Double Bastard Ale - Stone Brewing Co.

Gambrinus1184

Connecticut

4.38/5  rDev +1.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Served on-tap at Prime 16 in New Haven, Conn.

A: Poured a deep, ruby amber color with a thick, creamy ring of white foam which left some good lace to the very end.

S: Smells robust and fruity, with hints of vanilla, pine and a floral bouquet.

T: Ooo, very rich and complex. A hot, semisweet alcoholic berry flavor comes in first, followed by a creamy rush of rich, sweet roasted caramel malts. This is then blended with the spicy taste of cloves and herbal hops while washing down smooth and malty with a notable citrus hop accompaniment.

M: Mouthfeel is full bodied and smooth as hell, yet remarkably quaffable.

D: At 10.5% ABV, this is a sipper as a pre-or-post meal drink. I'm sure it would pair well with BBQ or some non cream based sauces and marinades, but it's so rich and complex, I'd almost always rather have it on its own. A must try for a fan of the Arrogant Bastard.

Serving type: on-tap

11-11-2009 22:20:03 | More by Gambrinus1184

irish01980

South Carolina

4.5/5  rDev +4.7%

06-19-2013 19:32:37 | More by irish01980

koveras225

Indiana

4.25/5  rDev -1.2%

06-19-2013 05:20:11 | More by koveras225

iCabaLLero

Georgia

4.25/5  rDev -1.2%

06-19-2013 02:57:32 | More by iCabaLLero

BeerChanticleer

Pennsylvania

4.25/5  rDev -1.2%

06-19-2013 01:21:20 | More by BeerChanticleer

Jacob007

New Hampshire

4/5  rDev -7%

06-19-2013 01:00:06 | More by Jacob007

GinsuDave

Michigan

3.75/5  rDev -12.8%

06-19-2013 00:02:03 | More by GinsuDave

taylor714914

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev -7%

06-18-2013 23:43:56 | More by taylor714914

schwemjw

Ohio

4.56/5  rDev +6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.5

A: Brown. shades of gold with little head retention. Big alcohol legs.

S: dark fruit, cherry and a roasted quality up front. A little vegetable quality in there as well. Earthy pine with fig and a great caramel malt. molasses to round it all together.

T: Molasses. Caramel malt, toffee, raisin, tart cherry and hops, hops, hops. A touch of licorice. Its piney, earthy and herbal. A long hoppy DIPA finish that goes for days.

M: Full bodied. silky and syrupy. It works for this brew.

O: Wow. not what i was expecting but so much better. starts almost like a barley wine before finishing as a DIPA. complex, in your face and delicious. amazing offering here. /95

Serving type: bottle

06-18-2013 20:22:49 | More by schwemjw

sudsy2drunk

Indiana

4/5  rDev -7%

06-18-2013 18:35:30 | More by sudsy2drunk

jbar920

Massachusetts

5/5  rDev +16.3%

06-18-2013 17:35:12 | More by jbar920

RyV

California

4.5/5  rDev +4.7%

06-18-2013 06:10:41 | More by RyV

KyleMA

California

3.5/5  rDev -18.6%

06-17-2013 23:54:51 | More by KyleMA

atinman

California

4.25/5  rDev -1.2%

06-17-2013 23:27:58 | More by atinman

RyanCave

Virginia

4.75/5  rDev +10.5%

06-17-2013 18:27:04 | More by RyanCave

spw109

New York

5/5  rDev +16.3%

06-17-2013 07:35:58 | More by spw109

ShreddedThumb

Michigan

4.4/5  rDev +2.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A gurgling froth from the obsidian-lined depths of Hell, Stone Brewing Co.'s Double Bastard Ale found its way into my local beer store. Here comes the hype, y'all: the coveted Double Bastard, the successor to the acclaimed Arrogant Bastard Ale, is said to be even more enjoyable and iconoclastic than its predecessor. With full disclosure in mind, I must admit that I did not particularly enjoy Arrogant Bastard. Yet, I am an open-minded beer snob. With that, let's crack open a bomber of Double Bastard and see if we can't have sympathy for this devil of a brew.

The Dorm Room Review

Poured from a 22 oz. Bomber into a Stone Brewing Co. licensed Arrogant Bastard pint glass. (I must admit, Stone's line of pint glasses stand out as the most appealing drink-ware I have ever seen. Guinness, eat your heart out.)
Also, before I get into the liquid review, I must reflect upon the excellent graphic design with which Stone specializes. Beer after beer, it's obvious that the Professional Writers and graphic designers have a special job at Stone. The "Diatribe" rearing the bomber (taking up at least 15 oz. of the Devil's nectar) arrogantly lambastes Macro brewers of both domestic and international origin. This academically-charged (and possibly Thesaurus-quoted) indictment of the likes of AB and Miller-Coors eviscerates the "yellow swill-drinking" majority, divisively separating the craft beer junkies from the ball-park crowd. Also, the Frank Miller-esque Devil caricature adorning the bottle acts as both an invitation an a warning; you don't even know what you're getting yourself into.

Appearance: The Double Bastard pours dark copper, almost ruby red in color. Sort of an extreme amber, if you will. Clearly, the beer is intended to be malevolent: nearly opaque, huge, thick alcohol legs, off-white & cappuccino head. Without direct light, this ale is opaque, red, and very, very dark.

Smell: Certainly complex. Malty flavors and scents prevail. Some smoky characteristics accompany the malted front, but an offensive, unabashed uppercut of alcohol assaults the nose. The hop-forward miasma does not beg to be noticed, as it wafts cruelly into the taster's cartilage. As the beer warms, some spices, dark fruits, cinnamon, and raisins become apparent. The olfactory sense is taken aback by DB; admittedly, the most diverse and experienced palates will identify the cornucopia of flavorful facets this ale has to offer.

Taste: Goodness gracious, great balls of fire! A concussive BOOM of hop bitterness onomatopoetimizes (new word) this ale's relentlessness astringency. While the scent is mostly malt-forward, the immediate taste revolves around a universe of tongue-shriveling bitterness. According to Stone, Chinook, Magnum, and Cascade hops are incorporated in the brew. The second aspect noticeable is the intense carbonation. Combining the astringent hop notes with the overarching carbonation, Double Bastard truly assaults not only the taste buds, but the entire mouth as a whole. The alcohol as mentioned from the smell is back again. Honestly, it tastes like scotch. The warmer concoction tastes bready and even maltier and more bitter. All the while, DB is smooth and drinkable. Yet, one should sip this carefully and thoughtfully, lest they invoke the disapproval of the brand's company Devil. Is it a red? A barleywine? An IPA? A strong ale? Double Bastard is in a class of its own: intense.

Mouthfeel: DRY. The prevailing mouthfeel is somewhat sweet and malty, but one cannot exclude the Sahara-like dryness emanating from all portions of the mouth. No one said the Devil was ever sweet.

Overall: Drinking a beer such as Double Bastard encourages me to develop my palate even further; moreover, it would be doubly important just to comprehend what I just consumed. Those with the most sophisticated tastes for alcohol will ultimately enjoy Double Bastard the most. Yet, even after reading the vociferous screed against the mainstream beer shysters, I firmly believe that any beer connoisseur should invest in a bottle of Double Bastard to sip with like-minded friends over good food and great conversation. They say the devil is in the details: if the Devil is this complex, one may wonder if the red incubus is simply just misunderstood.

Serving type: bottle

06-16-2013 21:28:35 | More by ShreddedThumb

bcheng

Virginia

4.25/5  rDev -1.2%

06-16-2013 20:19:36 | More by bcheng

anson42

California

3.75/5  rDev -12.8%

06-16-2013 01:22:20 | More by anson42

TonyTalon

Wisconsin

4.25/5  rDev -1.2%

06-15-2013 05:16:23 | More by TonyTalon

SanFranJake

California

4.75/5  rDev +10.5%

06-15-2013 01:40:02 | More by SanFranJake

ACB

California

4.5/5  rDev +4.7%

06-14-2013 22:07:24 | More by ACB

andysc83

South Carolina

4.5/5  rDev +4.7%

06-14-2013 20:41:28 | More by andysc83

beerasaurusrex

Massachusetts

4.25/5  rDev -1.2%

06-13-2013 22:01:14 | More by beerasaurusrex

djre4orm

Virginia

3/5  rDev -30.2%

06-13-2013 20:36:42 | More by djre4orm