Arrogant Bastard Ale

Greta brewery that I visited on my trip to San Diego. Awesome big huge brew. Loads of hops and a slight alcohol bite yet it was quite pleasing. Rich huge finish.

I hate to keep being so nice to Stone but this was probably one of the better Ales I have ever had. Pours dark brown/amber with a big, nice head. The aroma is fruity and nutty. The taste is sweet and smooth. It is so good on the palate that I found myself drinking very slow to make it last. The perfect spike of hops in there.

Appearance: Pours a clear, reddish-amber body with a medium, lasting, off-white head. Smell: Sweet-smelling maltiness with a sprinkle of gooey brown sugar. There’s a slight oxidized quality present, leading me to assume this bottles a bit on the older side. Dark fruits smelling of golden raisins. Pine-scented, woody hops. Taste: Toasty, bready malts with a medium sweetness and taste of brown sugar. Slight dark fruitiness. Hoppy pine wood flavor, a bit of fresh mint. Medium hop bitterness, though it holds on through to the bittersweet finish. Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied. Medium carbonation. Drinkability: A really delightful beer fresh or even with a bit of age on it.

I was worthy enough to have A.B. tonight at dinner. I poured it from a bomber into a pint glass. It’s a deep mahogany color and has good clarity for a high gravity beer. It has an off-white head that sticks around for awhile, not frothy. Earthy hops dominate the aroma, smells nice. It is very hoppy, a little more than I like, but it didn’t overpower the malt, which still came through. Fruity esters come through pretty strong, but are not off-putting at all. It’s a good beer to sit back and appreciate. One bomber was all of the beer I needed for the evening.

On tap at Yard-House, Brea. Pours dark brownish red with a fluffy brown head. Aroma of hops with a hint of malt. Flavor begins complex and hoppy, then becomes spicy and intense. Palate is medium bodied and leaves a dry hoppy after-taste on the sides of the tongue and back of the throat. Hops definitely dominate, but finishes with subtle caramel malts. Nothing quite like Arrogant Bastard.

On Tap - The Big Hunt, DC. Fantastic dark ruby color to this. Lacing all the way down the glass. Nice balance to this ale. Nice hops, nice bitter finish. Great caramel taste to this. Go and fine some.

Great appearance, fluffy tan head and good lacing. Sweet appley aroma and hops, great mouthfeel and a bitter hop finish. Complex, challenging, but most of all, awesome and gets better with every sip. Could have something to do with the 7.2 ABV as well.

Brutal....definitely intense. But in a good way, if only more beers tasted like this. Definitely worth the 6 bucks a bottle.