Favorite Beer Labels, 4

Launching Monday, nationwide: Angry Orchard hard ciders from Sam Adams parent co.

Angry Orchard Crisp Apple and Angry Orchard Apple Ginger go nationwide on Monday. The hard ciders are made by The Boston Beer Company, parent of Samuel Adams. Today at the 4th annual Myrtle Beach Beer Fest, Katie Healy, Boston Beer rep for Coastal South Carolina, showed me the six-pack packaging for Angry Orchard ciders. I tried both. I think the Crisp Apple presents a serious challenge to Woodchuck Amber, and I liked the touch of ginger in the Apple Ginger.

Price check: Samuel Adams Winter Lager

Myrtle Beach / Grand Strand folks: Six-packs of Sam Adams Winter Lager have been running $8.49 at The Market Common Piggly Wiggly, Forestbrook Food Lion, and the Lowes Foods at S.C. 544.

Let me know if you see a sale on Sam Adams Winter Lager! Make a comment below.

An expensive brew

The Boston Beer Co., makers of Samuel Adams, has taken beer to a new extreme.

Utopias, the company's biennial beer, has been upgraded: 27 percent alcohol by volume.

It comes in a 24-ounce bottle of ceramic and copper that looks like a brew kettle, at only $150 each.

But you probably won't find it in South Carolina.

In May 2007, the S.C. General Assembly passed a law allowing stronger beers to be sold in the state. Previously, the law allowed only beers that contained 6 percent alcohol by volume or less. The 2007 law raised the cap to 17.5 percent alcohol by volume, allowing numerous beer styles and imports to enter the state legally.

But at 27 percent, Utopias is illegal in South Carolina. Thanks a lot, Boston Beer Co.

Big-name Oktoberfests

You should be able to see a poll on Oktoberfest brews to the right.

I recently picked up Samuel Adams Octoberfest, which they spell with a "c" instead of a "k," and Michelob Marzen, which is an "Octoberfest Style Beer."

Dare I say it? I mean, last year, I totally chose Samuel Adams Octoberfest over Beck's Oktoberfest. But this year, I liked Michelob Marzen quite a bit. I'm not prepared to say it's better than Samuel Adams Octoberfest, but it might -- just might -- be as good.

Fortunately, you can't really go wrong with these three. Fact is, the Michelob Marzen is "worth a try," and the other two are a "good call," at http://www.beeradvocate.com .