Double Bastard Ale - Stone Brewing Co.

sooner961

Oklahoma

4.44/5  rDev +3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Lives up to it's name and the "book" printed on the back of the bottle. Not for the weak or inexperienced. Not sure what to say about this one...or should I say, not sure how to express all the tastes, experiences, or lingering emotions I had with each sip... notice I said sip... this isn't one you'll be slamming back and wondering why the bartender hasn't poured you another one already. For this one, you'll have to have some time to savor and some good music or a great movie to back it up. Smooth at the beginning and smells wonderful! Then it hits you with an explosion of different tastes...hops, citrus, and some kind of spice...can't identify it...(it's top secret, after all!). Ends with a kick of bitter "can of whoopass!" that'll have you wondering, "what just happend!?!"

I really think that's why this beer is high on the ranking lists... it's so much freakin' fun trying to figure it out!

Serving type: bottle

03-10-2013 06:03:38 | More by sooner961

damndirtyape

Ohio

4.26/5  rDev -1.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.25

22oz bomber (2012 bottling, bought in October 2012) served in a Duvel Tulip.

Appearance: Translucent deep amber-copper color. 1/4" thick foam at pouring died down to thin foam across the top. Persistent strands of lacing, a few sheets of lacing here and there.

Smell: Surprisingly not a strong smelling beer. With a swirl you get some alcohol notes that make you think of barrel aging. Some citrus/lemony hops under the alcohol and malt sweetness.

Taste: Starts off with a lot of hop flavors well blended with malt sweetness. I got pine and grapefruit and orange peel mixed in with caramel malt and a deep sweetness for balance. This blended flavor then transitions into more of the malt and then a long lingering bitterness that really smacks you around. It's a strong bitterness, not overpowering, but strong. Piney, herbal, grassy, earthy, spicy too. Complex bitterness would be a good way to describe the finish. Definitely a slow sipping beer for savoring, but that bitterness can really dominate the palate. And domination is the right word - it rules the tongue and dictates what it senses at the end of the swallow. I feel that the words on the back of the bottle "one lacerative muther of an ale" are true to form for that finish.

Mouthfeel: Creamy and thick. Just right carbonation. A little bit sticky on the teeth.

Overall / Drinkability: Well...I drank the whole 22oz bottle by myself. I met the bastard and the bastard did set me free. For such a strong and bitter beer, it keeps inviting you to drink more and it kept smacking me around with every sip. And yet I savored it despite that strong bitter finish and abuse of my palate. It reminds me a bit of the Stone Ruination ale for what it's doing to my tongue right now. Drinkability is good, and I have a feeling I'm going to regret it later. But....that strong bitterness I could see as a love it or hate it feeling early on in the beer. Either you embrace it and succumb to the domination of the bitterness with this beer, or you reject it early on and find something else to drink. I chose to take it all in, but I can see myself also on another occasion saying no and stopping early on. I think the only weak spot with this beer is that the aroma is weak. Otherwise its well crafted and worth a try. See if you can hold up to the onslaught and succumb to it - I'm glad I tried it and I suspect I would take up the challenge again.

Serving type: bottle

03-10-2013 00:20:18 | More by damndirtyape

NuclearSoAndSo

Ohio

4.29/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.25

Poured into a beer mug.

Appearance- Pours a big four finger khaki head. It kept growing past the point where I thought it would; it spilled over the mug a bit, and I was delighted. It died down to about one finger, but that stuck around just about all the way down. The color was very murky and a deep brown; sort of amber hues in there as well.

Smell- Pretty hoppy, a fair amount of citrus aroma is present. A bit of alcohol on the nose.

Taste- The taste sort of explodes on the palate. It was bitter with citrus hops; very, very flavorful. You get the alcohol on the end but it isn't too overpowering, maybe because I was expecting a bite from this one.

Mouthfeel- I liked the amount of carbonation. It's there, but it isn't dominating the palate or anything. This is a very smooth beer.

Overall- I've been meaning to try this for a while now, and I have to say it lives up to the short story on the back of the bottle. It's flavorful, smooth, and packs quite a punch. I would absolutely buy this one again. Let's just say I was feeling the arrogance after drinking this one.

Serving type: bottle

03-02-2013 14:00:27 | More by NuclearSoAndSo

pkalix

California

4.46/5  rDev +3.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

for Stone. i was expectin mass hops....
poured a dark amber, little head, very little carbonation...
smell is sweet, malts and barley; very nice and unexpected.
taste is of the same. very much easier than expected to put down. even after a long conversation with the beautiful red-head next to me, the warming of the brew was a complete non-factor. this is urprisingly easy to drink, sweet and almost delicious-especially for the abv.

Serving type: on-tap

02-22-2013 03:08:31 | More by pkalix

kawilliams81

Illinois

4/5  rDev -7.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

2010 vintage. Poured from a 22 oz bottle into a Pipeworks snifter.

A- pours a bright amber with a 1 finger light tan head. Vertical columns of lacing bubbles remain on the glass.

S- toffee, toast, nice citrus and some pine and earthiness.

T- toasted malts, caramel and toffee, citrus with some citrus rind, with a good amount of pine bitterness.

M- medium body and carbonation. Effervescent and a little acidic right away and then mellows some.

O- nice beer that I can't believe I haven't reviewed this yet. Nice blend of sweet malts, citrus and bitter pine.

Serving type: bottle

02-20-2013 02:37:35 | More by kawilliams81

jgurley

Florida

4.99/5  rDev +15.8%
look: 4.75 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Poured into a tasting snifter. Glowing, slightly opaque amber color. Full tan and rocky head. Good lacing down the glass. Taste is surprisingly fruity and hoppy with good caramel character across the middle and citrusy throughout. Sticky but very drinkable mouthfeel. Booze is prominent while not overpowering, though it is very warm in the belly. Aftertaste is pleasantly bitter yet refreshing. A REAL pleasure to drink! Excellent pair with salty or spicy foods, not sweets. DELICIOUS and overall excellence. BRAVO!

Serving type: bottle

02-20-2013 01:27:12 | More by jgurley

Fatehunter

Oregon

4.1/5  rDev -4.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

A finger and half of reddish head on an almost clear amber colored body. There's a lot of sediment.
The aroma is weak with only a little malt and lemon coming through.
The taste is HUGE and BOLD. Lots of lemon bitterness thrown against tons of malt. It maintains a great balance.
The texture is smooth with moderate carbonation.
A big beer with still keeps it together.

Serving type: bottle

02-18-2013 01:25:35 | More by Fatehunter

Petcha

Minnesota

4.78/5  rDev +10.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75

A: Opaque brownish red

S: Malty dark fruit, some citrus and booze,

T: Pretty brilliant balance of sweet fruit, fig-like beginning with a surprisingly citrusy backbone. Very complex flavors that are well balanced that hide and ABV well.

M: Thick but finished pretty clean

O: Love this beer. Balanced complexity is executed very well. My favorite strong ale yet. My wife and a non beer snob friend both did double takes when trying this with me. Let's just say that we were all a bit sad when this bottle was empty.

Serving type: bottle

02-17-2013 06:01:29 | More by Petcha

ianjsullivan

Maryland

4.43/5  rDev +2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

ST: 22 bomber 2012 poured into a snifter.

A: Murky brown with a few clumps of white foam. The beer leaves lots of lacing.

S: Grapefruit, maple, raisins, fruit loaf, bubblegum.

T: Cognac like sweet fruit early on, a strong grapefruit lingering bitterness, hint of smoke, touch of pepper.

M: Heavy

O: A powerful bouquet and a powerful, complex taste: Double bastard delivers. Sniff, sip, and enjoy, this beer rewards careful drinking.

Serving type: bottle

02-16-2013 23:02:58 | More by ianjsullivan

guityler83

Wisconsin

4.33/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Year: 2012

A: Soft pastel yellow head a half finger tall that recesses slowly into itself. Dense hazy copper color letting small amounts of light through to reveal an almost grapefruit juice color.

S: Strong aroma of plums and raisens and a touch of alcohol. A spicyness that reminds me of german hops.

T: Big bitter hop wollop on the first sip. After a few more the pallet gets accustomed and a pine and citrus (orange peel?) hop flavor are revealed. The dark fruit malt profile detected in the nose (plums/prunes/etc) also are heavy in the middle. A tad sweet but just in the after taste.

M: Sticky from hop oils, warming alcohol effect (expected from an 11.2%) and moderate carbonation.

O: A great sipping beer for the cold winter nites. Bitter in just the write spots and a great malt profile. Bonus points for the yelloish head!

Serving type: bottle

02-14-2013 01:09:49 | More by guityler83

richj1970

Alabama

4.45/5  rDev +3.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured from 22 oz bottle into Stone IRS snifter glass.

A: Poured nice reddy brown color with one to two finger white head. Some lacing.

S: Caramel and malts with pine and citrus tones from the hops. Very inviting and begging to be consumed.

T: Hops fairly up front with nice sweetness in the background. ABV is apparent but welcomed.

M: Full bodied with nice carbonation. A bit dry and bitter at the end.

O: Very enjoyable. This has got to be one of my favorites from Stone Brewing. I'm glad that I picked up several bottles in my last haul.

Serving type: bottle

02-13-2013 00:29:36 | More by richj1970

ubenumber2

Arkansas

4.76/5  rDev +10.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.75

Poured from 22oz bottle into a glass , deep red color with smal 1 finger head and minimal lacing.

Smell is wonderful, very malty with the hops and the alcohol coming through after the malt , the smell just makes your mouth water

Very full bodied beer , a real mouthy beer that is nice and warming all the way down

This is a great tasting beer , the first thing I taste is the sweetness of the malts then the hops and alchohol come at the end blended together giving it a nice bitter and warming flavor that you can feel all the way down

Overall this is a really good beer for a cold winter night. I am going to buy a couple bottles to age and a couple bottles to drink next weekend.

Serving type: bottle

02-10-2013 01:20:19 | More by ubenumber2

BeerDawgs

Georgia

4.7/5  rDev +9%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75

A 22oz bomber 2011 version

A - A deep copper amber red. Thick with lots of sediment. Creamy looking. Looks like a Bloody Mary!

S - Huge piny hop nose! Pineapple, Sweet brown sugar, etc. Amazing.

T - Amazing. Period. Like the nose, a nice smooth, well balanced blend of Malts and hops. Caramel, burnt brown sugar, and piny hops. Lots of grapefruit. High ABV is so well hidden its dangerous. Definitely keep it to a sipper. You can sip on this all night

M - Full bodied and well carbonated.

O - A+. The best of the trifecta that I have had from Stone, comparing the Arrogant Bastard and the Oaked Arrogant

Serving type: bottle

02-09-2013 02:29:00 | More by BeerDawgs

TheCondor

Missouri

4.1/5  rDev -4.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Side poured with standard vigor from the bottle into a Beck's tall mug. Any beer with a name and packaging like this, from this brewery, is worthy of a buy.

Appearance- Pours a deep brown, murky color thatwould impress the snobbiest of beer geeks with a nice fluffy, one finger head that dissipates after several minutes. Excellent lacing, leaves tons of residue all down the glass. Fabulous presentation from what should be a strong beer.

Smell - I could smell the beer as I poured it. A very powerful piney, grapefruity hops odor is the dominant smell, coupled with a bit of malt and a little sweet spice in there, but nothing to really get worked up over. The lowest rated portion of the beer, in my opinion. The hops seem like the may overpower everything.

Taste - A strong malt presence up front quickly retreats to the power of the hops. Although this isn't any kind of IPA, the amount of hoppiness kind of makes you think it could be, but there isn't that fruitiness to it. A little caramel sweetness in the middle of the drink too. Pretty balanced, well done.

Mouthfeel - A little sticky, clings to the palate for a bit, but nothing uncomfortable. Finishes bitter, medium carbonation.

Overall - Unlike Arrogant Bastard, which I thought was spectacular, this beer is a little more pedestrian than that. Granted, it has a much higher ABV and a more aggressive hop profile, but I think that sacrifices the quality to a degree of the original Arrogant Bastard, which was incredible. This is a good beer and I would recommend it, but if it comes down to this or Arrogant, pass me the lower ABV version that is more balanced.

Serving type: bottle

01-24-2013 02:26:02 | More by TheCondor

JamesShoemaker

New York

3.89/5  rDev -9.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

22 oz bottle poured into my snifter. Been meaning to try this one forever, but I finally found a price that fit the bill ($6.99).

A - much darker than expected. Not a lot of translucency, very dark brown. A little head on the forced poured, and the residual foam covers the top partially. Pretty beer.

S - meh, not much there, even with a deep whiff from the snifter. Smells a bit sour, maybe a little hoppy, but disappointingly lacking.

T - I'm not a huge fan of this taste, but I gave it a high-ish score because it does a good job taking you on a journey. DB starts strong and sweet, with little hints of caramel and sugar, and ends with a big bitter bomb from the hop notes. This is the kind of taste that could benefit from some age. It's not overly boozy, but it's definitely strong.

M - the bitterness clings to the cheeks, which is a little unpleasant. In fact, it's almost a little watery, lacking in substance. The alcohol is hidden well, however.

O - I haven't really had anything by Stone that I particularly enjoyed besides their RIS. I look forward to mixing a six comprised entirely of Stone standards.

Serving type: bottle

01-24-2013 00:13:19 | More by JamesShoemaker

fireman10

4.61/5  rDev +7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

i am not the biggest ale fan...until now. this ale is a wonderful blend of hoppy, bitter, and full body greatness...with a slight trace of an exotic spice from some small tribal community in southern Iran that i've never heard of. At first the inexperienced drinker may find this beer a bit vulgar, cocky and downright mean...but as the offensive posturing of this beer starts to mellow down and slides smoothly down your throat, you will find yourself begging for yet another fake beating. by the fourth gulp, you will be writing love notes.

Serving type: bottle

01-22-2013 21:28:33 | More by fireman10

saburky

Ohio

3/5  rDev -30.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

(I had this one at room temperature)
Appearance - Dark amber in color similar to maple syrup. Moderately good lacing as it is consumed.
Smell - As with Arrogant Bastard ale and with a few other American ales I have tried, I immediately smell the hops. I can also smell a little malt.
Taste - I can most certainly taste the hops. No other flavors hit my palate.
Mouthfeel - Slightly carbonated and it's somewhat creamy.
Overall - I give this one a 3. Looks a little better than it tastes but then again, I'm not a big fan of hoppy American ales.

Serving type: bottle

01-22-2013 16:06:24 | More by saburky

rjhildre

North Carolina

4.78/5  rDev +10.9%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.75

22 oz bomber poured into a belgian glass.

A- Burnt orange color with a massive 3 finger head that dissipates slowly but never really disappears. Moderate and erratic lacing resembling trees and spires. Pretty fun to watch.

S- Massive grapefruit and pine hoppiness and a thick, bready , raisiny maltiness that fills your nose.

T- Exactly like the smell. The thick maltiness hits the tongue while the pineyness of the hops hits the back of the throat.

M- Sticky and resiny, like a beer this big should be.

O- I'm not the biggest fan of Arrogant Bastard but this one really knocked by socks off. rides the thin line between barley wine and DIPA so well that it almost creates it's own style. Well done.

Serving type: bottle

01-22-2013 04:56:37 | More by rjhildre

hctap00

4.34/5  rDev +0.7%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Orange-copper hue. Thick, creamy, tan head that never fully settles and clings to the side of the glass.

Aroma is not nearly as strong as I had anticipated, especially from one of the Bastard beers. Smells like a barleywine. Boozy, oak, vanilla. Pine hops, with some fruitiness and a lot of malt sweetness. But nothing too assertive.

Flavor is very intense from the start. Nothing subtle about it. I notice the piney hops first. Bitterness is a constant throughout. I also get some of the grapefruit I associate with West Coast IPAs. After the initial taste, it is an assault of intense flavors. Caramel. Brown sugar. A lot of booze. Just barely enough malt to balance the hops, barely. Finish is very bitter, mostly pine. Very warming as it goes down. The 11.2% is not disguised at all.

Nice mouthfeel. Very smooth. As intense as this beer is, it does not linger too long on the palate.

Overall, exactly what I wanted from this beer. I made the mistake of trying to kill a bomber by myself. Going to need some salty snacks to get me through it. Share this one and sip it. A very good beer, but just a bit too much to take in. A system overload. I think if it were dialed back just a hair, it would be more enjoyable.

Serving type: bottle

01-20-2013 05:26:42 | More by hctap00

Chadhowie

California

5/5  rDev +16%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Double bastard literally doubles itself on multiple levels. It's not that it's a "better" beer than the original, just bolder and stronger. So it really comes down to preference. I personally love it and wish I could get it where I live. But I'll take getting it when I can until that changes.

Serving type: on-tap

01-17-2013 22:26:44 | More by Chadhowie

JCaweinstein

Ohio

4.2/5  rDev -2.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

Ruby-brown with a one finger off white and creamy looking head. It's clear with a moderate amount of carbonation.
I'm picking up notes of caramel, dark fruit and alcohol as it warms. It has a very deep, rich smell about it that just pours out of the glass.
This flavor is thick with caramel malts along with a slight citrus hop flavor and as it warms the alcohol, which there is a lot of, starts to show through.
On the palate it's smooth and deep with malt flavors followed by citrusy hops. The alcohol heat rounds out the feel along with a nice malt aftertaste.
Double Bastard is a very strong, tasty beer great for a cold night. If this thing doesn't warm you up I don't know what will.

Serving type: bottle

01-12-2013 20:55:06 | More by JCaweinstein

JG-90

New Jersey

3.86/5  rDev -10.4%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

22oz into glass

A - Reddish-Brown color, modorate-minimal lacing, high floating sediment

S - Grapefruit, hops, malt, orange,

T - Grapefruit, hops, and malt. In my opinion, MUCH better than arrogant bastard, more overall flavor, pretty balanced but still hoppy.

M - Medium to Heavy body, moderate carbonation

O - After trying Arrogant Bastard, very impressed with Double Bastard. A much better overall beer without the aspirin aftertastse

Serving type: bottle

01-11-2013 03:37:43 | More by JG-90

danieelol

Australia

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

Thanks to the very generous joecast for this and the brilliant Double Bastard glass from which it was drunk from.

2012 Vintage. 11.2% Alcohol.

Pours a brilliant ruby-toffee with great head/lacing.

Smell is reticent at first. Get a lot of nutty notes which are kind of reminiscent of Samichlaus. Get some lightish hop notes behind that- pine. Yeast and faint tropical fruits.

Taste is a bit subdued also but highly resiny. Get lots and lots of hop and pine. Can be a little alcoholic at times but I feel the hop character hides most of it.

There's a lot of complexity here and this needs time to open up and be sipped on.

Hop resin really builds throughout until you appreciate just what a hoppy and bitter beast this beer is. Like Bigfoot with some intravenously-assisted muscle gains, it challenges even a hop-enthusiast like myself.

I think this one's lower on dry-hop character but really big on normal hop character. Its older but slighter brother had a similarly bitter outlook on life.

This is definitely a "sleeper" beer. Was a bit neutral towards it at first, but it really builds on you and is actually very subtle, which is especially impressive considering its hefty alcohol.

I haven't yet drunk my '12 Old Guardian but this is easily the most impressive Stone beer I've had to date. Thanks again to joecast.

Serving type: bottle

01-10-2013 04:56:20 | More by danieelol

thecheapies

Pennsylvania

3.8/5  rDev -11.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

2012 Double Bastard, in a tall pint. Yikes... I mean, thanks.

Pours a cloudy auburn color with a thick, dimpling cap. Looks almost positively still. Mesmerizing lacing.

Toffee malts, pine hops, booze, pecan, and some citrus notes. Aromatically flexing. She's a big girl.

Brash hops go big and go bitter from the onset. A juggernaut of pine and pith and more pine. Aggressively bitter. Counter-punch of toffee malts and rigorous toasty and nutty flavors only begs to spell me some relief. This is an axe to the back of the tongue, in a fun way. Throat-gripping strength shows up with about as much tenderness as military-grade rocket fuel. Hints of floral notes and caramel brittle. This Bastard is doubly beastly.

Can't spare much love for the feel. Astringently bitter. Rough and gruff. Boozy, so it should be a sipper, but I'm slugging. Honestly, the body holds up to the carbonation. Kudos?

Serving type: on-tap

01-05-2013 02:49:40 | More by thecheapies

ColdWaffles

Pennsylvania

3.83/5  rDev -11.1%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a 12 oz bottle into a Sam Adams signature pint. Reviewed from notes from a New Years Day get together.

Appearance: Pours a mixed amber/brown color with a solid tan head that lasted a short while and left a decent lacing.

Smell: Lots of malts and lots of spices. Maybe some cherry. A lot stronger from the bottle than the glass though.

Taste: Much the same. Very strong malt flavor with spice and a strong sweetness that picks up like cherry and honey. Seemed comparable to some extent to cherry bourbon I've had in the past. Still maintains a little bit much booze, but it's not bad.

Mouthfeel: Medium body with a moderate amount of carbonation and a slightly syrupy feel going down.

This is something I enjoyed, but I don't think I'd have a problem never having it again. There is a lot going on here, but not enough to cover up the strength of alcohol flavor here.

Serving type: bottle

01-04-2013 22:53:16 | More by ColdWaffles