Arrogant Bastard Ale

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

Bottle - Thanks to Jan (ØLbaren). Copper - white head. High hoppy - violent, resin, grass, straw, grape, grass, dry. Not as focused as I expected. - I had this again a couple time efter... wow what a beer. It don’t get more balanced/focused, but just a lot better, still confusing. Bisquit, cookie, roasted, high hoppy, light sweetness... I love it !!!

Wow ... I realized I’d never entered a rating on this classic. It’s big and dark red with a solid, cratered-like-the-moon head. Big sweet raisin-bready aroma. Extraordinarily hoppy, very sweet and citrusy, this is maltier and fruitier than I would’ve recalled. Very smooth and frothy.

(Draught@Stockholm Beer Festival 2005) Deep red-brownish color with a small but tight head. Slightly stuffy and wineous aroma with some smokiness and berries. Very dry, aromatic hoppiness in the flavor - almost like eating raw hop pellets. Too much hops at this point of tasting, not very balanced IMO.

Pine, coffe and nutty roast, citrus. Red brown, creamy head. Powerfull earthy and pinehop flavors. Medium body, peppery aftertaste.

Poured a reddish color with a large tan head that stayed around and left a nice lacing. Citrusy aroma. Bitter hops, cherries, roasty and grapefruit flavors on the way down.

Bottle at Patricks Pub Kristiansand. Red golden colour with a beige head. Aroma is malt,roasted, hop, caramel. Flavour is sweet, malt, roasted, , hop, grapefruit, caramel. Full bodied nice beer.

Original Rating, September 13, 2004: (Thank you SDbruboy for getting me the Cali brews!) Pours a dark amber or brown color with a medium head. Very hoppy and spicy aroma. The taste has a lot going on: malt, hops, fruit, alcohol, maybe a touch of leather. Weird. I need to snag myself another bottle of this. It was good, but I need another sample. 7/4/8/3/16 Re-rating, August 18, 2008: Deep , dark red color with a medium head. Extremely piney aroma. Strong pine bitterness in the taste. Caramel malts and a little roast. Alcohol is hidden. Still good, but definitely not as awe-inspiring as when I was first trying good beers.

Bottle. I am starting to suspect that Stone’s bottles do not travel well to the East coast all the time. This was my second disappointing experience with Stone. Pours a deep reddish mahogany, with some slight beige/white mildly creamy head. Again, no sediment whatsoever. Aroma is sharp and smells overly bitter and citrusy. Opens up with a muted malt taste. In the middle of the beer, all of a sudden there is a bitter twang of hops flavor. Earthy yet piney, like a musty pinecone lying in the dirt. The malt is most curious in that it is not terribly sweet, but more dry and salty. Texture is very similar to ruination ipa, velvety. Beer certainly dosent thin out and has a nice full body, but the flavors are strange to say the least. Slight astringency problems arise. Has a muted honey herb flavor as it finishes and there is still bittersweetness on the palette. I really wish I could try this on tap. I would imagine it to be much better. Definitely want to try again. Rerate. Bottle again. Opened up bitter, muddled and syrupy BUT as it warmed and breathed, I finally saw some goodness in this beer. Flavor of a double IPA comes out, moderate caramel malt, chewy, almost leafy-like texture, fuzzy, peppery. Big bitter flavor and too much acid on the finish, but the nice hop flavor is apparent.