Arrogant Bastard Ale

Brewed by Stone Brewing Co.
Style: American Strong Ale
Escondido, California USA

I’m not a hop lover and I’ve been fixated on sweet/imperial stouts for a long time. I can’t believe how much I enjoyed this beer. It seemed extremely bitter at first, but after a few sips I found myself enjoying a seemingly perfect balance of hops and malt in this fine American ale. I enjoyed this one two days ago and I’m still thinking about it.

Amber-brown color with offwhite head. Medium-bodied, malty aroma. Spicy taste with malts, finishes strong. My first beer from Stone, and it definitely won’t be my last.

22oz bottle. Poured a rich brown with a small head. This was the first bottle I’d had in a few years - smoother than I remembered, with more spice by smell than by taste. Smooth start with a hoppy, bitter finish.

Bottle. First beer I had tried by stone brewing. As the description said it is an aggressive beer hopped and spiced. But i do like this beer and would recommend it for any person looking for a great beer.

22oz Bomber. Pours a brown color with a slight tan head. Smell of hops and spices, maybe even a hint of caramel. Taste is hops and malts with a spicy touch. Has a bitter aftertaste. This is a pretty damn good beer. Paid $4.99.

So first off this beer got me started on the whole craft beer obsession years ago. Always consistent and very affordable. Pours dark dark red with a nice amount of head that sticks around very well. On the aroma I get hops, malt, almost a subtle fruit smell in there as well. I would say more full bodied than anything else. Nice mouthfeel especially when you have had a lot of other beers and gotten used to the more aggressive ones. I have noticed this one to be a bit sharp for a newbie to craft beer. Lingers around on your palate after the fact reminding you just how great it really is. Highly highly recommended!

750 mL bottle from Seattle. Pours a dark brown with just a hint of red, with a thin but foamy head. Aroma starts out all resinous hops, but adds in some raisins and other fruit underneath. The flavor is mostly resiny hops again, but there is some maltiness lurking down there. Not much, but a bit. The finish is long and bitter. Palate is very nice, with very fine and light carbonation. Overall a decent beer, but quite one-dimensional.