Arrogant Bastard Ale

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

One of the best beers I’ve ever had, especially for those that like IPAs and hoppy beers. Had it on tap yesterday at the Beer Sellar in Newport Ky, which made for an even more enjoyable experience.

Awesome - 7.2% - Hard to believe the beer isn’t stronger than that. Loads of malt & hops. More malt in a single bottle (22 oz) of this than in a 12 pack of Bud. Loads of hops. Loads. An amazing beer, overall.

This beer is a delightful onslaught of flavor. I like how ratebeer has called this an American Strong Ale, because it does transcend the traditional strong ale category. The hops in this kicked up several notches, and combined with malty sweetness of a strong ale, this is a very big beer. Outstanding!

Rich mahogany hue with a nice creamy light brown head. I’ve met some arrogant bastards in my time but they don’t smell this good! A fantastic citrussy hopped nose with a healthy dolop of spice. This theme follows through to the taste which is equally fabulous. A malty toffeeish caramel flavour with a sublime floral hoppy backbone and a long finish. A magnificently well balanced beer. Wow what a great beer! Normally these beers that have novelty names are bland, but this just isn’t. It is a great beer in a fantastically humourous and ironic bottle. It certainly has a right to be arrogant about its’ own brilliance.

I got this beer as a gift, do to a lot of people telling me I tend to be a bit on the arrogant side. That being said, I really enjoyed it. Poured a rich deep color, almost a reddish tobacco. Foamy white head, that faded into a rich fluffy lace. This beer is full of hoppy bite, however is nicely balanced to keep it drinkable.

Nutty caramel and pine smell with hints of bubblegum and licorice. Dark amber color and difficult to see the action with an off tan head. Heavy sweet bitter with roasted almost burnt malt taste and has a smooth finish of herbal pine and some grapefruit. Medium to moderate bodied, very resinous, and has lively soft carbonation. The drinkability is exceptional for the style.

A forceful, decadant cavalcade of hops and unabridged bitterness. This ale is removed of any spices or sweetness, and contains a boastful, toasty bite. Arrogant Bastard blooms with extreme simplicity and a double-barreled knock back taste.

Poured a cloudy dark orange red with a beautiful thick off white head that lingers for quite some time before fading to a slightly chunky covering. Lacing is nice. Not too thin, but not chunky either. Nice appearance! Smell is all over the place. Sweet malts, raisin and date, pine, citrus, orange, and woody. Taste is amazing! Sweet roasted malt, pine, oaky, hints of lemon and orange peel. Raisin and date again. I’m really digging this combination of flavors. Mouthfeel is great. Carbonation leaves a bit of a flavor masking sting. That’s the only reason i deducted a half point here. Drinkability is good for this big of a beer. I could drink this all night. But it’s probably not the best of ideas. =P