Bdw3 wrote:Truly the epitome of brewing's two thousand year evolution, Samuel Adams Utopias™ offers a flavor not just unlike any other beer but unlike any other beverage in the world. Its warm, sweet flavor is richly highlighted with hints of vanilla, oak and caramel. Our 2003 batch topped out at a record breaking 25.6% ABV, beating the records that Samuel Adams® Triple Bock® and Samuel Adams® Millennium had set before it. And like those groundbreaking brews, Samuel Adams Utopias™ is not carbonated and should be served at room temperature. In one of many examples where Samuel Adams Utopias™ pushed the boundaries of beer, it received the highest recommendation (96-100 points) from the prestigious Wine Enthusiast Magazine (November, 2003 edition).
Due to legal restrictions, Samuel Adams Utopias™ can not be sold in the states of Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Iowa, Missouri, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, South Carolina, Washington, and West Virginia
That last bit wtf?!
25.6% is a shit load of alcohol for a beer, you'd be fucked off of two 750 mls, or roughly four 12 oz bottles (don't know what it's sold in). It's probably illegal in some states because they're worried people would go to bars and drink it like they would other beer without realizing how strong the alcohol content is.
Also, at least in my experiences, if I drink something that's anywhere between 20-30% alcohol, it takes me awhile to feel the alcohol - it has to absorb. I can finish something like that and think I'm fine at first, but all the sudden feel it 20 mins later. Which is dangerous because if you drink in that 20 mins thinking nothing happened, you're completely fucked when it all hits you at once.
Where as anything less than 20% won't get you fucked fast at all, so you can feel your progression every step of the way. And anything 35%+ is pretty easy to gauge how much you need based on past experiences with hard shit.