Sam Adams Utopias....Worth it??

[Sir Humpsalot]

Since we are on a hombrew site I have to ask why not brew yourself some?

Good question! For me, I haven't tried Utopias. If the opportunity presented itself, or if I ever saw if for sale or whatever, I would probably buy it, but I haven't sought it out. So I haven't tried to clone it. But I love Goose Island's Bourbon County Stout and have a clone in the fermenter right now. And if I got as excited over Utopias, I would probably try to clone that as well.

I did brew a barleywine once that came out around 18%... not too far off. And I know a lot more now and would definitely do better now if I were to try again. But part of it is trying the original. It's a yard-marker, it's something to measure yourself against. Without having tried the original, how do you know how close you have come? If I set out to produce a Utopias clone, you can bet that I would buy a bottle of Utopias for comparison... or for research purposes before I brewed. To be serious about a clone, you have to have familiarly with the original, or else you're just dreaming and hoping. Is it worth it? To me? Not really. I can just brew my own 20+% barleywine. I don't need Utopias as a reference point. But if you are trying to clone it, then more power to you. But it's a lot of expense, to be tasting it, just to try and brew a copy. However, buying a bottle to help you create a copy, well, I see the artistic endeavor there and I can respect that.

 

[ReverseApacheMaster]

I'm interested in trying it but I'm not interested in paying that much for it. I'd rather find a place with a few bottles that's willing to sell it in small amounts and buy it by the glass as I would scotch.

I'd probably be more inclined to try making a clone than buying the actual beer just because the challenge is more interesting than buying the bottle.

 

[whoaru99]

The only difference I can tell between you and I is that you think the purchase shouldn't be questioned, whereas I wonder if someone could possibly get more education/wisdom/knowledge for less money elsewhere.

That's pretty much it. Why should I question whether or not someone wants to buy a bottle of Utopias. It's their money...I couldn't care less if their reason is "me too" or because they truly enjoy it. So what either way?

 

[Sir Humpsalot]

That's pretty much it. Why should I question whether or not someone wants to buy a bottle of Utopias. It's their money...

Well, I honestly don't care, personally. However, if you read the title of the thread, that is the question the OP was grappling with. So, I felt it would be rude to post in his thread without doing my best to answer his question.

SA Utopias: Is it worth it?

I gave the OP an idea of how he can answer that question for himself. You... Actually didn't help answer his question at all. Your answer to the OP's question was basically: why should I care what you or other people do? Well, then why are you posting in this thread if you aren't helping the OP come to an answer to his question?

It would be like me asking whether I should have beef or chicken for dinner. One person gives me their taste preference. Another gives me an economic breakdown. Another gives me a health breakdown. Then you come along and saying they are all wrong because I should feel free to do whatever I want with my money. While you are technically correct, you aren't really helping to answer the question in any sense.

 

[watersr]

I would love to have the disposable income to plop down on a bottle of utopia. Honestly however if I had that kind of scratch I think I would be more like to spend it going to great regional breweries and trying some of the limited production beers, like Kate the great or pliney or such a the source where I could share the experience with others, perhaps talk to the brewers, tour the brewery, whatever. I'd much rather have a glass of a great beer among great brewers then a bottle of the best to myself.

 

[daksin]

I suppose I'd be more inclined to try it if I could just buy a glass, even if that glass was at an even more inflated price, like getting an ounce of the Louis XIV Remy at fancy restaurants. I'd never drop the money for an entire bottle even though I love cognac (and beer), but I would like to try it to see what it's like.

 

[whoaru99]

Well, I honestly don't care, personally. However, if you read the title of the thread, that is the question the OP was grappling with. So, I felt it would be rude to post in his thread without doing my best to answer his question.

SA Utopias: Is it worth it?

I gave the OP an idea of how he can answer that question for himself. You... Actually didn't help answer his question at all. Your answer to the OP's question was basically: why should I care what you or other people do? Well, then why are you posting in this thread if you aren't helping the OP come to an answer to his question?

It would be like me asking whether I should have beef or chicken for dinner. One person gives me their taste preference. Another gives me an economic breakdown. Another gives me a health breakdown. Then you come along and saying they are all wrong because I should feel free to do whatever I want with my money. While you are technically correct, you aren't really helping to answer the question in any sense.

My answer was probably better than yours, although you're correct I didn't address it directly to the OP. I addressed it to your pontification.

The OP said he tried it and liked it, therefore was looking for purely a value judgement, not a bunch of diatribe about how you judge people regarding their spending habits/purchases.

How is it best to answer the value question? As I did, by saying "Only you can decide if it's worth it to you."

So, to directly address the OP:

I have not tried Utopias. I do have doubts that it would be worth it to me in the end but how can I really say without trying it. So, while I have my doubts, those doubts wouldn't necessarily stop me from buying a bottle to see what it's all about and having a more informed opinion. But, where the rubber meets the road, only you can decide if it's worth it to you.

 

[watersr]

He said " pontification". Awesome!

 

[estricklin]

I catch a lot of static when I tell people that my guitar was $3,500, but I have to reply, "life is short and I had the cash".

I think it would be awesome to share a bottle of that with my family and friends, to me that is where the REAL value of it is. Put it up and save it for that special occasion!!

 

[Johnnyhitch1]

Since we are on a hombrew site I have to ask why not brew yourself some?

Because it would cost around 150 plus about a year for 5 gallons and 1 gallon wouldn't be enough if i did succeed

my father and I have drank 3 bottles of this AMAZEING brew

worth every penny

You my fine sir might have just pushed me over the edge. looking for a great Christmas/New years bottle and im stuck between JW blue or utopias...

to the guy who said pontification, amazing

 

[bovineblitz]

Because it would cost around 150 plus about a year for 5 gallons and 1 gallon wouldn't be enough if i did succeed

Idk man, 1 gallon of utopia is a LOT

 

[thatjonguy]

Where are you finding it? I didn't know the new release was out already.


Nevermind.

 

[StoutMeister]

well, it is like a good bottle of your favorite spirt or a good bottle of wine no one looks askew at a 200$ bottle of wine or a $200 bottle of cognac
why any diffrence for a fine brew? its not like swilling a BMC for $200

 

[whoaru99]

Ooohh...a $200 bottle of Olde English 800.

 

[pwndabear]

for me it depends on context. just to have around the house? no way. but for, lets say, a wedding? yup.

 

[zmanzorro]

The Common Table, in Dallas, will be doing a tasting of it on the 27th, if anyone is in the area. I'll definitely be there.

 

[DisturbdChemist]

I saw some bottles of it at the local liquor store that also had a 21 bottle collection of irish whiskey for $250,000. I want to get it but $200 is sharp for that even though i spent $90 on Tactical nuclear penguin. I rather buy Jonny walker blue than that but its still egging me to buy it. I just want to giving a try. Need to find a bar that will have it per shot before pissing my money away

 

[zmanzorro]

The Common Table in Dallas is selling 1 oz. pours for $15 today. Is that worth it in your opinion?

 

[geer537]

Up to you if it's worth it. I was at the local craft beer bar on Saturday. The owner's brother popped in and surprised a few of us with a free taste. To my wife and I, it tasted like a tawny port. We didn't get any carbonation- not sure if that was how it should be or if the bottle had been opened and the carb was just gone. I liked it but I'd be more inclined to pay 15 for another shot of it than 200 for a bottle- just my opinion.

 

[whoaru99]

The Common Table in Dallas is selling 1 oz. pours for $15 today. Is that worth it in your opinion?

If you want to taste it it is...unless you have a line somewhere that costs less.

$15 for a 1oz pour roughly doubles the price of a bottle, but paying more by the shot for Utopias is no different than buying any booze by the shot vs. by the bottle. If you want to buy a bottle your cost per shot will be half that, but you have to dish out quite a lot more up front...and then if you don't like it...

 

[bobeer]

I had a 1 oz pour of 30year anniversary utopia tonight at a bar. I got other beers while drinking it and sat on it for about an hour. I thought it was good. Very expensive for 1 oz but worth the experience. The more it degassed the more the liquor burn went away. I like the caramel wood taste and smell too. Would I get a bottle? Probably not but I would probably go in on one with 2-3 people.

 

[daksin]

The Common Table in Dallas is selling 1 oz. pours for $15 today. Is that worth it in your opinion?

Totally- I don't think any bottle of beer could be "worth" $200 to me, I just don't think I'd get that much enjoyment out of it. But for $15 I could taste it, potentially enjoy that taste, evaluate it, think about all the flavors going on and how they came to be, and tell people about it for the rest of my life. I know myself and I wouldn't buy that bottle of beer, but I'm curious as much as the next guy.