It’s aged like a port, priced like a scotch and could sell out faster than Bieber’s last show. Sam Adams’ Utopias is for beer drinkers who take their suds very seriously indeed.
On Friday, Nov. 18 at 9 a.m. sharp, the LCBO’s Vintages hotline will begin to light up. And the 20 staff manning the phones will speak to a different kind of connoisseur than they’re used to: the beer nerd.
Callers typically phone in to reserve bottles of rare wines, like the 2010 Bordeaux vintages, which cost as much as $1,500 per bottle. But for the first time ever, the hotline is being used to democratically distribute 210 bottles of beer—at $115 a pop. Don’t bother hitting up your local LCBO or checking online; the 710 ml bottles are sold on a first-come, first-served basis exclusively over the phone.
Obviously, this is no ordinary beer. More like an aged port than a Bud, Samuel Adam’s Utopias is made with malts sweetened with maple syrup, three varieties of hops and a few ale yeasts, along with yeasts that are typically used to make still wines and Champagne. Aging the beer in barrels mellows out the sharp, high-alcohol taste. Finally, the barrel-aged liquids are blended together to create a heady, uncarbonated brew. This year’s vintage, clocking in at 25.5 per cent alcohol by volume, was blended from beer aged in sherry and port casks for as long as 18 years.
And Ontario beer drinkers can’t get enough of it—the LCBO tripled its order this year. When they offered 70 bottles of Utopias last year via lottery, 1,675 people entered the draw. It’s another sign of the growing interest in the market for specialty and craft beers, says Chris Layton, the LCBO’s media-relations coordinator.
But is it worth the dough? Roger Mittag believes so. The guy knows his suds: A former training manager at Interbrew, he now runs Prud’homme, Canada’s only beer-sommelier program. “I normally hate using superlatives when it comes to talking about beer,” he says. “But this really is one of the best beers I’ve ever had, because of its complexity.”
Mittag tasted last year’s vintage at Beerbistro three times. On his second visit, he kept tasting notes. He picked up aromas like dark plum, dates and rum cake, as well as the flavours of pumpernickel, molasses, anise, nutmeg and port, with a touch of salt.
Mittag’s advice for those who do buy a bottle: Drink it with a group of equally appreciative friends—and no chugging. Sip it over an hour or two, as you would a cognac. But if you can’t afford to fork over the coin for your own Utopias, certain beer bars in Toronto are ordering a few bottles of the vintage—and will sell curious patrons a two-ounce taste for 25 bucks.
Want a bottle? It can be purchased through the LCBO’s Vintages hotline only, at 416-365-5767 or 1-800-266-4764.
