Arrogant Bastard Ale

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

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.

Sampled on tap at RFD Washington. It poured to a huge, thick, creamy beige head atop a mahogany body. EXCELLENT lacing. The aroma is caramelly, doughy, bready, sweet, and alcoholic. The flavor has huge sweet malts. Toffee, floral hops are there but not exceedingly strong. The palate has a slight stickiness to it. Slight bitterness as well. Medium mouthfeel.

My original rating of this beer was in my RateBeer infancy - before I became enamored by hops. Now ... great aroma - grapefruit and tang. My wife calls it sweet cat urine. Slightly hazy copper red beer with off-white foamy lacing head. Medium carb and medium heavy watery body. A light sweetness and fruit before being hammered by a huge bitterness. My taste buds shrivel is response. Huge grapefruit taste with bitter finish/after. Awesome. Alcohol/vapory. Malts and citrus. A really great beer.

Dark Amber body. On the pour head was off white and frothy, head dissipated but slight head was apparent on top of beer though out. Great lacing was left on the glass. Had a floral aroma to the beer. Flavor tasted like brandy at the end and you cold feel the alcohol taking affect. Glad I had this at home because otherwise you should have a designated driver if at a pub.

Full head, beautiful red color. Head has a very strong nutty flavor. Beer flows down easily. The only problem is that it has a very grainy finish, rough on the back of your throat and tongue; keeps it from being truly great. It does, however, mess you up.

Spicy, hoppy nose with a hint of cantaloupe. Deep caramel color. Citrus, grapefruit-like taste up front that turns real bitter and gritty towards the end. Supported by a heavy amount of malt and alcohol, which turbo injects the flavor into your mouth. Leaves a sweetness on your lips like a lollipop. Complex, long and varied profile. Certainly full bodied. This almost-barleywine is over the top, but is it balanced or good? I certainly enjoy the audacity – or better arrogance- of this beer.

Another Imperial IPA by Stone. A good overall beer, but simply too much for a standard beer. Good colour and great hoppy nose, as usual...but simply too much to process.

Dark ruby-amber colour with a foamy white head. Aroma is remarkably hoppy - I was afraid to inhale too deeply lest the fumes burn out my nose hairs. The flavour is big and bitter, with some great coffee & chicory notes to balance the citric hop explosion. Long and lingering grapefruit finish. While it wasn’t quite the life-changing experience I’d been led to believe it might be, it’s still a damn fine beverage.