2012 Samuel Adams Utopias Could Exceed 28 Percent ABV

The 10th Anniversary edition of Samuel Adams Utopias — the high gravity offering from Boston Beer Company (BBC) that drinks more like a fine cognac than a beer – is shaping up to be a record breaker.

Boston Beer founder Jim Koch is on a quest to, quite literally, blur the lines between beer and spirits with his naturally-fermented Utopias, a brew that will exceed the 27 percent ABV barrier that marked last year’s vintage.

A BBC press release states that “the 2012 batch is a blend of liquids, some of which have been aged in a variety of wood barrels for 19 years.” Moreover, “the long aging process enhances the beer’s distinct vanilla and maple notes, and its high alcohol content creates a heated aroma of ginger and cinnamon.”

Utopias will net out at between 28-30 percent ABV in 2012, making it one of the strongest naturally fermented beers in the world. And this year’s limited-edition release is bottled in specially designed black decanters that, like previous editions, are shaped in the form of a brew kettle.

Utopias will be distributed in 35 states beginning in October, and has a suggested retail price of $160.00 per bottle. Only 15,000 bottles of Utopias will be available to the public.