Double Bastard Ale

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

2007 Bottle, aged one year. Pours a dark murky reddish body with a loose off white, almost tan, head. Huge vineous alcohol scent with sweet sticky bready notes beyond what must have been a hop overload. Sensation is still hot on the pallate with lots of alcohol soak and dry puckering bitterness. It feels disorganized on my pallate like the malts are all boozed up and don’t know how to act. Flavors are deep and complex with citrusy hops, caramel malts, boozey vodka like alcohol notes, and some sweet woody malts. Still not sure what to make of this one, but I know not to mess with it.

Dark reddish brown. Sticky sweet caramel/sugary initial flavor, incredibly smooth. Full body. Almost buttery in it’s mouth feel, but not syrupy thick. Moderate carbonation. The initial caramel/roast/malt sweetness almost overwhelms but after a moment a hop bitterness kicks in to balance things out, then all the flavors blend and it fades into a warming sensation as the alcohol makes it’s presence felt. Notes of dark chocolate, the aforementioned caramel, mixed fruits were all detected. Finish is warm, slightly tingly, sticky caramel sweetness still very present. Too bad it’s not readily available year round!

An 04 and 08 bottle sampled at Skyview’s tasting. This rating is reflective of the 2004 bottle, since this beer was much better with age. Pour was a hazy dark brown pour with medium carbonation. Aroma was mild hops and malt. Flavor was excellent, mellow hops, wood and and a little fruity on the finish. If trying to acquire this, get an aged bottle if possible.

Pours a murky, rusty brown with a small beige head. Very sweet caramelly aroma, much fruitier then the arrogant bastard. Pineapple, orange, citrus, and spices. The flavor is so massive, combining flavors of sweet fruits, cherries, wood, massive hops, and lots of spices. Take a large sip and just savor it to take in the huge flavors over time. Even better then its little brother.

Brazen darkly opaque brown body with a thick off-white head that clings reasonably well to its snifter... nice, spooky, ghostlike lacing as its body drains... spruce and spice rush to arrest the senses... fresh fruity esthers bolster the rush with an engaging connection... the alcohol is noted in the heat at the throat... teeth rattle as Double Bastard is chewed... otherwise, body behaves as an IPA should... upon first sip, one wonders the IBUs needed to make this run... second sip brings a sweetness to the lips and a bitterness that lingers minutes after... difficult to gage the effects of this, as the expectation and the affectation blur in the experience.... I just feel I am drinking something important here, ignoring the rather silly "diatribe" on the bottle... a shout-out to brother Jer for gifting me with three (3!) of these for Christmastime...

bottle, reddish caramel colored pour with some slight foam, aromas of piney sugarcane, flavors of sweet grapefruit, caramelized sugars, some alcohol with a metallic bitter finish

Bottle. Pours dark orange. Huge aroma of canned pineapple with hints of marzipan. Big bodied and sweet malty flavor balancing on a big bitterness that lends the beer a dryish finish. Big vanilla malt flavor. Nice Barley Wine.

Bottle from CaryTheDude, crushed with CaryTheDude and JakeBra. Pours deep red with a thick white head. Aroma is sweet caramel malt with a huge shot of hops. Flavor is a hard hit of hops, with sticky caramel, citrus, fruitys. Double Bastard is absolutely awesome.