Those of you who know me know that I'm really into beer. What began as a hobby to explore the refreshingly complex world of beer eventually morphed me into the beer geek that I am today. So when I was offered the opportunity to purchase a bottle of the 2009 batch of Sam Adams Utopias in October, I jumped at the chance.

Since I'm assuming most of you aren't familiar with Utopias, this probably doesn't sound like a big deal, but this is no ordinary beer. Firstly, it's brewed over a period of many years, combining a blend of batches and ingredients -- some of which are aged for up to 16 years in a variety of woods and casks. This is a completely different type of beer from anything that's ever been brewed: it has no perceptible carbonation, is best served at room temperature, and this year's batch has an alcoholic content of 27%. It's the strongest fermented beverage ever created, but dwelling its high ABV as the key point of this beer would be a tremendous misjudgement.

What makes this "extreme" beverage even more special is its rarity. Utopias is only released every two years in very limited quantities (only 53 barrels were bottled this year), and even still it's typically not something you can drive to the liquor store and pick up off the shelf; I had to pre-order my 25oz bottle over a month in advance. And due to retarded trans-state alcohol laws, this was the first time Utopias was even made available in Texas...the liquor store where I purchased mine only received 12 bottles total!

The bottle it comes in is made of ceramic, is branded with a unique serial number on the base, and is shaped like the bronze brewing vessels you see at large breweries. True to form, one side has sliding metal "doors" which reveal a picture of Sam Adams himself. Overall, the packaging is super sweet::




The tri-fold booklet explains the qualities and history of this "extreme beer" to those lesser informed about its uniqueness. It also contains a code redeemable for a complimentary custom-engraved Utopias crystal glass created specifically for this beer by world-renowned glassmaker Georg Riedel. That arrived today, here's what it looks like:




So how does it taste? I'm actually waiting to open it until after Christmas so my brother (also a beer geek) can enjoy this truly unique experience with me, so you'll likely have to wait until part 2 in January to hear my review of this beer. In the meantime, you can read reviews by some fellow beer geeks on Beer Advocate.

I'm sooooo looking forward to opening up this beast!