Double Bastard Ale - Stone Brewing Co.

Spider889

Ohio

4.2/5  rDev -2.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

On draft at Winking Lizard in December, review from notes.

Served in a true tulip - nice one WL, stepping up your game.

The beer is a deep unfiltered plum color. Showcases a short but dense meringue of bone-white foam. Decent head retention and sticky, chunky lace cling to my glass.

The aroma is very unassuming - some soap and leather are what first catch my attention. The hop aroma isn't very big like you might expect coming from Stone (and considering the taste).

Great flavor on this Strong Ale. Very bitter - though this likely balances out an otherwise extremely sweet beer. Dry malt flavors and toffee with some dried cherries and herbal hop flavor. Pine and a subtle sticky sweetness underlie it all.

There's some chalkiness to the mouthfeel, and of course the long-lasting and pervasive bitterness. Strong and boozy, but Double Bastard delivers exactly what you'd expect.

Overall this is a beer that needs to be sipped slowly, and is not something to imbibe in regularly. Nevertheless, it packs a punch flavor-wise and is well worth the trip once in a while.

Serving type: on-tap

02-18-2012 20:21:23 | More by Spider889

Merkur

Tennessee

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

Enjoyed the 2011 version on tap into a tulip glass.

Beer pours a nice orange color.

Beer smells extremely sweet and hoppy. Smell is almost like that of pineapple.

Tasts very hoppy and sweet initially and then flavors open up on the back end with a carmel flabor and boozy finish. For being over 10% alcohol, this beer is surprisingly smooth and even a bit easy to drink (relatively speaking).

Beer has a nice mouthfeel and laces well throughout.

Excellent strong ale.

Serving type: on-tap

01-12-2012 01:40:31 | More by Merkur

armock

New York

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

On tap at Helm's Ale House in Tracy, CA

A - Poured a mahogany color with a tan head that leaves lacing behind

S - Is of sweet caramel malt with a good bit of alcohol

T - Follows the nose with caramel malt upfront then a strong alcohol finish

M - This beer has a medium body with medium carbonation to it

O - This is a good tasting beer the alcohol in the taste is a little strong for me but that par for the style its a good beer to sip on and relax with worth picking up sometime

Serving type: on-tap

01-02-2012 21:36:57 | More by armock

Brenden

Ohio

4.72/5  rDev +9.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Notes from the Stone event at The Attic last night. Double Bastard 2011 fresh on tap = epic.

The color seems to be (as I made comparison in my notes on V.E. 11.11.11.) an amper-up version of that beer, a similar color but more red-amber than amber-red with a bit more depth. A sticky tan-brown head over a finger tall just hangs out in my glass the whole time, remaining in patches and trailing legs as it drops.
While just a little less than I can draw from the flavor, there's plenty of complexity in this beauty. Caramel, citrus rind, toffee, some liquer, dark fruits, and wood (and this isn't -bal aged) mingle with citric, pine and floral hops in harmony and in such a way that they complement rather than clash.
A bit more gentle sipciness pulls through in the flavor with something like brandy or an excellent bourbon sitting under a dual foundation of hops and malts. I don't know that an American Strong ale can get much tastier or more complex, as all the elements in the aroma mingle, yet each and every one is discernable. This is a beauty and an absolute pleasure to drink. Anyone who loves scotch or the like and wants or needs something intense and , like a good book or a good woman, beautiful, incredibly and fascinatingly deep and complicated yet relatable must drink this beer. Must.
The mouthfeel is rich, lush, deep, and nearly as complex as the flavor. There are practically layers to this beer. It's almost velvety smooth off a gentle carbonation and offers a lingering finish.
This is a beauty.

Serving type: on-tap

12-02-2011 15:54:48 | More by Brenden

brealbg

Ohio

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

This is a beautiful red and very strong flavored Ale. Heavy hop aroma and flavor. Full body, slick texture with a long and bitter (hoppy) finish.

APPEARANCE:
*head- large, excellent lacing
*average carbonation
*red in color

AROMA:
*roasted grain, floral, citrus, pear.

TASTE:
*roasted grain, pine, grapefruit, and pear,
long duration, light sweetness, light acidity, and heavy bitterness.

Serving type: on-tap

12-02-2011 13:59:03 | More by brealbg

ChugginOil

Illinois

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

2010 vintage on tap @ The House Pub

Pours a reddish brown color that is quite dark but still transparent. There is a fingers worth of off-white that dissipates quickly.

The nose is very sweet and malt with bread-like notes. Some tobacco and leather is also noticeable, as well as a touch of heat.

The taste is beastly and has notes of caramel, butterscotch, and some sweet malty goodness. The abv is brought down significantly from the year of age. There is a bread-like taste in the finish.

The mouthfeel is pretty thick and big bodied. There is a stickiness to it that leaves it's flavors across my palate.

Overall, very enjoyable, big-bodied ale that takes to age very nicely.

Serving type: on-tap

11-24-2011 01:10:13 | More by ChugginOil

TMoney2591

Illinois

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

Served in an Arrogant Bastard shaker pint glass at Plainfield's Tap House.

And here, finally, the Accidental Highway to Hell Tour comes to a conclusion. What a ride (and (insert inside joke wink here) it doesn't even really end here, per se). Anyway, this brew pours a dark amber-rust topped by a finger of off-tan foam. The nose comprises orange zest, grapefruit zest, caramel, pine resin, toffee, black pepper, and a touch of booze. The taste brings in more of the same, with more pine (which is more toward sap than resin here) and the addition of some mandarin orange syrup for good measure. The body is a straight medium, with a light moderate carbonation and a dry-ish finish. Overall, a richly textured and generally enjoyable brew. Definitely not for the faintest of hearts. Good times.

Serving type: on-tap

11-09-2011 06:01:43 | More by TMoney2591

Scotchboy

Idaho

3.9/5  rDev -9.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Review No. 250

Had on-tap @ Brewfora Beer Market, Meridian ID. Poured into a tasting chalice, about 8oz I believe.

A: Pours a hazy caramel color with amber hues and a light khaki-colored head.

S: Subdued (might be the temperature)...I gets lots of malt sweetness mixed with floral pithy pine hops...toffee and toasted sweetbread...bitter citrus as well.

T: Initially its all hops-pungent pine, floral hop bitterness and intense West Coast dryness-but the malt bill cuts this down to size with a metric ton of caramel and toffee underneath...in fact the warmer this beer gets, the more the malts dominate...

MF: Decent, medium-thick mouthfeel with some sticky viscosity. Dry finish.

O: This beer isn't overrated, and I can see why people clamor for it...'underwhelmed' might be a better descriptor for me right now...overall its good but not epic. Good flavors...medium drinkability.

Serving type: on-tap

11-09-2011 00:51:31 | More by Scotchboy

omnigrits

Texas

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

A. A rich mahogany brown colour with a cream coloured head that vanishes a bit too quickly.

S. Oh my goodness, where to begin. Cherries, cassia bark, molasses, some spiciness. It reminds me very much of an old fashioned cough drop, and in a good way.

T. Wow. All of the above and more. Sweet malts, bready malts, hops, of course, and a superb bitter finish. Strong hints of alcohol

M. Not too heavy for such a big beer, and very, very smooth.

O. Definitely not something Stone should put out year round. It's great to look forward to and even better to actually drink, but a beer like this on hand all the time is... well, you really can have too much of a good thing. I have to get me a couple more of these and stash them away. I think it would turn into something really rather special. I want to see it dry out a little. Fresh, it's fantastic, but a little on the sweet side.

Serving type: on-tap

11-07-2011 02:12:22 | More by omnigrits

jmarsh123

Indiana

4.15/5  rDev -3.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Had on draft at Max's.

Pours a deep garnet with a small tannish head. Loads of lacing down the glass.

Smells similar to a hop profile of an IPA with strong citrus and pine hops, but is backed by a ridiculous amount of toffee and bread malt aroma.

Very complex. A bit of citrus up front. Heavy toffee malt with a little bit of a sugary sweetness. Finishes very sharply bitter and dry.

Chewy Creamy and just about perfect.

Always glad when I get this beer every winter. Incredibly bitter, but enough malt to balance it out very nicely.

Serving type: on-tap

11-06-2011 01:13:52 | More by jmarsh123

TheMultiYeast

Pennsylvania

4.15/5  rDev -3.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Pours dark brown with vibrant red hues.

Hops fill the nose at first with citrus and pine goodness followed by toasted barley, grains and a nice sweetness.

Taste is perfectly balanced and full flavored. Layers of pungent grapefruit and piney resin flavors fall into loads of toffee-like sweetness. Big wave of bitterness at the end.

Big thick body..almost chewy despite the hop character

This is one hell of a beer.

Serving type: on-tap

11-05-2011 17:11:40 | More by TheMultiYeast

rand

California

3.8/5  rDev -11.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

From tap to snifter

A: Ruby-red in color, opaque, but not from haze - this brew is dense, and forms a frothy head with lacing everywhere.

S: sharp pine and citrus notes, typical of an IPA, meets waves of sweet bready malts. The nose is big, and several subtones are noticed - tropical, peppery spice.

T: The taste follows, and the huge ABV yields huge flavors. The hoppy pine flavors are really bitter, the honey-sweet malts are really sweet...REALLY sweet. Strangely, the beer is quite drinkable - there are plenty of big beers like this that ruin your palate far more than this one. The beer finished mote sweet than bitter, but alcohol and bitter residues linger long after the swallow.

M: Full bodied, ample carbonation.

Once you wrap your palate around the bold profile, Double Bastard is almost more drinkable than it's little brother. Still, of Stone's infamous lineup of big, bold, aggressively bitter beers, this one sits at the top.

Serving type: on-tap

11-05-2011 08:01:10 | More by rand

jbphoto88

Texas

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

The ever elusive double bastard finally makes it to my local watering hole here in sunny Texas. It has a deep amber color with a lovely tan head. One of the prettiest brews I've seen in awhile.

The double bastard smells a lot like the regular bastard. Malts that are roasted, full and sweet. The hops are there but not as dominating as the grains.

A tasty beverage to say the least, double bastard is a nice flavor bomb. It leads off with a heavy dose of malts that are thick, sweet and slightly toasted. Those flavors then subside and let a nice hop twang come through. Simple but full flavor.

The mouthfeel is thick and boozy but not in a bad way. It coats your face hole and leaves you with a kind lingering malt flavor. The combination of hop bitterness and booze leave your throat feeling a little raw but satisfied. The regular bastard is good, this one IS better but not twice as good. The ABV does sneak up on you because it is such a smooth brew. I've got a nice buzz after my second and can't wait to try some more!

Serving type: on-tap

11-03-2011 20:21:17 | More by jbphoto88

BucannonXC5

California

4.33/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Edited my original rating (10-28-11) from 4.5-4.0-4.0-4.5-4.5 to this rating on 04-10-12.

2010 version.

Poured from a draft into a goblet or tulip glass.
Color was caramel reddish. Maybe ¾-inches of head. Fairly light lacing on the top. Semi sporadic film on the sides.

Smelled of eucalypts, citrus, roasty malts and vanilla.

Smooth taste on the start. Strong taste, yet smooth alcohol bite. Somewhat fruity taste as well.

Medium body. Average carbonation. Smooth and consistent taste.

Thought about a 4.0 or a 4.5 and went with a 4.5. Really good beer!

Serving type: on-tap

10-28-2011 06:04:03 | More by BucannonXC5

olfolxholme

California

3.63/5  rDev -15.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

9

Enjoyed on tap at Mill Valley Beerworks, served in an Augustijn chalice. I like this kind of beer in a snifter, a tulip, or a chalice and they are always nice about accommodating that.

A - nice tan head filled with bubbles, about one finger thick at first. Traces of it lingered til the very end. Some lacing. Beer is a very dark copper. Looks about right for a beer called Double Bastard.

S - not much aroma for me. Not upfront and not throughout. I'm surprised. It's a strong ale in a wide mouthed glass - I thought there would be a big aroma. Just didn't happen for me. Weird!

T - sweet hop flavors - tastes like a grapefruit. Rind and all. Not grapefruit juice - an actual grapefruit. I love grapefruit, so this was great for me! I didnt pick up a lot of other flavors. There was a trace of copper penny, though. The pure grapefruit was pretty consistent for me thoughout the whole glass. Yum!

M - somewhat thin, somewhat astringent. Like a grapefruit, makes you pucker. This lasts with the aftertaste. Simultaneously, feels good across the tongue, with some creaminess.

O - I would try this again and happily recommend it to fans of "bitter" beers. If you love grapefruit then this is for you. I hope to have it again on tap and will probably pick up a bottle.

Serving type: on-tap

10-21-2011 03:42:38 | More by olfolxholme

mattboyer182

Indiana

4.6/5  rDev +6.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A - A dark orange-brownish color and a thick foamy white head.

S - A sweet smelling malt and quite a bit of hops. citrusy smelling. There are spicy notes floating around in there.

T - Sugary sweetness up front with a bitter hoppy taste growing in the background. grapefruit citrus has a long after taste and a nice note of alcohol.

M - A great full body with decent carbonation.

O - Very good beer. I love the hops and the sweet balance.

Serving type: on-tap

09-01-2011 00:40:45 | More by mattboyer182

TheRealBigC

Nevada

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

On tap at 775 Gastropub

Looks really nice - deep copper, close to red, with a thick, sticky head.

Smell is complex, but the alcohol is clearly there. This transfers into the taste as well, but the taste is even more complex. It's incredibly hard to pick apart the flavor, but the strength of the alcohol (11.2%!!) is obvious. Not too hard to put down - all things considered, it is a pretty smooth beer - but it's no gulper.

I respect this beer more than I enjoy it, but that's not to say I don't enjoy it. It is a fantastic beer and nice to have here and there, but I think I'll be drinking the standard Bastard more often, because this one is really a BASTARD. I can't believe 775 serves this in a 19oz. glass. That's absurd.

Serving type: on-tap

08-26-2011 02:21:38 | More by TheRealBigC

colt45n

Missouri

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

Aparently this was a pretty rare find on tap..

A: Nice burbon brown pour, with a slight bubbly off white head, I can already tell this one is going to be great

S: Lovely malt and some sweet toffee in the nose, maybe a slight amount of bourbon in there as well

T: Malt, Toffee, and a little bourbon, def a thick sipping beer.

Overall I thought the double was absolutly wonderful, this was what the regular was missing.

Serving type: on-tap

06-18-2011 19:18:23 | More by colt45n

Fikash

California

4.35/5  rDev +0.9%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

On Tap at Mugs Ale House in Brooklyn, NY. Vintage 2007.

What a treat this was. A 2007 brew on tap in 2011. You don't find many surprises like this at your local pub very often.

This ale ages VERY well. The bourbony/alcohol notes are strong, but the beer is ultimately very drinkable (just don't chug the thing). The 12oz pour I was treated to was sipped on over the course of an hour, and what a wonderful hour that was.

Oak, smoke, alcohol esters dominate this brew. It is not for the faint-hearted. This is a powerful beer, both in alcohol content and in flavor. I would almost call it a beer for the whiskey-drinker, it's just that strong. This is just such an exceptional beer, I feel so lucky to have been treated to it. If you can find this beer, the patience it requires to age it to this extent should be difficult, but ultimately worth it. When was the last time you took a first sip of a beer, closed your eyes, and just smiled?

Serving type: on-tap

06-18-2011 06:41:00 | More by Fikash

LazyL

British Columbia (Canada)

4.28/5  rDev -0.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A dark hazy toffee with a fizzy beige head. The nose is honey and warm boozy with a touch of pine and subtle citrus. The taste is honey again and vanilla oak with a small amount of orange. The mouthfeel is heavy and a bit chewy. This is more of a SUPER Strong Ale, actually a Barley Wine but makes a nice sipper and is quite drinkable for such a large ABV.

Serving type: on-tap

04-27-2011 00:52:24 | More by LazyL

bbkd3b

Missouri

4.7/5  rDev +9%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Poured into a pint glass.

A - Dense Mahogany, almost no head, but rather a thin layer of off-white color that let's you know it was ever really there. Lacing? Nope.

S - Sweet malts, figs, sugar-coated dry fruits. There's also a good deal of hoppiness hiding down there. Changes almost ever time I try to get a scent of it... Very strong.

T - Unbelievably complex in its bittersweet nature. Seduces me into thinking it's an all-malt brew with sugar-coated galore for its flavor, but transforms into a monstrous beast! Butterscotch, rough, abrasive hops... It changes every time. I don't even know how to describe this.

M - Full bodied with a scorchingly good carbonation. Slick on the palate, slides down the throat with a linger bitterness and heats up the entire bloodstream. Spot-on.

Overall/notes - Maybe the best thing I've ever had. I can't see myself drinking more than one glass of this bad boy in an evening, but that's fine. One taste and this immediately went on my "favorites" list. Simpling outstanding.

Serving type: on-tap

04-24-2011 21:45:21 | More by bbkd3b

zrab11

Indiana

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

A-Has a dark ruby color with a nice whitehead and good lacing

S-Has a nice sweetness carmel smeell with some booze and hop notes

T-Has many flavors or tart,sweet,bitter going on here but they mesh soo nicely

M- Medium bodied with Good carbonation

D-This is my favorite of all the Bastards. Just drinks soo smooth and has lots of good flavor to it but still has a good alchol content. Will oreder thi for many years to come

Serving type: on-tap

02-26-2011 17:36:18 | More by zrab11

ffejherb

Pennsylvania

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

On tap at Brass Rail Deli on 2/21/11.

A - Hazy reddish liquid with deep amber hues and a creamy beige head that settled into a patchy veil, leaving behind some spotty lacing.

S - Hint of boozy alcohol amid leafy, herbal hops and plenty of toffee and caramel malt notes. The alcohol presence really opened up as the liquid reached room temperatre.

T - Pretty intense herbal, earthy hop flavor with lots of dry, leafy character. A healthy dose of toffee and caramel malt provides a bit of sweetness, but the dry hoppy flavor lingers on for a while. Finishes with moderate alcohol sting on the palate.

M - Surprisingly, Double Bastard boasts a pretty creamy mouthfeel with a subtle wash of carbonation on the tongue. Finishes with residual sweetness and a semi-dry, lingering hop bite on the palate.

D - You gots to love a really hoppy strong ale, and that's exactly what Double Bastard is. It doesn't pretend to be anything else. Good stuff!

Serving type: on-tap

02-23-2011 20:01:19 | More by ffejherb

HopHead84

California

4.15/5  rDev -3.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

2/19/2011

On tap at Stone. 2010 Double Bastard dry hopped with Simcoe.

A: Dark brownish red with a big off white head. Good retention. 

S: Big floral presence, with ample grapefruit and pine. Hops are expressive, and accompanied by a rich caramel profile and bready notes. Nice combination of caramel and hops.

T: Slightly sugary caramel with notes of grapefruit and pine. Booze is restrained for the ABV. Midpalate ephemeral sweetness. Firm bitterness with low astringency. Finish is dry.

M: Upper medium body with upper low carbonation. Mouthfeel is sticky and smooth, with some astringency and warming.

Overall: Slightly mellowed Double Bastard with added dry hopping makes for an enjoyable beer in small quantities.

Serving type: on-tap

02-20-2011 07:24:24 | More by HopHead84

AdamBear

Pennsylvania

3.7/5  rDev -14.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A-dark murky brown with a nice light tan head, good lacing that stays

S-a little bit of brown sugar and nice citrusy hops. not very strong though.

T-come in with a very bitter and strong hit of molasses and ends with some really good citrusy hops. there's a strong bitterness that stays. there's a slight alcohol burn in there towards the end.

M-a good medium carbonation with a slightly dry finish

D-well its a heavy beer, the ABV is noticeable, but its a very enjoyable beer all the way through. if i wasn't leaving this bar right now, i would have another. i liked this a lot and was very lucky to find this on tap.

Serving type: on-tap

01-30-2011 18:23:29 | More by AdamBear