Beer 99 Magic Hat Unfiltered Ale Spring 10 and Beer 100 Sam Adams Utopia

The journey has now been completed!

This post represents the final beer sampling sessions in my quest to try 100 New Beers in one year. Trying 2 New Beers A Week has provided me with so many great moments that any attempt to capture them in a single entry would prove futile.

That being said, I have made many new friends, discovered that old friends also enjoyed trying new beers, and found that many people were more willing to try new beers than I would have ever imagined.

Beer trades are now common. Party’s now have conversations that are not dominated by politics, money, or American Idol.

Truth be told, I have tried a “FEW” more beers that have not been reviewed yet, and I will be starting a “Fresh” year this week. I have tried some sample 6 packs and 12 packs with friends that may end up being bulk reviews. All of this is in the interest of providing a reference for my friends that don’t want to waste $10 on something they may not like are looking for something new to try.

Beer 99 Magic Hat Unfiltered Ale Spring ’10. Part of the somewhat legendary Burlington Vermont brewery’s vast array of Odd Notion Series, this beer was part of a 12 pack sampler that we were lucky enough to find at Andy’s. He was only allotted 2 cases of this limited product and we eagerly purchased one of the somewhat pricey 12 packs.

By now most of you know that I am not a big IPA fan. I believe that as Bob Dylan once said “The times, they are a changin’ “. Through exhaustive research, I have discovered a few IPA that I really enjoy. With summer on the way, I will be drinking less of the stout and porters that I enjoy soooo much. A good thing has happened.

This Magic Hat creation is  an American Wheat IPA. For my money, and taste buds, it is the best of the 8 Magic Hat varieties that I have sampled. Yes that means that there are 6 that I need to review… It pours wonderfully into a pint glass, and sports a foamy head above its cloudy liquidity. A hoppy flavor to be sure with a smooth texture that is easy to drink and enjoy. At 6.0% alcohol it packs a silent punch, but doesn’t fill you up. It would be a great beer to bring to a party, if you can find it. I have only seen it in 12 packs, not in 6 packs, to this point. If you see a 6 pack, it is a no brainer selection. In fact, buy it for me, and I will pay you. It’s that good.

Click Here To See The Magic Hat Website

Beer #100 Sam Adams Utopia:

I have reached the end of the internet, the final frontier, and found the holy grail all at once.

This beer was provided by David, who received it as a Christmas Gift from Stacey. This is beer on steroids, with a price tag to match. The Mad Scientists at Sam Adams chose to brew the most insane beer on the planet. The resulting brew is complex to say the least. I am eternally grateful for the opportunity to share some of this incredible brew with my friends. Quite honestly, as much as I had wanted to try it, the cost of this brew is significant.

Picture a beer that is best served in a snifter glass. No head, and amber in color. It has the appearance of a fine cognac. It is meant to be sampled in the tinyest of measures. The first sip is simply intense. I immediately noticed 3 things: a bourbon like flavor, a significant malty overtone, and the 27% alcohol content. It is overwhelming to say the least, and it comes in what looks like an ” I Dream Of Jeanie bottle”.

After taking a few minutes to savor, as well as ponder the experience, I had my second sip. Having some idea what to expect, this syrupy sip revealed carmel and molasses flavors, along with a brown sugaryness. Keep in mind, I am in now in full “drinking cognac mode”, swirling the contents of my glass as if I am some world class connoisseseur of wines and cognacs.

Sip after sip, I discovered a new flavor. No two sips seemed to be the same, yet they were from the same snifter. Suffice it to say, that you may have to practice drinking this to get the full flavor into your mind before being able to even consider describing it somewhat accurately. It was a great tasting experience to be sure. It is fitting that I saved this experience for the highly coveted Beer #100.

Click Here to visit the Sam Adams Website

Both of these beers will be hard to find. The Magic Hat 12 pack Sampler was $17.99 at Andy’s, and he sold out the day we bought it. I have not seen it anywhere since. The Sam Adams Utopia comes in a beautiful 750 ml decanter and is very expensive. If you look it up on the internet, you will see prices ranging between $150-$500. I  have no idea what Stacey paid for it, but I would venture a guess that she could have filled a refrigerator with “guest beer” for the same price.

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