$200 beer illegal in some states can be bought in Texas

Heads up, beer-loving Texans.

It's that time again. Samuel Adams, every two years, releases a specialty beer.

This year, Utopias — a blend of several aged Sam Adams beers — sells for $199 for each 24-ounce bottle.

Each bottle contains a 28 percent alcohol-by-volume (ABV) beer.

Only 13,000 bottles of the beer will be distributed throughout the United States in all but 15 states that don't allow the sale of the beer because of the high alcohol content, according to Samuel Adams.

States where Utopias isn't shipped or sold: Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Idaho, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Carolina, Utah, Vermont and West Virginia, according to Samuel Adams.

This year is the 10th time this specialty beer described by Samuel Adams as "reminiscent of a rich vintage Port, old Cognac or fine Sherry with notes of dark fruit, subtle sweetness and a deep rich malty smoothness" has been available.

There's a complicated, lengthy process to make the beer that includes using a "ninja yeast" and aging part of the alcoholic drink in bourbon casks and Aquavit barrels before blending several beers including the 24-year-old Triple Bock and 17-year-old Millennium as well as a variety of other beers, according to Samuel Adams.

After the beer has been blended, it is put back into barrels to age some more.

The drink is only allowed in Texas when it's sold in a mixed beverage establishment, or a package store, because businesses with beer and wine permits may not sell alcohol with an ABV of more than 17 percent, said Chris Porter, a spokesman with the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission.

Anna Tinsley: 817-390-7610, @annatinsley

This story was originally published November 13, 2017 at 11:36 AM with the headline "$200 beer illegal in some states can be bought in Texas."