The craft segment of the American beer industry is on fire, up 11% overall with Samuel Adams paving the way with 21% growth through the second quarter, and 2007 is set to end with a bang. The brewers at Samuel Adams are introducing a new batch of Samuel Adams Utopias, the “Extreme Beer” that has set records and won awards and critical acclaim all over the beer world.

“A new generation of American beer lovers has inspired craft brewers to expand their horizons,” said Jim Koch, brewer and founder of Samuel Adams. “Our drinkers are our inspiration, and we think this year’s Samuel Adams Utopias will satisfy their thirst for an astonishing brew that not only tastes extraordinary, but also practically redefines what’s possible in the beer universe.”

Samuel Adams Utopias is a strong, rich, dark beer that is uncarbonated and is served not pint by frosty pint, but at room temperature in a two-ounce pour, to be savored like a vintage port or a fine cognac. Breaking the record for commercially brewed beers held by the 2005 batch of Samuel Adams Utopias, the 2007 batch of Samuel Adams Utopias weighs in at 27% alcohol by volume. The average beer is about 5%.

Samuel Adams Utopias is brewed, blended, and aged at the Samuel Adams Brewery in Boston with the same handcrafted care that goes into all Samuel Adams beers. It is brewed with several different strains of yeast, including a variety typically reserved for champagne. A blend of two-row Caramel and Munich malts gives the beer its rich ruby-black color. Three kinds of Noble hops - Spalt Spalter, Hallertau Mittlefrueh, and Tettnang Tettnanger - blend to give the beer its floral character and its spicy note.

The 2007 batch of Samuel Adams Utopias is a blend of liquids, some of which have been aged in a variety of woods at the Boston Brewery for up to 13 years. A portion of the beer was aged in hand-selected, single-use bourbon casks from the Buffalo Trace Distillery. The extended aging process enhances the distinct cinnamon, vanilla, and maple notes in the beer’s flavor. The beer is then finished in sherry and madeira casks from Portugal. The sherry casks add nutty, oak, and honey notes, while the madeira casks contribute slightly more elegant, creamy fudge-toffee aromas and flavors.

“Samuel Adams Utopias is a brew like no other; it demonstrates Jim’s passion for brewing and takes beer to a level never experienced before,” said Anthony Dias Blue, editor-in-chief of Patterson’s The Tasting Panel Magazine, and Wine & Spirits Editor of Bon Appetit (1981-2004). “Samuel Adams Utopias proves that craft beer can command the same measure of respect as some of the world’s finest wines and spirits.”

Following on the extremely successful release earlier this year of a pint glass scientifically designed to showcase the flavor of the brewery’s flagship brew, Samuel Adams Boston Lager^®, Jim Koch enlisted the talents of world-famous glass designer Georg Riedel. They worked together to custom design a special snifter just for Samuel Adams Utopias, to enhance the drinker’s experience of this extraordinary brew.

F. Paul Pacult, Editor of Spirit Journal and one of the world’s leading authorities on spirits, gave the 2003 edition of Samuel Adams Utopias a Classic rating (96–100), the highest rating recommendation for a spirit. “Samuel Adams Utopias offers a semisweet aroma of fruit and honey with tastes of toffee, molasses, and dark coffee.” (F. Paul Pacult, “Beer,” Wine Enthusiast, November 2003).

The limited edition 2007 batch of Samuel Adams Utopias will be presented in a numbered, bronze-colored, ceramic decanter shaped like a brew kettle and will have a limited release of just 12,000 bottles. For the first time this year, people who purchase a bottle will also be eligible in most states to receive a Samuel Adams Utopias custom- designed Riedel snifter.

The limited-edition brew will be available at select specialty beer and liquor stores for a suggested retail price of $120–$140 per bottle and is on the after-dinner drink menu at restaurants nationwide including most Morton’s The Steakhouse locations. Samuel Adams Utopias is the perfect gift for beer enthusiasts this holiday season. For more information, visit www.samueladams.com.

THE FAMILY HISTORY OF SAMUEL ADAMS UTOPIAS:

Jim Koch first pushed the traditional boundaries of beer with Samuel Adams^® Triple Bock in 1994. Since then, he has been seeking ways to create innovative, highly crafted varieties of beer to surprise the palates of beer lovers and appreciators of other fine beverages like wine and spirits. Samuel Adams Triple Bock was followed by the commemorative Samuel Adams^® Millennium Ale in 2000, which weighed in at 21 percent alcohol by volume. In 2002, Samuel Adams Utopias was introduced, shocking the beer world with an incredible alcohol by volume of 24 percent.

Samuel Adams Utopias was brewed again in 2003 and 2005 when Koch continued his quest to create an even more complex, astonishing brew. The 2005 batch was 25.6 percent alcohol by volume.

THE RIEDEL SAMUEL ADAMS UTOPIAS SNIFTER:

In April 2007 Georg Riedel joined Jim Koch at the Samuel Adams Boston brewery for a special tasting panel. Several flights of Samuel Adams Utopias were sampled from many different glass shapes to determine which attributes would best highlight the aromas and flavors of the unique brew. The end result is a custom-designed glass that best expresses the essential characteristics of Samuel Adams Utopias.

The curved, cut-glass rim of the snifter allows Samuel Adams Utopias to be placed on the front of the tongue, ensuring that drinkers properly taste the sweetness of the brew first. This also helps balance the alcohol taste. The shape of the bowl is taller than a typical snifter glass, which allows for the combining of the layers of alcohol and concentration of the aromas.

THE BOSTON BEER COMPANY BACKGROUND:

The Boston Beer Company began in 1984 with a generations-old family recipe that founder and brewer Jim Koch uncovered in his father’s attic. After bringing the recipe to life in his kitchen, Jim brought it to bars in Boston with the belief that drinkers would appreciate a complex, full-flavored beer, brewed fresh in America. That beer was Samuel Adams Boston Lager^®, and it helped catalyze what became known as the American craft beer revolution.

Today, the Company brews more than 21 styles of beer. The Company uses the traditional four-vessel brewing process and often takes extra steps like dry-hopping and a secondary fermentation known as krausening. It passionately pursues the development of new styles and the perfection of its classic beers by constantly searching for the world’s finest ingredients. While resurrecting traditional brewing methods, the Company has earned a reputation as a pioneer in another revolution, the “extreme beer” movement, where it seeks to challenge drinkers’ perceptions of what beer can be. The Boston Beer Company strives to elevate the image of American craft beer by entering festivals and competitions the world over, and in the past five years it has won more awards in international beer competitions than any other brewery in the world. The Company remains independent, and brewing quality beer remains its single focus. While Samuel Adams is the country’s largest-selling craft beer, it accounts for only about one-half of one percent of the U.S. beer market. For more information, please visit www.samueladams.com.