Oaked Arrogant Bastard Ale

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

Bottle. Dark brown color and no head. Hop aroma with only a hint of wood. Medium bodied. Flavor is a hop start with a malty middle and a bitter finish with just a hint of alcohol. This is the first oaked beer that I’ve had that didn’t go overboard with the oak.

Hazy orange-brown pour with a light tan head. Nice carbonation and lacing on the glass. A beautiful pour. Malty caramel aroma with lots of piny hops and alcohol. Subtle creamy oak aroma as well. Malty flavor with lots of raisins and a ton of piny hopes. Alcohol finish. I wasn’t a huge fan of the bastard, but this is an improvement.

355 mL bottle. Appearance is the same rusty-brown as the unoaked, with the same sticky head. The aroma is milder, although still quite hoppy. The hops are milder in the flavour as well. The malt seems a little sweeter, and there is the subtle vanilla from the oak. Not bad, but I prefer the unoaked.

12 ounce bottle in pint glass. Dark reddish brown with lasting flat head and lace. Sweet cherry and brown sugar aroma. Very sweet brown sugar cherry flavor with subtle wood notes and slightly hoppy finish. Medium-full body and medium low carbo. Too sweet and cloying. Not quite redeemed by excellent soft mouthfeel. re-rate: Got a much fresher bottle: 12 ounce bottle in pint glass. Dark amber with reddish hue, lasting flat head and lace. Fruity malt and wood aroma. Malty brown sugar fruity raisiny with spicy hop bitterness and mild woodsiness. Medium-full body nd and medium carbo. Everything well-blended for an excellent balanced malty hoppy complex brew. Damn good.

Pour is a dark mahogany with a thin but persistent tan head. Aroma is quite subdued in comparison to the regular AB - just some mild hop characteristics. Flavor is smooth, smoky and malty, with bitter hop pungency. Some pineapple. Slightly soapy and definitely sticky.

Poured dark orange/amber. Smells of hops, fruits, woody oak, sweet/nutty malts, burnt caramel, and black licorice. Taste dominated by dry wood chips. Also some dry hops, with a slight alcohol hint and smokey bitter finish. Slight carbonation but mostly smooth. I prefer the unoaked version, however this is a very interesting variation. One was great....two may be too much.

Beautiful mahogany amber adorned with rich, thick, hop-pocked amber crown. Reflective of the appearance, is a richly hoppy and malty aroma with some apparent oak notes and grapefruit. Over-ripe grapefruit flavor, oakiness, almost overpowering citrusy bite. Certainly not subtle.

Dark brown with a decent sized, off-white head with great lacing. The aroma is of hops and dark fruits with notes of oak and berries. The flavor is fruity and hoppy with notes of oak and berries. Overall i’d say its a great, aggressive beer: not for beginners.