Stone Bourbon Barrel Aged Arrogant Bastard

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

Tap at RNH. Deep amber beer with a thin tan head. The aroma is loaded with bourbon and oak. Very chewy vanilla sweetness and a lot of heavy sweet oakiness. Fairly assertive resinousness, both from the barrel and from the piny hops that are in here. Chewy and sweet with the malts showing lots of sweet caramelly character. The hop flavour is substantially muted from the initial sniff and the beer itself is much boozier than even the original AB, which is saying something. Sweet and chewy and although it isn’t bad, I think less is more when it comes to this beer.

Draft at RNH. Pours black body with a than head. Wow the aggressive hop character is subdued by a nice vanilla and oak. Some lighter vanilla, wood and light bourbon notes. Lighter pine hop and tawny caramel. I liked it.

Tap at Rattle n Hum, full Delirium Tremens glass fill. Sits atop the beer is a 1/2 inch, very thick, cloudy and pillow-y white head. The body is colored a deep burgundy brown, too dark to see through. As the elegant head fades it leaves behind a sticky lacing. The beer itself is very interesting, I am a fan of Arrogant Bastard for its, well, arrogance. It is an in-your-face alcoholic, piny, sweet malt bomb. However, the barrel has a very different effect on it then I thought. Instead of becoming more of a prick of a beer it actually mellows the beer and turns it into a humble legitimate beer. Or maybe I have just grown to be used to the arrogance. Aroma has that lightly alcoholic sweet mash maltiness with some piny hops peaking through. The bourbon adds a little bit more alcoholic touches, but in a gentle manner. The alcohol grows stronger as the beer warms. Flavor has a bit of dry oak leafiness added to the other aspects. Not too different from the regular, a bit smoother and less abrasive. Has a nice thick feeling mouthfeel and better attenuated then the regular version. I’ll resonate some of the other statements below, its better balanced then I expected, has a nice mouthfeel, and avoids some pitfalls of barrel brews.

Draft at Rattle N Hum. Yea no the barrel didn’t do good things for this one. Quite messy pallette. Bourbon is present. Light oak, hops and alcohol. I don’t care for it. Well balanced and well attenuated. On the way home this 15 year old drunk chick puked on the train which was awesome though...

Tap at Rattle n Hum: Deep amber with an off white film that laces nicely. Mildly sweet vanilla in the aroma along with toated oak, raisin, light oxidation (sherry notes). Creamy, dense silky body. The hops are well faded. Has notes of raisin and caramel underneath. Some toasted oak and mild barrel character gives it a smooth sweetness reminiscent of toasted marshmallows. The sweetness is soft and the barrel offered some finesse. Tannic woody finish. Not bad; more balanced than I expected.

Tap at Rattle’n’Hum. Surprisingly good! My experience with some other barrel aged Stone beers was not so positive, save the delicious Bourbon RIS. This poured with almost no head. A vanilla bean and sweet whiskey aroma delights the nose, with mild notes of corn, oak, and prickly hops. Faded, bitter hops in the flavor, with a complex though not overwhelming bourbon character. Smooth and drinkable, this has managed to avoid the pitfalls of most BA’d hoppy beers as well as those of Bourbon aged beers.

Glad this was added.. I enjoyed this at Rattle n Hum like the rest of the lot. This was a lot better than regular bastard. Probably one of there best offerings actually. A rich vanilla, oak, and bourbon addition that you don’t have to look for. It really mellowed out this beer very nicely.

On tap at Rattle’n’Hum. Complex beer, smoother than the normal Arrogant Bastard and has a great finish and aftertaste.