I will agree with what has been said here....that the general excitement around this beer has dwindled each successive year it becoems available. I'm never going to buy a $100 bottle every year. I'm happy I got one last year, but didn't even try this year.
One question I do have though - has anyone done a vertical of any Utopias? Do they really change dramatically year over year?
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Samuel Adams Utopias 2013
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El Pinguino
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instantkamera
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They are different blends/barrels/abvs, so I would guess that the ones that are close in age are MORE alike, but there are noticeable differences between them. For instance, this year is the first year they incorporated KMF.El Pinguino wrote:I will agree with what has been said here....that the general excitement around this beer has dwindled each successive year it becoems available. I'm never going to buy a $100 bottle every year. I'm happy I got one last year, but didn't even try this year.
One question I do have though - has anyone done a vertical of any Utopias? Do they really change dramatically year over year?
I've seen one vertical on YouTube, and the takeaway is that they are 'similar but different'.
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groulxsome
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FYI for those waiting for the LCBO to call... I just picked up mine today. So they should be making their way out elsewhere pretty soon.
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instantkamera
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Not sure if anyone from the LCBO marketing department reads these threads, but once again they have screwed things up. The first year with the lottery is the way they should do things. What about people who have a job and can't use a phone at 10 AM on whatever day of the week this was. I drive a bus and would get fired for using my phone, even try to buy this. And last year with the Westvleteren was just a shit show, especially for those of us who work for a living and can't set our own hours. Not to mention the fact that I didn't even know it was coming, even though I tend to visit various LCBO's every week or two. I once emailed to ask why they don't have a customer friendly website with info on new releases and was basically told that they don't and that is why. It would be awesome if the LCBO was really into marketing, we could sign up and they would email us info rather than having to rely on some insiders on this site (which hasn't been emailing me about new posts for the last few weeks).
Anyway, thanks for letting me rant, although Rick Mercer I am not.
Anyway, thanks for letting me rant, although Rick Mercer I am not.
Interesting points. While it's more a talk for general LCBO discussion, the new process of handling such beers does seem socially inegalitarian for an institution that must stake its very meaning and existence on such principles as equal right to product access (guffaws heard from Hamilton and Ottawa, yes GTA still hears you.)mol_son wrote:... It would be awesome if the LCBO was really into marketing, we could sign up and they would email us info rather than having to rely on some insiders on this site (which hasn't been emailing me about new posts for the last few weeks)....
Could they not, for example sell half the lot on a Thursday, and half on a Sarurday? Or some other 'balancing out' method. Rather than just blithely dispense product and collect money at their own convenience. The LC must serve not only its own interests - obliviously antithetical to a 'fair' monopoly.
Of course nothing is really fair and we might need a friend to help us get stuff. Hope you get a chance to try or buy Utopias anyway.
In Beerum Veritas
Got my call a few days ago and picked it up today. Having only had the 10th anniversary I never realized the gold bottle reflected purple for certain angles.
Can we still email the rep this year for glasses? I got one with my 10th anniversary last year but this year's doesn't have a code on it. Does that mean I don't get a glass?instantkamera wrote:anyone email the distribution rep from:
http://www.bartowel.com/board/viewtopic ... c&start=45
yet regarding getting a glass from this release? I would like to get two as Ill be sharing the bottle. What's the likelihood of that happening?
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TheBeeraholic
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Email the same lady and copy the same email mentioned in link above. I did day I called in and glass came earlier this week.brew-san wrote:Got my call a few days ago and picked it up today. Having only had the 10th anniversary I never realized the gold bottle reflected purple for certain angles.
Can we still email the rep this year for glasses? I got one with my 10th anniversary last year but this year's doesn't have a code on it. Does that mean I don't get a glass?instantkamera wrote:anyone email the distribution rep from:
http://www.bartowel.com/board/viewtopic ... c&start=45
yet regarding getting a glass from this release? I would like to get two as Ill be sharing the bottle. What's the likelihood of that happening?
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groulxsome
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Are the glasses, like, free with this year's Utopias?TheBeeraholic wrote:Email the same lady and copy the same email mentioned in link above. I did day I called in and glass came earlier this week.brew-san wrote:Got my call a few days ago and picked it up today. Having only had the 10th anniversary I never realized the gold bottle reflected purple for certain angles.
Can we still email the rep this year for glasses? I got one with my 10th anniversary last year but this year's doesn't have a code on it. Does that mean I don't get a glass?instantkamera wrote:anyone email the distribution rep from:
http://www.bartowel.com/board/viewtopic ... c&start=45
yet regarding getting a glass from this release? I would like to get two as Ill be sharing the bottle. What's the likelihood of that happening?
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TheBeeraholic
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Yesgroulxsome wrote:Are the glasses, like, free with this year's Utopias?TheBeeraholic wrote:Email the same lady and copy the same email mentioned in link above. I did day I called in and glass came earlier this week.brew-san wrote:Got my call a few days ago and picked it up today. Having only had the 10th anniversary I never realized the gold bottle reflected purple for certain angles.
Can we still email the rep this year for glasses? I got one with my 10th anniversary last year but this year's doesn't have a code on it. Does that mean I don't get a glass?
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instantkamera
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instantkamera wrote:My bottle was delivered to my local ... SMASHED.
Words. I dont.
Stay tuned to see how well (or poorly) this is handled by the LCBO.
The bottles did sell out this year. Hopefully somebody cancelled their order and you'll get theirs. Otherwise, tough situation to be in... you'll certainly get a refund. Hopefully you'll also get a guaranteed opportunity to purchase next year's edition, instead of waiting in line again. No nice result here if they don't have any replacement bottles for you.
Keep us informed on this... I'm holding out hope for you!
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instantkamera
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Thankfully my local and the Vintages head were able to make this right (well, I haven't actually received it yet, so...). They found a bottle and will be shipping it to me with extra care this time. Though, from what I was told, shipping likely didn't break this bottle and there are some questionable practices around packing and shipping ...JProulx wrote:instantkamera wrote:My bottle was delivered to my local ... SMASHED.
Words. I dont.
Stay tuned to see how well (or poorly) this is handled by the LCBO.
The bottles did sell out this year. Hopefully somebody cancelled their order and you'll get theirs. Otherwise, tough situation to be in... you'll certainly get a refund. Hopefully you'll also get a guaranteed opportunity to purchase next year's edition, instead of waiting in line again. No nice result here if they don't have any replacement bottles for you.
Keep us informed on this... I'm holding out hope for you!