Double Bastard Ale

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

Bottle, 12 fl. oz. Pours a clear brown beer with an offwhite head. The aroma is malt, sweetness and notes of berries. The flavor is hops, roasted and berries. The palate is bitter. Overall a great beer.

2009 bomber. This one pours a dark reddish brown color topped by a large, foamy light tan colored head that slowly settles to a thin film. The aroma is very hop forward with grapefruit, citrus, and pine hop bitterness to go with a big dose of sweet caramel malt. The flavor follows suit with huge amounts of grapefruit and piney hops balanced out by the big and sweet caramel and toffee malt backbone. The bitterness is quite striking from all the hops. It is certainly one monster of a beer. Full bodied, thick, and a touch syrupy as it warms with ample carbonation and a lengthy bitter finish. There is touch of alcohol heat on the finish as well. This one packs quite a punch with all the flavor and hops. Good beer.

Bottle from Kenny Road Market in Columbus, OH. Dark amber color with a fluffy tan head. Wonderful aroma of hops, citrus, and more hops. Great caramelly, malty, fruity flavor with a thick mouthfeel. This beer is big and beautiful.

Draft at Catskeller on the UC campus. Pours a cloudy brown/orange/amber color with a small tan head. Aroma of floral hops, citrus, caramel, alcohol, sweet malts, and a little grassy earthiness. Flavor of sweet malt, alcohol, caramel, citrus, pineapple and tropical fruits, and wood. Sweet and fruity early, but big notes of pine hops in the middle and bitter and alcoholic late. The aftertaste is also bitter and alcoholic, and satisfyingly so. Medium bodied. Spicy, warm, bitter alcohol mouthfeel. Excellent.

Appearance-great dark amber appearance with a wonderful head. Aroma-very good. Slight alcohol smell with plenty of hops. Flavor-Very complex taste with alcohol finish. Not for the weak. Palate-Smooth. Leaves the bitter taste but not like Runination. Overall-Good. I don’t know if I could drink this all nite. I think after one bomber, I would be done. Overall a very good beer. I like the Ruination IPA better but this is good.

Presentation: 10.5% ABV from Bottle, ’09 Vintage. Clean red and white screen printing. Aroma: Very light aroma, but if you really sniff you can detect pine & alcohol. Appearance: Murky copper/walnut with big bubbly light tan head if aggressively poured, otherwise none. Flavor: Highly alcoholic with a big hop kick. Caramel and malty overtones and a solid yeasty spiciness too. Palate: Silky smooth, slightly syrupy. Overall: Gets better with every sip, by the time your done, you will probably be feeling it. 1.375 pounds of beer @ 10.5% has that effect.

You bastards at Stone have done it again! Wow! I like Arrogant Bastard just fine, but this ale comes with a bit more punch. Poured from a 22 0z bomber. I’m really starting to like these American strong ales.

Dark but glowing red-amber pour with a thin off-white head. Huge caramel malt aroma laced with fragrant hop notes. Taste is thick with spicy hops, candied ginger, preserved citrus rind, all carried by a sweet malt-wave. A moderately ’heavy’ mouthfeel carries the bold flavors beautifully, and the hop onslaught cuts the sweetness for a nice, dry, bitter finish. This liquid hop-candy is going down like it is only 6%. I need more. My favorite from Stone ... hands down.