Arrogant Bastard Ale

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

Burgundy coloured. Nice aroma of cascade and malts. Bitter and fruity flavour with a slightly sourish touch. Very funny label.

Plentiful citrus fruit mingling with wise and chewy caramel malt and chocolate prunes...Nourishment and balance in assertive cleanliness...Very well-crafted and tasty boldness...

Pours dark red. Smell is of rose hips and hops. Taste is bitter like a strong IIPA. Very nice!

Bottled: Fantastic burgundy colour. Brownish dense head. Hops, malt, alcahol and light cocoa notes in the aroma. Hops, swetness, fruit in the flavour. Complex and balanced. Nice long bitter finish. Intense beer. Thanks again to raindog.

Deep ruby-brown beer with a thick off-white head. Aroma is lovely, biscuity malt, caramel and toffee with a sweet grapefruty citrus malt. Bitterness is much more restrained than the last time I had it. Sticky with a soft resinousness on the back. Palate is good, but the sweet malty aroma doesn’t really come through on the flavour very much. Not as good as it used to be, but still excellent.

Dark ruby coloured beer with a thin skin of tan bubbles over the surface. Lovely caramel, cookie dough, and vanilla maltiness backing up an assertive citrusy hop aroma. Flavour is fantastic, sweet toffee and caramel malts on the front fading to a hint of coffee/chocolate character before the citrusy and earthy herbal hops flavours make an appearance. These fade out leaving an awesome bitter kick in the teeth. As this beer warmed, you got even more citrus hop character and some spicy and fruity maltiness on the nose. Truly a first rate beer. 8 4 9 4 18

Bottle. A slightly hazy, golden to copper beer with a nice, dense, beige head leaving beautyful lacings The aroma has malts and hops in a nice blend, with some roasted malts in the back. Sweet, malty, slightly roasted flavor with piney and resiny hops giving a fine bitterness that lasts for a while. Full-bodied and slightly warming. A nice and balanced beer, but is is worthy the commercial description? That doesn’t really matter, and it was really fun finding it at a Norwegian pub. (090403)

Rerate: now after having this a few times, it's not nearly as good as it was when I had it first in 2000. After having a lot better big beers, this one has lost some points. Malty grain aroma mixed with the big hops, the flavor is kinda boring... a little hops, some alcohol, but what else? There should really be more going on in there.

The hop-head in me loves this stuff... serious grapefruit, pine, & orange rind hop aromas attack you when pop the bottle. Beautiful red color with fizzy (short-lived) off-white head. Rough roasted malts support strong hop bitterness, fumes filling the sinus cavities. Warming as it hits the belly. Long, lingering bitter hop finish. Great stuff. But, does it live up to all of the silly hype? NO.

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