The Bar Towel

I hope its not a case of those that will be orderable online

Anyone know how long it lasted on Friday? By release time there were MAYBE 40-50 folks lined up, and by the time ~5pm rolled around the line was done, and they were still bringing out cases of Utopias (and were allowing people to purchase multiples).

instantkamera wrote:Anyone know how long it lasted on Friday? By release time there were MAYBE 40-50 folks lined up, and by the time ~5pm rolled around the line was done, and they were still bringing out cases of Utopias (and were allowing people to purchase multiples).

Still a few there now, on clearance reduced to $89.80 ('you save $22.45'.)

Kidding aside, it's nice that Sam Adams made sure not to disappoint those that came within a reasonable time window. In fact coming later would have been better.

In past years there has been an offer for a glass to accompany Utopias. Is this in effect with this year's Utopias and if so could someone please remind us of the e-mail address the request should go to?

BigBob wrote:In past years there has been an offer for a glass to accompany Utopias. Is this in effect with this year's Utopias and if so could someone please remind us of the e-mail address the request should go to?

When I bought my Utopias (Friday ~530pm), I was given the free glass on the spot (the cases of both were behind the sampling bar).

Yeah in-store were given a glass, but I suspect the online/phone orders will be exactly like the last time(s) and you will have to email Moosehead (SA's Canadian distributor) to get a glass (unlike the US, the bottle wont come with a voucher).

Email is shannon.mulligan@moosehead.ca

still 134 left
https://www.vintagesshoponline.com/vint ... em=0104711

It's down to 55 online. Still 120 kicking around at Summerhill for those in the GTA:

http://www.lcbo.com/webapp/wcs/stores/s ... reId=10151

I decided to splurge and picked one up last night. I am typically very good about remaining patient and cellaring those beers suitable for aging, but that bright copper bottle has been calling out to me ever since I first laid eyes on it. Does anyone know how long the beer will last after the bottle has been opened (assuming proper cellaring conditions)? I know it will last a while, but are we talking about months or years?

instantkamera wrote:Yeah in-store were given a glass, but I suspect the online/phone orders will be exactly like the last time(s) and you will have to email Moosehead (SA's Canadian distributor) to get a glass (unlike the US, the bottle wont come with a voucher).

Email is shannon.mulligan@moosehead.ca

Email kicked back as undeliverable. Anybody have the contact at Moosehead? Google'd Shannon and it looks like she now works for Muskoka.

Provost Drunk wrote:It's down to 55 online. Still 120 kicking around at Summerhill for those in the GTA:

http://www.lcbo.com/webapp/wcs/stores/s ... reId=10151

I decided to splurge and picked one up last night. I am typically very good about remaining patient and cellaring those beers suitable for aging, but that bright copper bottle has been calling out to me ever since I first laid eyes on it. Does anyone know how long the beer will last after the bottle has been opened (assuming proper cellaring conditions)? I know it will last a while, but are we talking about months or years?

I did the same last night, particularly since I wanted a glass. Looks like it's now sold out online.

Since Utopias is basically hard liquor, I'm not sure that strict cellaring/aging conditions are required (though a stable, non-extreme temperature is always beneficial - the bottle is porcelain, so no real light concerns). I've read that people have tasted no discernable decrease in flavour or quality as long as five years after first opening. Not sure how they managed to keep it around for that long, but anyhow ...

Comparing to my whisky collection, I like to ensure that bottles with less in it get polished off sooner as a smaller volume of liquid will decline more quickly than a relatively full bottle since there is more air in the bottle.

gjkerr wrote:I've read that people have tasted no discernible decrease in flavour or quality as long as five years after first opening.

Ha ha that comment wins.

From my tasting it reminds me a bit of a port or sherry in the way those wines are often 'Madeirized' so that oxygen has already had their way with them. This would explain an opened bottle Utopias changing little in character over years, at least so far as remembered between each tasting. I'd go ahead and enjoy now if anyone's on the fence.
Or get a case of Rochefort 10. Have your unopened beer and drink it too.

I had the special edition (2010?) one kicking around for about 1.5-2 years after I opened it and it was still lovely by the end.

Thanks guys - I'll probably crack it sooner rather than later. I also picked up a pack containing three bottles of Xyauyù variations at Open Baladin in Rome last summer which I have not yet opened. It's only half the ABV of Utopias, but it's another beer that has already been oxidized and so should hopefully also last a couple of years once opened (unless consumed by natural causes sooner than that!)

Belgian wrote:...Or get a case of Rochefort 10. Have your unopened beer and drink it too.

I like this idea.

Instead of spending $113 on a beer that tastes like Port/Sherry/something other than beer, I picked up a second bottle of this:
http://www.foodanddrink.ca/lcbo-ear/lcb ... ING_PRICE=*

With whisky age statements disappearing, not a bad price for a 15yo cask strength Islay

Nice. Well Rochefort 10 is pretty weird for a beer too, I'm not putting down the Utopias it's just the same ballpark in price and the 24 of R10 will definitely hold up a few years, rewardingly (< is that a word?)

Now I'm feeling I should go adopt a bottle of Utopias... just to respect and encourage the kind of effort SA made in getting it here, do my small bit.