Oaked Arrogant Bastard Ale

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

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.

Growler filled at Stone. Creamy, thick, sticky head. Staining the rim of the glass. Smell coffee and nuts. Hints of plum as time goes by. Dark brown color, deep blood color when held to light. Drinks thick, but the taste is very creamy. Not a lot of carbonation either. It doesn’t have the bite people generally expect from a brew this dark.

Bottle thanks to IrishBoy! Pours a deep ruby red colour with hints of brown. Thick beige head. Nose is citrusy hops and dark fruit. Flavour is very much the same. Intense citrusy hops, with hints of oak. Much nicer as it warms up, it smooths out a bunch. Carbonation is sort of medium low, and it’s fairly creamy. Nice beer.

Pour is red amber in color. Average head which reduces to a small ring, off white colored. Oak forward, caramel malts, cookie, and resiny hops. Nice flavor, quite complex with a woody finish. Nice beer although I don’t think I could drink a lot of these. I prefer the non oaked version, but this puts an interesting twist on the style.