The 2017 blend of Samuel Adams Utopias will be available exclusively at online at the LCBO from tomorrow ( September 13, 2018).

A total of 558 bottles will be available at a price of $110.75 per 710mL bottle. Consumers will able to purchase up to two bottles per transaction.

“Utopias has become one of the most sought-after beers on earth because of the painstaking work that goes into each release – from the selection of ingredients to the complex brewing process,” said Jim Koch, Samuel Adams Founder and Brewer. “Each batch is brewed, barrel-aged and blended in unique and original ways to create a beer that’s unlike anything else available today.”

The 2017 Utopias release was brewed using a special blend of two-row pale malt combined with Munich and Caramel 60 malts that impart a rich, ruby colour. Three varieties of German Noble hops – Spalt Spalter, Hallertau Mittelfrueh, and Tettnang Tettnanger – balance the sweetness of the malt.

A portion of the beer was then aged in hand-selected, single-use bourbon barrels while the remainder was aged in a variety of barrels including Bourbon, White Carcavelos, and Ruby Port at Samuel Adams Brewery in Boston. New this year, Utopias was also aged in Aquavit barrels, a Scandinavian spirit with distinct herbal flavours.

Finally, the brewers created the final 2017 blend by sampling and blending barrel-aged beer including 24-year-old Triple Bock and 17-year-old Millennium, as well as previous Utopias vintages.

After the blend was finalized, the brewers finished some of the 2017 Utopias in Moscat barrels, a wine known for its slightly smoky character.

At 28% ABV, the finished beer is reminiscent of a rich vintage Port, old Cognac, or fine Sherry with notes of dark fruit, subtle sweetness, and a deep rich malty smoothness.

Only 68 wooden casks – or 13,000 total bottles – of Utopias were created in 2017.