The Boston Beer Company does exceedingly well with balanced, accessible beers. Along with the ubiquitous Boston Lager, seasonals like Octoberfest and the more recently crafted Noble Pils are all very good, refreshing brews that are near-perfect for any beer crowd. However, their experimental projects tend to fall flat. The Coastal Wheat fails to deliver anything interesting with its lemony attributes. Even Infinium--their joint venture with Germany's legendary Weihenstephan brewery--is an intriguing concept that works better on paper. So on first consideration, Sam Adams Utopias seems destined to have little to redeem it beyond an handful of cheap bragging points among the beer snobs. Happily, though, they nail it with this one.
Utopias pours dark but not too thick--almost golden around the edges.
Even holding the glass a foot or so away, Utopias hits the nose more like a brandy than a beer, a reminder of its 27% ABV. On closer inspection, the booziness seems to be cut with newly ripe plums (some say raisins).
The aforementioned 27% ABV reasserts itself on the first taste, attacking the front of the tongue before a soft silkiness follows to take some of the bite off. There aren't a lot of successful rollercoaster beers out there, but Utopias achieves it when a distinctive tanginess rises from the ashes of the alcohol, one last punch in the mouth.
Finishes with a maple-y dryness that almost makes you forget the ABV. It'll get you drunk, as a man once said.
Utopias is not a restrained beer. It is, however a restrained drink. Where many another brewery would be tempted to throw everything they have into Utopias, the more balance-minded Boston Beer Company checks itself at every conceivable wrong turn to deliver a heady yet even Strong Ale.
Grade: A-
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