Boston-based brewer Sam Adams has released a new beer that's so strong it can't be sold in 15 states, including New Hampshire.
Sam Adams calls its Utopias 2025 an "extreme" beer with a 30% alcohol by volume. Previous versions of Utopias have been between 24% and 28% ABV. Typically, a beer has an AVB of about 5%.
New Hampshire caps alcohol by volume in beers at 14%. Other states where the alcohol content in a Utopias beer exceeds legal limits include Vermont, North Carolina and Georgia and Oregon.
Sam Adams said reaching 30% ABV was a personal goal of founder and CEO Jim Koch, but more important was reaching getting the flavor right for a beverage that "blurs the line between beer and fine spirits."
"This year's release combines vintages aged up to 30 years, finished in Iris