Double Bastard Ale - Stone Brewing Co.

Douglas14

California

4.58/5  rDev +6.3%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

What a mondo beer! It pours a deep mahogany color with a slight injection of rich, dark red. The head is phenomenal: tan, big, billowy, thick, and leaves a shit ton of lace. The smell is intensely of dark fruit syrup, oak, and of course hops! Alcohol and malt play a supporting role. The taste is similar. Tons of citric and fruity hops and a nice punch of pine-like resin. Oak, malt, and alcohol come next. Absolutely incredible. I feel this beer has a lot of characteristics of a big barleywine in the sense of the body and mouthfeel. To me this is the Barleywine/RIS of the American Strong Ale category. Stone loves going over-the-top and still kicking ass while doing it and the Double Bastard showcases just how awesome they are at doing that. Glad I have some bottles aging...I imagine this would be phenomenal after a couple of years.

Serving type: on-tap

11-18-2008 02:04:02 | More by Douglas14

tpd975

Florida

4.22/5  rDev -2.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

06 vintage on draft at the Stone kick off party.

A: Pours a nice golden hue with a solid one finger head. Good retention and lace noted.

S: Wow have the malts come out with a bit of age. Nice sweet caramel undertones with strong notes of burnt brown sugar. The hops are there no doubt but not overpowering. They are now a nice combination of tart citrus, sweet pine, with notes of pineapple.

T: Holy malt, I like this one. Very similar to aromas. Nice brown sugar sweetness up front which turns to sweet pine. Hints of citrus poke thru but the finish is nice and sweet with tones of pineapple and peach.

M: Full bodied, thick, and clingy.

D: Ended my day with this one. Nice way to finish things off. A great big welcome to Stone. Florida needed you.

Serving type: on-tap

11-15-2008 23:30:00 | More by tpd975

gearbike

Michigan

4.2/5  rDev -2.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Way over the top. But all good. Deep almost maroon color from tap. First impression is this is a winter warmer. But after a few more sips it starts to reveal so much more. The alcohol is always present but a cornucopia of flavors is contained in this full body beer. Dark fruits give it some sweetness. Some malt gives it a wet stickiness. I even detected some spicy hops.

Serving type: on-tap

11-04-2008 21:19:30 | More by gearbike

glid02

Georgia

4.63/5  rDev +7.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Got the 2006 version on-tap at the GA release.

Pours a cloudy dark copper color with a one-finger off-white head. The head recedes slowly but eventually settles into a thin ring around the glass. Lacing is sticky at first but near the end there's not much of it.

Smells very good. Big malt sweetness up front followed by a bigger piney hop aroma. It smells like a big beer.

Tastes very similar to how it smells. Malty sweetness followed by a slight citrus hop flavor and ending with a piney and bitter finish. The flavors meld flawlessly and the only hint of the alcohol is the warming sensation. Very nice.

Mouthfeel is great. It has a great thickness to go along with very subtle carbonation. Incredibly smooth.

Drinkability is also great. I wouldn't guess that it was 10%, and I could easily drink a few of these.

Overall, this was my introduction to Stone and it did not disappoint. The hops were still big even after the two years of aging. I'm excited to try a more recent version of this to see how it stacks up.

Serving type: on-tap

09-23-2008 04:58:25 | More by glid02

cvstrickland

North Carolina

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

A draught-poured goblet of Stone's 2006 Double Bastard Ale sports a hazy reddish-amber body and a thin cap of ecru foam that retreats quickly into a thin collar that leaves thin lacing on the glass.

The smell is mighty and malty with a mellow blast of piney, citrusy hops.

The taste is oily hop-bitter with fruity-sweet malt, dry and toasty malt, and a bit of syrupy semi-sweet caramel sweetening the profile. A whopping dose of bitter piney citrus mops up the sweetness and dries the finish, even as it makes me wonder about the initial Megaton-yield of the hop-bomb this thing must have been at its birth!

The drink is oily, slick, and sticky. Superb feel and good drinkability for style.

Serving type: on-tap

09-21-2008 21:24:31 | More by cvstrickland

atsprings

North Carolina

4.95/5  rDev +14.8%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

2006 vintage served at the Stone NC launch party! 10oz pour into a goblet. Served a hazy dark orange with a lasting frothy head. The aroma was pine hops slightly overpowering caramel malts. The taste was a wonderful balance of burnt caramel and pine hops that only got better as it warmed. The beer had very well hidden alcohol, there was some stickiness and warmth, but not what you'd expect for 10%. This is an absolutely wonderful beer, and this tasting shows that it ages very well, too.

Serving type: on-tap

09-18-2008 14:25:41 | More by atsprings

chrisafari

California

3.85/5  rDev -10.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

2006 Vintage. On tap at Stone Brewing World Bistro and Gardens. Pours amber/deep red almost purple. No real head. Sweet and spicy aroma of plums and blood oranges, there is also a nice aroma of sugar. Flavor begins mild and smooth, almost like a rich Cabernet/Merlot. The dominate flavor and aroma is alcohol, it really hits you in the sinuses. Even after a few years, the alcohol is still very intense. Drinkability is low, for me, this beer is better sipped than chugged.

Serving type: on-tap

09-11-2008 00:19:26 | More by chrisafari

thekevlarkid

Maryland

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

Sampled at the Stone tent (woo-hoo!) at the Burlington Brew Fest '08. Poured into my glass a deep rusty brown with a fluffy, tan head. Good retention, good lacing. Smelled of big, bold malt overripe fruit, brandy. Flavors are huge and very muscular. Bitter as F and taut. Sharp hops, caramelized sugar, rich caramel, roasted malts, candied fruits, piney hops helps balance an otherwise chaotic beer. Underneath all the flavors is the alcohol esters, clearly they are not fibbing when they call this an American Strong Ale. But it feels like a Barley Wine. Fearless, complex, challenging and it will get you F-ed up if you underestimate it. Not for the novice, (YOU ARE NOT WORTHY!) but definitely worth a shot, especially off a tap!

Serving type: on-tap

08-20-2008 18:17:11 | More by thekevlarkid

Baileyuk

Michigan

3.83/5  rDev -11.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

A - Cloudy Brown color served from a tap from a keg. Dont know if it was cask conditioned but definately had those qualities. Head and lacing was minimal.

S - Surprisingly not as much going on as I would have expected. Definate piney hops and a pleasantly not overpowering alcohol aroma.

T - Again not as overpowering for 10% as I thought. The aromas were pleasant in the taste. The alcohol was more dominant, especially after eating it after fish.

M and D - Way higher than anticipated, mouthfeel was great with light carbonation and a surprisingly drinkable taste.

Serving type: on-tap

07-22-2008 01:57:44 | More by Baileyuk

czfreeman

Michigan

4.68/5  rDev +8.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4

This Magnificent Double Bastard of a Strong Ale was tasted on-tap at Half Time beverage in Poughkeepskie, NY. The 2005 edition was rolled out and the decadence began.
The apperance was maple-syrup thick,amber,a deep golden delicious elixer capped by a thin layer of cream.
The aromas were pinapples, super-sappy hops, toasted grainy malts super-charged by a blast of alcoholic phenols.
Taste...Not sweet as expected, thank you Stone! Instead we have a rich fruity mouthfeel of caramels,malts,pineapples,apricots,cherry-like sweet/tartness followed by a spicy hop/alcoholic blast.
Mouthfeel is so thick,yet balanced fantastically by the alcohol and hops. The drinkablity is fantastic, but due to the alcohol content (and price) this one is a sipper that you never want to end. Followed this one with a stone RIS, my god, what a good day!!

Serving type: on-tap

05-22-2008 18:50:52 | More by czfreeman

ojiikun

Washington

4.4/5  rDev +2.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Found on draft at the strong beer fest at Collins in Seattle. Presumed to be the most recent vintage.

Served in a 10oz stubby wine glass, the body is dark, muddy brown with near zero head. There's a loose ring of bubbles on the edge of the glass and a bit of doily lace on the surface.

Smell is of citrus zest and white sugar. Light caramel notes appear as things warm up. The first wave reminds me raspberry preserves.

Sweet! Tons of candied hops and lots of blonde malts. Alcohol doesn't even remotely try to hide, but this is used to good effect as would be expected in a Brandy or Cognac. Hops manage to be tart rather than sour or bitter. Early finish is of very unripe green apple skins and is trailed by a somewhat leathery and minty cocoa.

Clean on the lips but heavy on the throat, this brew needs more bubbles! The saving grace here is a total lack of bitters. For it's gravity and hop profile, this is quite drinkable. Too drinkable. I love it.

Serving type: on-tap

02-27-2008 01:51:59 | More by ojiikun

BretSikkink

Mexico

4.03/5  rDev -6.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A lovely orange shade pours with a large-bubbled head, served in a small goblet off a keg from '06.

A singular flavor indeed, it has a fullness of flavor that most ales can only dream of...it is of course a large proposition, with a massive amount of hops, and while the body is quite strong, the 10% does not sneak up on you so much as smack you in the face.

When your hops haven't mellowed any more that this in two years, you've put a lot in!

A pleasure. Thanks to the Papago B.C. in Phoenix for putting this one on the lines.

Serving type: on-tap

02-23-2008 03:36:00 | More by BretSikkink

mattster

Texas

4.3/5  rDev -0.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Purchased on tap in snifter.

Nice small head atop a dark amber brew.

Smell is of Carmel malts and nice roasty hops. Taste is very strong, of course, but not overbearing. Very nice creaminess and a small hints of dark fruit.

Mouth feel is filling. Slight warming, but not what could be expected from a lesser brew. I wanted another of these, but at 10% ABV, I didn't want to fill up. All in all, A really good brew that I will revisit soon.

Serving type: on-tap

02-12-2008 19:57:58 | More by mattster

tayner

Arizona

4.03/5  rDev -6.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

on tap at Papago Brewing

It came to me a burnt amber color with a nice large foamy head that laced my glass nicely.

smelled of hops and malt.. not the flowery hops i dislike so much but more of a earthy, piney hop flavor.

Taste was slightly bitter, made you notice it, but it was one of the more balanced stone offerings i have had. There was a strong enough malt backbone to balance all the flavors and make it very tasty.

It was heavy but not thick. easy to drink.

I could drink a couple of these if i hadnt been driving home.. but i did grab a growler for when i got home :)

2006 bottle on 10-28: This is not the same beer aged at all. Where did the hops go? With age this beer becomes way too sweet and heavy. This is a reminder to myself, buy this every winter, and drink up. Yes, at 10% alcohol you can age, but why? Much, much better fresh IMHO.

Serving type: on-tap

02-12-2008 13:54:40 | More by tayner

Hojaminbag

Colorado

4.3/5  rDev -0.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

06' vintage on tap @ Sunset Grill ( I missed the 05', damnit).

Pours a nice ruby color with an off white/yellowish head. Nice retention and lacing.

Complicated smells: piney hops, malt, caramel, fruity (pineapple/grapefruit??), fruity sweetness.

Tastes much like it smells, very complex and great. Strong hops with shades of grapefruit/pineapple/other fruitiness, hops, pine, malt, caramel, brown sugar. Nice warming alcohol finish. Masks the high ABV very well.

Great feel on the tongue, just the right consistency.

I could sip this beer all night. I heat the 05' on tap was even sexier; I wish I would have sampled it.

A fantastic DIPA, I would suggest it to anyone who is a fan of the style.

Serving type: on-tap

01-28-2008 05:44:51 | More by Hojaminbag

LittleBreeze

New York

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

1/12/2008

On tap at Mahar's

Pours an amber. Decent head.

Not a style I normally reach for. I loved the smell. Lots of floral and citrus.

First taste made me giggle. It was more like...wth was that! I had to keep drinking to try figuring it out. It is crisp, smooth, sweet. Carbonation has it dancing on your tongue. This beer is just great fun.

This becomes a relaxing drink after the initial excitement. Maybe it is the little hop high. Maybe it is the 11%. A few pints of this can disappear rather quickly. Watch out!

Serving type: on-tap

01-14-2008 18:09:40 | More by LittleBreeze

YonderWanderer

Colorado

4.22/5  rDev -2.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Pours a nice dark amber with a thin layer of foam on top. Decent lacing on the glass.

S: Grassy, citrus hops blended with a nice malty sweetness.

T: Like a punch in the face, this beer demands attention. Huge citrus and grass hops notes are blended nicely with a huge caramel malt backbone. The alcohol is well-hidden in this one.

M: Smooth, crisp, with a bit of thickness to it.

D: The Double Bastard is a scarily drinkable beer, that packs quite a bunch. Very tasty, and a great job by Stone.

Serving type: on-tap

01-13-2008 21:17:46 | More by YonderWanderer

RblWthACoz

Pennsylvania

4.4/5  rDev +2.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Off notes 11-3-2006. Pours ruby colored with thick lacing. Minimal nose- slightly citric. Very hoppy as expected, but with a slight tangy edge - almost sweet. Over time that flavor smoothes out and the sweeter side comes out but stays consistent and smooth. Feel is smooth with a great amount of carbonation on the mouth. Very drinkable, until you start to realize that 10% is kicking in hard.

Serving type: on-tap

12-30-2007 06:32:15 | More by RblWthACoz

drseamus

New York

3.6/5  rDev -16.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

I liked this better than last time I had it, but it's still too much to drink a lot of. It pours a beautiful mahogany color with a nice off white head. There is an intense bitterness right up front with a ton of hop flavor that fades into a big sweet malt profile. This is just like a regular beer, only with a thousand times more everything. A pretty good beer, although I couldn't drink much more than the 10oz I had.

Serving type: on-tap

12-30-2007 05:30:56 | More by drseamus

akorsak

Pennsylvania

4.22/5  rDev -2.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This is an '05 vintage served on-tap at the Blind Tiger's 12/12/12/12 Stone event.

A: The ale has an amber color, showing off red highlights that add a nice splash of color. Little head resulted from the pour but there is a clear stream of carbonation in the glass.

S: The nose is malty thick, having lost a majority of the bitter hops that define Double Bastard. Aging has done wonders on this beast, softening it significantly.

T: As the nose hinted, this beer has become a solid barleywine, with the hops mellowing out significantly and allowing the malts to come through. A sip reveals a whole mouthfeel of grain, thick in its strength. The malt flavors are as strong as ever but they are more noticeable because the hops have receded significantly. While Double Bastard burns the tastebuds when fresh, with two years under its belt it has softened and smoothed itself out. This is a good sippin' beer for in front of a fireplace on a cold night.

M: The mouthfeel has come around 180 degrees, from a hop bomb to a malt bomb. That change makes for a really good, complex drink.

D: This was my 4th offering at 12/12/12/12. I would gladly have tried any of the four again. I was especially fond of the smoothness that this beer picked up. If you've got a DB from '05, let it sit a bit longer and really enjoy it.

Serving type: on-tap

12-13-2007 14:18:46 | More by akorsak

johnmichaelsen

Oregon

3.65/5  rDev -15.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Perhaps I would have enjoyed this beer more if I hadn't had it right after the 10th Anniversary DIPA. For that matter, I wonder if Stone has tweaked the recipe over the years, as I've found this beer far more appealing in the past then I did at Frisco's last night.

The beer pours a darkish amber color with very good head retention and lacing. The beer looks quite impressive. On the nose I get sweet malt, cider and roasted nuts. Again, this beer smells very impressive, although the high abv. is noticeable even on the nose. On the palate the beer is sweet, rich and very alcholic, but with a drying hop burn in the finish. The beer is impressive, but frankly I don't feel as if the high abv. blends in all that well with the very sweet malt and hoppiness. I found the beer somewhat tiring on the palate, with this beer coming across as a sweet, but then ultimately very hoppy, barleywine.

The beer is very warming and, while impressive, is just not all that enjoyable. In the same style I much prefer the Bigfoot, where the sweet malt has been dialed down a tad. A good beer, but not what I would call terrific.

Serving type: on-tap

12-05-2007 17:42:41 | More by johnmichaelsen

warmstorage

Georgia

4.25/5  rDev -1.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

On tap at Local Dough, Tucson, Arizona, $5 for a pint.(!!!)

Appearance: deep hazy reddish to brown, limited light tan head that leaves significant lacing.

Aroma: sweet and caramel, but somewhat limited.

Taste: caramel, distinct hints of smoke, roast, sweet and thick. Hops only come through in the finish/aftertaste, and then are present as a basic, earthy bitterness, but not terribly distinct. Delicious to drink, and easy to drink and enjoy, but not the most dynamic or complex beer: it's really about malt sweetness and malt body.

Mouth: thick, full, sweet, and delicious. Relatively little alcohol burn given the ABV.

Overall: A totally different beer than what I've had in the bottle. If the bomber I have in the fridge at home is significantly different, I'll post another review of it.

Serving type: on-tap

12-05-2007 01:24:05 | More by warmstorage

pershan

Maryland

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

Had this beer on-tap at Frisco Grille in Columbia, MD

A: Amber color, thin but fairly creamy white head. Nice lacing on inside of glass after drinking.

S: Slight hop aroma (citrus and apple components).

T: Initial sweetness (reminded me a bit of sour apple), then the hop bitterness and alcoholic warmness hits you all at once, settling into a fairly bitter aftertaste. Stone must have used a truckload of bittering hops - as a hop-head it was awesome.

M: Malt sweetness on the tongue that is immediately overwhelmed by the hop and alcohol components.

D: A very good beer, especially if you like lots of hops and tend toward the higher gravity brews, as I do. If not, this will probably be too bitter for you.

Serving type: on-tap

11-30-2007 14:37:46 | More by pershan

rallison

California

4.4/5  rDev +2.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

2006 Vintage - growler filled tonight so nice and fresh (so to speak..)!

A: Cloudy reddish dark amber color with a 1 finger white head that mostly dies.

S: Caramel and toffee. Some hops, but the smell is mostly dominated by the malt.

T: Delicious. Strong caramel/toffee malt base is nicely complemented by mostly piny hops. This beer achieves much better balance with some age on it. Right here, this is nice. My favorite is still probably around 5 years old, but give it at least a year and you will be happy. Too raw fresh in my opinion (and this coming from someone who quite enjoys Sam Adams Triple Bock and Dogfish Head 120 Minute). Trust me, give this a year or three to age.

M&D: Thick, rich and viscous, but still very drinkable. Nice.

Recommended. Obviously, not everyone can try this one aged for 5 years. But, I highly recommend sticking a bottle away for about 2 years. You will be rewarded with a beer that goes from an interesting, strong, but not that great beer to a strong, but balanced, integrated and mellow strong ale that deserves the rating it gets. This is one beer I've had enough of to feel confident in saying that. Prost!

Serving type: growler

11-29-2007 07:14:27 | More by rallison

bradford

California

4.18/5  rDev -3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Had on tap at Beachwood BBQ in Seal Beach on 11/16/07
After working a 24 hour shift, I needed a little pick me up with a delicious pulled pork sandwich and Double Bastard at Beachwood
Poured into a 16 oz pint glass for $6.00
Looked good, very dark ruby red with a minimal head that left early in the drinking experience
Smelled a bit strange to me. Perhaps it was served a bit too cold, but I could pick up very little in the nose besides over-powering hops and some sort of funky malt
Taste was great as ever. Very spicy hop bite, followed by a thick malt and then flowery, grassy hops.
Mouthfeel was very good too. Thick, coating and delightful. This seems in the mouthfeel to be a bit more barleywine-ish, but the beautiful use of hops quickly kick some sense nto me that this beer is held above all standards and in a class of it's own as an American Strong Ale.
Drinkability was good, because I wanted another with lunch, but the pricetag and 10% alcohol persueded me to call it quits.
Another very fine example of craft brewing from the masters at Stone.

Serving type: on-tap

11-18-2007 21:56:09 | More by bradford