Double Bastard Ale - Stone Brewing Co.

KALIKGOLD

South Carolina

3.95/5  rDev -8.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

A: Poured a hazy sweet tea like reddish brown. The head was dense and light brown. The lacing clings to the glass until the last drop all the way down the walls of the glass

S: Bakers chocolate, caramel, pine, citrus... like grapefruit and orange rinds, bread.

T: Bitter sweet chocolate, biscuit, grapefruit, hops, grapefruit and other citrus fruits. As it heats up the flavor bursts, warms the throat, that's for sure.

M: Medium body but smooth smooth, the carbonation isnt over powering tingles a bit. You can definately feel the alcohol and it leaves a slight bitter coffee taste in the mouth with a lingering alcohol slow burn. I like it alot! I definately could drink a few of these.

Serving type: growler

11-03-2009 23:33:35 | More by KALIKGOLD

cartagena

Pennsylvania

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

Clear Dark Mahogany color/tan head with a nice floral/spicy/vanilla aroma.

Taste is very similar to some of the barleywine's I have tasted but with more hops at the end.

Got a growler of this bad boy from my local pub (Capone at Norristown PA) and it is definitely an A+ beer.

You gotta try this if you get the chance but be careful...

Serving type: growler

01-19-2009 00:13:27 | More by cartagena

mcsweep

Virginia

4.7/5  rDev +9%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4

wow! where do I start. This beer is everything I had heard and more. Reminded me of a barleywine, and I had to sip this beer in order to saver every drop. An intense beer not to be taken lightly. I grew up in San Diego and I wish we had Stone back then. Enjoy!

Serving type: growler

12-27-2008 19:35:21 | More by mcsweep

taylorhamrick

South Carolina

3.68/5  rDev -14.6%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Pours a dark ruby red with a giant off-white head. The smell is fairly pungent from hops with a kick of centennial citrus, followed by sweet alcohol, maybe a bit estery. The taste is a bit bitter bu with a sweet, burnt alcohol taste. At times I get a bit of bready malts. It's fairly complex, but I keep tasting the burnt taste from alcohol, which might disguise some more pleasant flavors in the mouthfeel. This beer will more-or-less kick your ass but without leaving a black eye. A growler isn't a good idea without some help.

Serving type: growler

12-19-2008 00:55:25 | More by taylorhamrick

HeyItsChili

South Carolina

4.58/5  rDev +6.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Stone Double Bastard Ale pours a deep, dark, cloudy copper with a thin tan head that slowly retreats to a foamy film atop the brew.

S - Sweet, fruity, raisins, malty. Very complex

T - The taste is as malty and sweet as the aroma suggests. A little piney with some aftertaste of alcohol giving away the 10.0% ABV. Really amazing, at least to my taste buds.

M - Mouthfeel is good, smooth, medium bodied.

D - Incredible drinkability, especially for such a strong beer. It is just perfect for savoring.

Serving type: growler

12-01-2008 02:45:18 | More by HeyItsChili

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

sessycuban

California

4.75/5  rDev +10.2%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4

2005 vintage. Got a growler fill from the brewery some months ago. These are notes I took from the tasting.

Growler. Poured into Stone Double Bastard Ale glass.

A - The beer pours a rich, amber color. The beer is somewhat murky, but this is to be expected given the age. The tan head didn't retain to well, but again, well for a beer that has been aged and poured from a growler.

S - The smell is very complex. I get a slight toastiness, citrus, tropical fruit, and a slight tinge of hops. This has held up well for such a hoppy beer.

T - I'm getting grapefruit very early on followed by pine notes. The beer finishes with a hop backbone, which is a bit surprising. Given the color, I'd expect a maltier backbone. The balance is spectacular.

M: The taste is a bit chewy, but not too thick. I'd still say this is medium bodied. It has a very nice feel to it for such an aggressive beer.

D: The beer does have some heat to it. But as they say, if you can't handle the heat, stay out of the fire. With that said, supremely drinkable for a 10% abv beer that goes to great lengths to warn you how aggressive the beer is.

Highly recommended to all!

Serving type: growler

10-05-2007 21:33:31 | More by sessycuban

Budlum

Maryland

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

2006 edition served from a fresh growler from Capone's.

Pouring this ale produces one inch of creamy, tan head that slowly recedes to a quarter inch layer. Head retention and lacing are excellent. The body is an absolute, textbook amber color displaying excellent clarity and moderate carbonation.

The nose of this beer is quite simple yet delicious. A dry, earthy, hop smell blends with a perfectly balanced, sweet, malty aromas. Very balanced in presentation although I expected a little more pop.

The flavors of this beer are much like the smell only with the "pop" that I expected from the smell. An assertive hop flavor provides a strong, earthy taste much like Arrogant Bastard. Unlike the anchor, this version blends in a delicious, honey-kissed malt flavor that balances the hops perfectly. There are still many woody flavors like AB but everything just feels smoother. A faint, wheat malt and hefeweizen yeast flavor also lurk in the background. This is one very fine beer.

The mouthfeel of this beer presents good carbonation mixed with a creamy feel. It is also quite buttery likening to a solid English Ale.

Drinkabilty is excellent. I expected this to be more aggressive than AB but it turned out to be much smoother. This beer is just dangerously drinkable for the 10% ABV.

Serving type: growler

01-23-2007 00:39:59 | More by Budlum

BlindPig

Pennsylvania

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

2006
A- Light cloudy deep amber body. Thick tan head that has good head retention and leaves itself on the side of the glass.
S- Big in your face smell. Some alcohol, dark fruits, citrus hops, and some caramel notes all in it. Maybe some grassy and piney hops too.
T- Big alcohol taste and bit of warming to it. Fruits ranging from plums to some grapefruit all come out. Is more of the grapefruit rind taste than the fruit itself. Nice big bitterness all the way through. Big malt body too. the caramel flavor seems to find its way through all these huge flavors. The aftertaste is made up of the fruits and lingering strong citrus bitterness. Also has the grassy and piney hops in there as well (as well as the taste). That makes for the dry bitterness and finish.
M- Full body with low carbonation.
D- It is very good. I think I preferred the 2005 (I tried it in 06 so I'm not sure if it's due to it being a year old or they are made in different places). It is a sipper. The alcohol just finds it way through a lot on this than the 05.

Serving type: growler

11-05-2006 20:12:26 | More by BlindPig

stella77artois

New York

4.69/5  rDev +8.8%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.75

One of my new favorite beers! Bottled 10/22/12, consumed 05/24/13.

A - Hard to beat. The beer just "looked" good. A reddish-brown, almost mahogany.

S - Among the best smelling beers I've experienced. Hops, lots of malt, and lot's of fruit. Always figured reviewers were being pretentious when they described the aroma, but that's not the case. Noted pineapple, melon, and even some mint. Smelled absolutely delicious.

T - Delicious. Lot's going on. Perfect blend of hops and malt, and all those aforementioned fruits without being sweet. Juicy would be a good way to describe the beer. And suprisingly, very difficult to tell how high the ABV % is. Simply delicious. Said deliciousness stays with aftertaste. Fruity-ness even more prevelant in aftertaste.

F - The only aspect of the beer I'm not crazy about. Certainly not bad, but kind of dry and thick.

O - Disappointed in myself for not trying this sooner. Absolutely love it. Wonderful sipping beer that's potent, powerful and delicious. Will definitely put hair on your chest!

Serving type: bottle

05-25-2013 21:06:32 | More by stella77artois

KYGunner

Kentucky

3.8/5  rDev -11.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Maroon to copper to mahogany and shades of purple this is an exceptionally striking color. The head built quickly in a rush of bubbles to a crescendo of thick foam and exceptional lacing.

So many things going on in aroma but slightly weak. Prune, sweet dates, raisin and dried fruit meld with a molasses or sorghum scent. Quite diverse, and very well presented.

Strong raisin flavors hit but are vanquished with an alcohol brashness. Some prune comes towards the end but it too loses out to a harsh tinny metallic taste and feel. I do get a hop flavor and some sweetness as I delve further in. Maybe some pine and a hint of malt. It's getting better, the more I drink but overall it seems Stone has lost me again. So many of their ales finish with tinny alcohol, for me, and it disappoints me every time.

Serving type: bottle

05-12-2013 22:19:28 | More by KYGunner

trxxpaxxs

New York

3.63/5  rDev -15.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

A: Pours a cloudy red/brown/orange with less than half a finger of beige head. The foam settles quickly leaving a tiny ring along the edges of the glass. Nice lacing as it drinks.

S: The nose is malt, citrus, mild pine, spice, and alcohol.

T: The beer starts off sweet and malty with a good bit of spicy bite. The hops come on in the middle and ease up the spice while adding some citrus. From middle to the finish this beer is boozy and spicy. The alcohol is completely evident and detracts a bit from the flavors of the beer itself.

M: Full bodied beer. It's malty and sticky to start. The spice and alcohol take hold in the middle making it bitter and drying. Lingering booze and spice.

O: Really not my favorite at all. It's way too boozy. I understand that it is supposed to be over the top at 11.2%, but the abv makes this difficult to drink. I'd much rather be drinking a BA barleywine at this alcohol level.

Serving type: bottle

05-12-2013 18:19:14 | More by trxxpaxxs

MisSigsFan

California

4.65/5  rDev +7.9%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75

Bottle aged 10/22/12. Pours a cloudy orange/red with a finger thick white head. Smell is much sweeter than the original Bastard. A lot of citrus and booze coming through with some malt. Taste follows the nose, but with more maltiness. Mouthfeel is medium to full bodied. Very smooth and has that signature Arrogant Bastard sting to it. The bitterness really lingers here. Overall, this is an absolutely insane ale. If you thought the original Bastard was good, this is a whole new beast.

Serving type: bottle

05-04-2013 01:35:50 | More by MisSigsFan

brewskifan55

Mississippi

4.36/5  rDev +1.2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured into a snifter.

A: Opaque amber with a tan half-finger head that turns to tiny bubbles. Nice lacing.

S: Malts, grainy.

T: Really comes on like a barleywine. Nice malt/hop bite. Bready malts, alcohol heat. Sweet. Chewy finish.

M: Medium to high with great carbonation.

O: Strong, bold, kickass. Terrific with a slice of swiss cheese.

Serving type: bottle

05-03-2013 20:09:37 | More by brewskifan55

wordemupg

Alberta (Canada)

4.2/5  rDev -2.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

2011 650ml bomber poured into tulip 29/4/13 cheers Rutager for sending the bottle

A clear red shade of amber with a few bubbles streaming up the side of the glass, a short lived two finger foam leaves just a few polka dots of lace

S burnt brown sugar and caramels are strong, slightly nutty, with just a little booze, some candied fruit but I can't quite pick it out, has some liqueur aspect I can't really place and a little bourbon

T a little pine I didn't smell and some citric hops, seeing how this from 2011 I can only imagine what a palate wrecker this would've been fresh, the caramels are still strong but the bourbons gone, I know this isn't BB aged but I could smell it

M a little syrupy with low carbonation, a little sticky on the lips with a little grit on the gums, pine and rind on the finish with just a little heat

O I think I may have caught this one in between being a fresh hop bomb and well aged barley wine, pretty solid stuff but a rare situation where I want a young or old bottle to compare to this one in the middle

went down smooth for a big beer, I think this one could fit into a few styles depending on its age, well worth trying and I'll look for both fresh and aged bottles in the future

Serving type: bottle

04-30-2013 06:11:55 | More by wordemupg

BurgeoningBrewhead

Pennsylvania

4.73/5  rDev +9.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 5

Poured entire bomber into 34oz mug. Clear dark orange with visible carbonation and a thick fluffy white head that sticks around for a long time, leaving lots of lacing. Smell is fruity and floral hops, with a strong malt/alcohol backbone underneath it. Taste is actually a bit smoother than I recall the regular Arrogant Bastard being; it's not as spiky from the hops as the regular. The high alcohol content must smooth it out; it's sweet and malty at the beginning, bittering only at the end. Mouthfeel is smooth and full. Bit of alcohol heat, but not as much as you'd expect for 11.2%. Dangerously drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

04-29-2013 03:25:16 | More by BurgeoningBrewhead

Roman5150

Michigan

4.38/5  rDev +1.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.75

bottle purchased from Stones River Total Beverages in Murfreesboro, TN.

appearance: hazy dark brown, copper with a large off white/tan head. Lot's of intricate lacing.

smell: earthy hops, malts, alcohol, subtle citrus

taste: bitter hop bite, with a prominent malt backbone. Alcohol does not try to hide in this beer, it is very warming and has a punch to it, but a very pleasant smooth one at that. The end is a warm bitter hoppiness. For an 11%, this is very easy to drink, for me that is.

mouthfeel: slight carbonation

overall: A monster of a beer, this one hits hard. Very strong for a beer, but smooth for an 11% abv. Very balanced, like you would expect from Stone, great full flavor, and you will get a buzz off this one. A lot stronger than the Arrogant Bastard.

Serving type: bottle

04-29-2013 02:43:18 | More by Roman5150

spinrsx

Ontario (Canada)

4.06/5  rDev -5.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Bomber from Lee's Las Vegas NV for 7.99+tax - 2012 Edition

Appearance - Slightly hazy dark copper with a large size fizzy/frothy beige coloured head. There is an average amount of carbonation showing and there is some good lacing. The head lasted for around over 5 minutes.

Smell - Hops, malts, anise, dark fruits, leather, booze

Taste & Mouth - There is an average amount of carbonation and I can taste caramel/butterscotch, malts, and hops. There is also some anise, earthy notes, and some dark fruits, I can pick up on the booze and the beer finishes with a malty sweet and hoppy aftertaste.

Overall – Been wanting to try this one for a while. It definitely packs a punch and has a lot of flavour. And even with all the flavour it seems to have a good balance. I imagine that this would be even more powerful fresh, I'd love to see what it's like on tap. I have a 2010 tucked away and it will be interesting to see how it's held up. A beer worthy of the hype for sure.

Serving type: bottle

04-29-2013 00:18:54 | More by spinrsx

stephenjmoore

Maryland

4.08/5  rDev -5.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

2011 Vintage

A- A murky amber/caramel colored body with a bubbly tan head that leaves a thin layer.

S- Tons of sweet caramel malt, slight burnt hop aroma, lots of booze.

T- Really similar to the aroma. Just a huge amount of sweet caramel malt. Lots of grainy, bready aromas with some boozy flavors in the back.

M- Moderately smooth, still a little bite, but not as harsh as when it is fresh. Full bodied, medium-low carbonation.

O- The nearly two years of aging changed this one. When fresh, this beer is incredibly hot and the hops, malt and booze all fight each other. The hops are not as prevalent, the malt is in the fore front and the booze has diminished slightly. This almost drinks like a barleywine.

Serving type: bottle

04-26-2013 01:48:37 | More by stephenjmoore

spoony

Colorado

4.28/5  rDev -0.7%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

From a 650 ml bottle into a globe glass.

A-The pour is thick-looking. The brew is reddish with a deep amber, iron-wood color. The head is on the thin side and light tan in color. A few bubbles are visible. Some lacing on the glass.

S-This smells like a lumber mill...in a good way, with lots of fresh pine and herbal forest scents. I detect mint, and fruity booze, along with some burnt caramel, spice, and chocolate as it warms up. Nice and earthy.

T-The taste is also earthy, herbal, and heavy on the pine-forward hops, but there is less mint and more chocolate. The booze is very apparent, but not in a hot, stout like manner. Instead, you get an almost medicinal, brandy-like flavor of sweet, fruity booze.

M-Feel is medium to full body with a pine-heavy dankness to it. Carb is mild, alcohol is noticeable.

O-This is a unique and delicious beer. I have had regular Bastard on numerous occasions, but nothing prepared me for the pine-bomb that this beer let off. Sweet, fruity, and full of herbal, medicinal alcohol, this is definitely a big beer. I suggest pairing with spicy foods or drinking alone as a digestif-like after dinner drink.

Serving type: bottle

04-20-2013 02:04:09 | More by spoony

Clonies720

Texas

4.25/5  rDev -1.4%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

22 oz bomber @ 11.2% ABV poured into a snifter glass.

Aroma - Medium brown in color but turns dark ruby red when held to the light. The head is thick and frothy with excellent retention. Lacing is plentiful.

Smell - Pine resin, orange peel, pineapple, and some malty sweetness. Alcohol burn is slightly noticeable.

Taste - The taste is fairly well balanced with a lean towards hoppy bitterness . Loads of bitterness and loads of sweet malty backbone. Maple, pine, and citrus.

Mouthfeel - Creamy and smooth as hell. Carbonation is medium-high and just right. Full bodied.

Overall - Extremely tasty. It's a sipping beer for sure. Laid 2 bottles of this down for aging.

Serving type: bottle

04-12-2013 22:13:20 | More by Clonies720

arfenhouse

California

3.95/5  rDev -8.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

2012 release, ~4-5mo. old.

A: Dark copper/ruby red with off-white head. Retention is good and lacing is decent

S: Big sweet caramel aroma dominates. Behind it are a touch of spicy and earthy hops. Very slight alcohol.

T: Sweet caramel mixed with a noticeable amount of alcohol bite. Aftertaste is a spicy hop, oak + vanilla, with a tiny bit of pine coming through.

M:Medium-full bodied with medium carbonation. Silky smooth and dry.

O: I haven't had this fresh so I'm not sure how it's "supposed" to taste like but I like it. Malt heavy with not much of a bitterness. It may just be an older bottle, but this wasn't as "arrogant" as I thought it would be.

Serving type: bottle

04-11-2013 06:45:23 | More by arfenhouse

Siriusfisherman

Montana

4.65/5  rDev +7.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

A: Deep, hazy mahogany with glints of ruby, a decent off-white head that dissipates quickly into a ring of foam around the sides, good lacing.

S: Big sweet malt, burnt candy, apricot, resinous and piney hops, some alcohol spice and fruity esters that grow as the beer warms. Very complex.

T/M: A nice crescendo of bitterness, joined by sweet, burnt caramel candy notes, resinous hops, apricot, and peppery/estery alcohol notes. Full sticky mouthfeel, semi-sweet finish, with more alcohol complexities appearing as the beer warms.

Overall, this beer as outstanding. It is upfront and no-nonsense, and full of complexities. It doesn't get bogged down with ten different malt characters, and a ton of different hops, it instead opts for excellent execution and complexity from basic ingredients. I cannot recommend this one enough, incredible.

Serving type: bottle

04-11-2013 00:24:24 | More by Siriusfisherman

JustinAniello

Connecticut

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

A - Pours reddish brown with a two finger head. Dissipates to a light cap and semi-sticky lacing.

S - Dry wood and burnt caramel take up the majority of the aroma with pine coming up in the background.

T - Heavy breadiness turning to burnt caramel and molasses, quite sweet on the swallow. The resiny hops shows through in the aftertaste, though lighter than I was expecting from Stone. Little alcohol flavor as well but pretty good overall at hiding it for how high it is.

M - Medium body and carbonation, oily feel.

O - Pretty good beer, nice flavors and aroma despite the lack of complexity. A enjoyable sipper. Would prefer with the oily feel and could use another flavor or two. Would have again.

Serving type: bottle

03-30-2013 23:58:31 | More by JustinAniello

dar482

New York

4.63/5  rDev +7.4%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

The beer comes in a brown ruby color with a one finger head. It is relatively clear.

The aroma is of big roasted burnt malts and sweet caramel. There is a bit of hops and bread.

The flavor has some hops to pick it up, but the flavor is surely of really dark hard burnt malt. Almost a woody earthy flavor. There is sweet breadiness and then it turns into huge pine bitterness. It really does not have a huge alcohol flavor with it. The bitterness really stands out and keeps it wonderful. The hops are in your face with the bitterness, although the caramel and burnt notes are truly there to give it body and roundness.

For the ABV and the great taste of this beer, the value is incredible to get a bomber of this. I do think I prefer the Oak Aged Bastard because of the complexity and less sweetness and bitterness. However, Stone keeps blowing me away. What a great brewery. This along with Oaked Aged Bastard, Ruination, and Enjoy By are fantastic beers.

Serving type: on-tap

03-30-2013 08:07:49 | More by dar482