this year’s batch is made from a library
of barrels, some of which go as far back as 1992. This is an
other-worldly beer that’s just as radical today as it
was in 1992 and I am excited for drinkers to sip and savor it.”
Utopias-seasoned cigars, perfect for craft beer and cigar lovers alike:
Samuel Adams is teaming
up with Ted’s Cigars to release limited-edition Utopias-seasoned cigars,
flavored with the 2015 batch of Utopias. Ted’s Cigars uses their
proprietary process of aromatic seasoning to create
a cigar unlike any other. The Utopias-infused cigar features a distinct
subtle sweetness, and notes of maple and vanilla from the brew, as well
as a spicy complexity from the tobacco blend. This extreme beer brings
out a creamy, spicy sweetness from the cigar
and enhances the subtle leather and smoky character in the cigar’s
finish. Hand-rolled in the Dominican Republic, the cigars make an
unexpected stocking-stuffer and will be available on
TedsCigars.com through the end of December. Pair the cigars with Samuel
Adams Utopias for the ultimate holiday treat.
Where to find Utopias:
The first batch of
Utopias bottles can be found in the hands of Samuel Adams employees.
Since Utopias was first released, each bottle number corresponds with
when each employee was hired, making Founder and Brewer
Jim Koch number 1 and Brewer Dean Gianocostas number 2. For all other
beer lovers, fewer than approximately 10,000 bottles of Samuel Adams
Utopias can be found at select specialty beer and liquor stores for a
suggested retail price of $199 per bottle. Price
varies by market.
ABOUT THE BOSTON BEER COMPANY:
The Boston Beer Company
began in 1984 with a generations-old family recipe that Founder and
Brewer Jim Koch uncovered in his father’s attic. Inspired and unafraid
to challenge conventional thinking about beer,
Jim brought the recipe to life in his kitchen. Pleased with the results
of his work, Jim decided to sample his beer with bars in Boston in the
hopes that drinkers would appreciate the complex, full-flavored beer he
brewed fresh in America. That beer was aptly
named Samuel Adams Boston Lager, in recognition of one of our nation's
great founding fathers, a man of independent mind and spirit. Little did
Jim know at the time, Samuel Adams Boston Lager would soon become a
catalyst of the American craft beer revolution.
Today,
The Boston Beer Company brews more than 60 styles of beer. It
relentlessly pursues the development of new styles and the perfection
of classic beers by searching the world for the finest ingredients.
Using the traditional four vessel brewing process, the Company often
takes extra steps like dry-hopping, barrel-aging and a secondary
fermentation known as krausening. The Company has also
pioneered another revolution, the 'extreme beer' movement, where it
seeks to challenge drinker's perceptions of what beer can be. The Boston
Beer Company has been committed to elevating the image of American
craft beer by entering festivals and competitions
around the globe, and is one of world’s most awarded breweries at
international beer competitions. As an independent company, brewing
quality beer remains its primary focus. Although Samuel Adams beer is
America's leading craft beer, it accounts for only one
percent of the U.S. beer market. The Boston Beer Company will continue
its independently-minded quest to brew great beer and to advocate for
the growth of craft beer across America. For more information, please
visit
www.samueladams.com.
