Powerful $115 bottle of beer set for Canadian debut Fri Oct 22, 1:51 PM
Marc Weisblott
Yahoo! Canada News
Canada is about to have its reputation for producing stronger beer than the United States trumped on its own turf.
Samuel Adams Utopias, a beer with a 27 per cent alcohol content, will be available next month at Ontario LCBO locations.
The Boston Beer Company debuted the high test Utopias in the States in early 2002. Aged in scotch, cognac and port barrels, the brandy-coloured beer is brewed with a blend of malts and maple syrup. Utopias comes packaged in a copper-finished kettle, making it as interesting to the eye as it is to the palate.
The beer experts at BeerAdvocate awarded Utopias and A+, calling the brew "blissful," "warming" and "insane."
Troy Burtch, of the Great Canadian Beer Blog, shared his impresions in January 2009 after trying Utopias at Buffalo's Rare Beer Festival: "My palate was punched out when the liquid hit my tongue and a heat wave hit my body," he wrote, "Vanilla, raisins, candied fruits, booze, booze, booze, and hints of sweet wood floated around inside my mouth, overpowering but pleasant."
However, the beer's potency and price all but assures it a different kind of appeal than the average six-pack. The LCBO initially plans to bring in 40 710 ml bottles of the suds which will sell for for $115 each.
Buyers are certain to include bar owners aspiring to pour a sample for curious drinkers. Toronto's popular downtown Beer Bistro expects to serve up Utopias for $20 per ounce
So...who's buying?