 SDbruboy (1822), San Diego, California, USA
May 17, 2003 Updated: Nov 8, 2003
(2003 update. This one seems a little more balanced than last year. The flavors are just a complex and the alcohol is a little less prominent. Absolutely Divine!) This 2002 Double Bastard has been sitting in my basement aging for six months - gently, persistently calling my name. Tonight I weakened and brought this muther of an ale up to savor. Wow, it's complex, assertive and definitely not for fizzy yellow beer lovers! This could be classified as a barleywine with it’s high alcohol content and potent malts. But the alcohol is well balanced by the enormous flavors and aromas - a magnificent brew all in all. It all started with a beautiful pour - clear brownish red with a huge, rocky, tannish head which left a nice lacing as it dissipated. The aroma was rich and full of malt sweetness with a balancing hop spice. The flavor was caramel, molasses, and coffee along with plenty of the aforementioned hop bitterness to maintain the multi-prong assault on my taste buds. Though this Bastard taunted and did it's best to overpower me, I found myself worthy of this one and expectant of more. I'm glad that its brothers await me in the basement – gently, persistently calling me to face them again another day…
Skeegle (335), USA
Dec 4, 2008 Mmmm. FINALLY! I have looked yonder mountains and in the wee shops of whoville for this stuff and alas! the search is fruitful. I feared the bottle would implode and cease to exist once I opened it. But nay. Mmmm. Double Bastard. This really tasted like a barley wine to me. Except sweeter. Which was bizarre. But it was great none the less. Lots of flowery bouquet notes with a definite dark raisiny cheek watering bite. Well worth the wait.
PorterPounder (2881), Tallahassee, Florida, USA
Dec 3, 2008 Savannah, Georgia - Habersham Beverage Warehouse - 22 oz bomber. Pours a medium to dark copper with a thick sticky off-white head that produces nice lace that clings to the glass for the entire time. Resiny aroma with some nice mountainy Scotch pine accents and a wee bit of alcohol. Succulent flavor with some sticky grapefruity hoppiness, some nectarines, pomegranates - you name the fruit it is in there. Nice malty backbone with some maple syrup notes, molasses, brown sugar. Sticky rich thick mouthfeel. Excellent - best beer I have had in a long time.
RedSox2004 (199), Pacific Palisades, California, USA
Nov 30, 2008 22 oz bomber poured into a pint glass. Two-finger head that stayed strong and left nice sticky lacing. Caramel and citrus were strongest on the nose, which also held a background of dark fruits and malts. Wonderfully balanced caramel malt sweetness and slightly citrusy hops bitterness on the palate. Complexity seemed to increase as the beer warmed, and additional flavors of spices, ripe fruit, and carmelized sugars came through. Medium to full mouthfeel, good carbonation, and a pleasant aftertaste. Alcohol is warming, not overpowering. Excellent beer.
branspra (86), Arlington, Virginia, USA
Nov 30, 2008 Bottle. Pours with a white head, rather small. Body is a dark amber color with excellent lacing. Aromas of hops, mainly citrus, roasted grains and malts, and some casket-like port or wine. Flavor smacks you in the face with a bold initial taste followed by a very nice bitter aftertase. Texture of sticky and carbonation almost perfect. Well worth the wait each year.
garthicus (595), Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Nov 30, 2008 On tap at ’Ginger Man’ in NYC. Dark ruby red, tiny wispy pancake colour head. Deathly still. Aroma: Alcohol, some allspice, hops and then alcohol again! Flavour: HUGE, just huge, alcohol, some distinct hops, very very bitter finish, long brandy in the finish too. A lot of alcohol. Woah.
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