Arrogant Bastard Ale

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

Pours a great dark amber with a frothy head and lacing that almost coats the glass. Smell is lots of hops, fruit some sweet malt, some spice. Taste is huge hops, mostly citrus and pine, bready toasty malt. Finish is even more hops, with a full mouthfeel. Very complex, but very drinkable. Yes, this beer is as awesome as advertised.

Had this beer on 9/10/2003. Aroma is rich with a fresh hop secent and a nice sweet malt scent. Color is a deep rich amber with very good carbonation and tight head. Taste is rich, hoppy and bitter. Starting with a full strong body and bubbly feel, it goes down with a strong sweet feel. Finish comes on sharp with a hefty hop flavor and bold maltiness. All of this is topped off with firm bitterness and finished with a lingering hop flavor. Wow, this may be the boldest and fullest beer I have ever had. They do hit what they where going for on the label, they use terms like aggressive, sophisticated and quality & depth. It is the depth that really hits it here, this beer goes beyond anything I’ve ever had it is malty, hoppy and bitter, all to an extreme but is very well balanced.

Pours the color of a trappist ale but tastes more like an IPA. Great hop character with an extremly bitter finish. I wish it was a bit sweeter. Great beer nonetheless.

OK, no real milestone for a 650th beer but still good to be able to try one of these bastards. In Australia there is an order of the old bastard which requires every member to greet one another as one, or buy a shout. No one is arrogant here, just bastards. Anyway this bastard decided to wait until the very last beer of the night to present his credentials. Arrogant indeed given that this was the 23rd of the night. Lucky he isn't a subtle bastard as we would have thought the finesse had been bastardised by numbers 1 to 22. Looks fabulous in the glass and so it scores very well for that. It has a pine needle type of hop resin nose with a hint of caramel. The taste is quite an experience, yep sure is bitter but for my palate seems to be a little unbalanced. Slighty OTT, as is expected of one so sure of himself.

Easy to drink and not as aggressive as one would think. Toned down hops and bitterness. Ends dry and nose has some floral tones. Good if a bit thin.

A hoppier version of Anchor Steam Victory Ale. Dark carmel color, chuck full of hops and alcohol content. I agree a little two dimensional, but worth a try.

Wow, I drank this in honor of the dearly departed Squid. Cheers to the furry friend to mouse and dog alike. Poured dark amber with a frothy off white head. aroma of hops, with a side order of hops. The taste is aggressive with some hops to start, followed with malt and then hops, and lingering hops as well, would I be a bustard if I did not love this, not being a hop head?

This is a tasty drinkable brew, not as aggressive as it makes itself out to be. Fruit and piney flavors with a good balance between malt and hops.