Sam Adams Newest Beer Is Now Illegal in 15 States

By Alyssa Fikse

Samuel Adams has created a new kind of beer and it's getting some pushback around the country. The Boston brewery's beer, Utopias, has a 28% alcohol content, making it illegal in 15 states. A new version of Utopias is released every two years, and the latest vintage is the 12th iteration. The beer is barrel-aged and made with 2,000 pounds of cherries, giving it a distinctly tart flavor. 

One of the varieties of cherries used is Michigan Balaton cherries, making it a sought out beer for foodies. Samuel Adams will release Utopias on October 11, but dedicated fans will have two prohibiting factors to contend with. Firstly, because alcohol limits vary according to states, Utopias beer batches aren't shipped to Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Idaho, Missouri, Mississippi, Montana, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Carolina, Utah, Vermont or West Virginia, according to Sam Adams' website. 

Not only that, but beer lovers will pay handsomely for the brew. The suggested retail price for Utopias is $240 for a 25.4-ounce bottle, averaging nearly $10 for an ounce. While there is certainly novelty involved in consuming one of these limited edition beers, the logistics aren't easy.

However, Utopias just might be worth it. Matt Simpson, owner of beer consulting firm The Beer Sommelier, told CBS MoneyWatch that these "high gravity" beers are painstakingly brewed, making it an exceptional drinking experience. "They hit it out of the park on their first try," Simpson said. "They really made a good beer, which is exceedingly hard to do. So the base beer alone is really good. It's rich, it's complex. And it's very, very strong. It's certainly a sipper. But then, they aged it in various barrels like spirit barrels, and it adds even more complexity and enjoyment to the product." Will you be picking up a bottle?

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