There is a new champion of beer in the "priciest" category. The beer is called the Sam Adams Utopia and comes in a collectible brew kettle-like bottle and comes in at a whopping $5 per ounce, $120 for the 24 ounce collectible container of high-alcohol brew. (had to change the link to a 2006 article from a 2007 article)
The brewing process is very unique in order to produce such a concoction.
Keeping the yeast active is a problem: The cells tend to sink into a torpor when overfed, much like humans after a heavy Thanksgiving meal. The trick is coaxing them into forcing down that extra slice of pie, so to speak, to produce the extra alcohol. Koch says he inverts the usual feeding regimen, offering the yeast more complex sugars at the start of fermentation, then finishing with simpler molecules. A dash of maple syrup during the process piques the yeast cells' appetites and inspires them to new heights.
"It's not rocket science, but it is 'grain surgery,'" Koch quips.
The 2007 will be the fourth release of this beer. Koch believes he might have reached the biological limitations of the yeast cells with the latest vintage: "Unless there's a major breakthrough, I don't see them doing much more. They're whipped."
Boston Beer is releasing 12,000 bottles of the 2007 Utopias. The beer will be available nationally (except for 14 states where caps on the alcohol level of beer make it illegal).
As you can see, the beer is extremely high in alcohol at 27%, but it makes for a very unique experience. We can't review it at this time since we have yet to try it, but the uniqueness alone is enough to merit a mention. If you have the means, we definitely recommend giving it a try if for no other reason than being able to say you've sampled the world's most expensive brew.