Arrogant Bastard Ale

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

Tap @ Brennans. Murky mahogany, tan head. Nose is a big bitter green hop herbalness, lots of malt, brown sugar, cocoa, dark fruits & caramel. Flavor is big caramel, harsh bitterness, borderline burnt sugar. Fruit/grapeyness comes forward in the finish with a slightly harsh hop bitterness and cocoa malt. That harshness grows as the pint continues.

From a bottle I obtained in 2005. Pour is a ruby-brown, with a nice fruity and citrus and heavy, inviting maltiness. Palate is on the heavy side of medium and soft. There is no alcohol heat . The carmelly, almost coffee/toffee notes with the malt sweetness, balance by the bitterness is very nice. The flavor fades to a bitter earthy sweetness -- Hoppiness is tempered by time in this bottle, and it is a mellow, autumnal, kind of brew. Really nice. I can now say that this is a beer that is even better after a few years in the cellar.

Arrogant Bastard was my introduction to craft beers, and it remains among my very favorites. This is a truly great beer.

22 oz bottle. Copper colored, smells of raisins. Pours an awesome head that retains itself throughout. "This is an aggressive brew"...you know the rest. Is there anything more badass than this beer? Though I love the attitude, I can think of many greater brews. Still, this beer is a pioneer in the Strong Ale category, and will always be world-class. Nobody messes with this beer, and for good reason.

Come nice caramel, toffee and dark fruit flavours, but a bit one dimensional

My 100th rating had to be this great brew. I’ve had this many times but now is the time to rate it. The pour is a dark reddish copper with a great tan head, with nice lace. The aroma is a beautiful caramel malt blended with just the right amount of piney hops. The taste is out-of-this-world fantastic. There is a great balance of rich malt flavor blended with the citrus/piney hops. There is pleanty of malt base with caramel, crystal, and toffee characters to hold up to the bitterness of the hops used. A smooth creamy full bodied beer. I am proud to say I am one of the "few" to love this beer.

Bottle. Finally rating this brew. One of the first stone’s I tried some 4-5 years ago. Nose is sharp, hoppy, some caramel, and some hotness. Flavor is pretty similar to the aroma- agressively hopped, some caramel, and a big alcohol presence. In my younger days I really valued the alcohol, but now it’s just a distraction. I’ll always have a special place for AB and Stone in my heart.

Ahh, the old classic bastard. I have had this beer many times and it was one of the first "big" beers I ever had.It is a dark ruby red color with a generous fluffy tan head. This is a good looking beer that borders between a n Amber and a Brown ale in color. The smell is hoppy and malty at the same time. The taste is like a battle between citrus hops and caramel tasting malt flavors. This is very good stuff fresh but if you get a bottle out of date you will not get the full experience on this one; the hops really fade. Too bad Stone can’t produce this in six packs at a reasonable price. Serving type: bottle Reviewed on: 08-20-2007 15:53:58