Double Bastard Ale - Stone Brewing Co.

Double Bastard AleDouble Bastard Ale

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BA SCORE
96
world-class
-
3,636 Ratings
THE BROS
100
world-class
-
read more »
rAvg: 4.31
pDev: 10.9%
Reviews: 1879
Hads: 1757

Ratings Help


Brewed by:
Stone Brewing Co. visit their website
California, United States

Style | ABV
American Strong Ale |  11.20% ABV

Availability: Winter. bottle (1721), on-tap (139), growler (19)

Notes:
No notes at this time.
View:  Beers  (85) |  Reviews  (242) |  Events  (3)

Reviews

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Photo of rhinos00
rhinos00

Colorado

4.88/5  rDev +13.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

2007 Vintage - poured from a 22 oz. bomber into a pint glass.

A- Hazy amber/copper color. Inch of white, fluffy head that stuck to the sides of the glass as the beer was consumed.

S- Wow! So much was going on here, it's almost hard to describe. It was a combination of citrus fruits, pineapples, burnt malt, and a nice smell of piney hops to cap it off. So similar to many of the west coast IPA's (i.e. Pliny the Elder) that I have had.

T- Even better than the smell! Initially, a nice sweet pineapple, malt taste hits the tongue. Right before it ends, the hops kick in to give it a nice crisp, piney finish for the perfect touch.

M- Medium bodied that almost felt light and crisp at times and then thick and syrupy at others. So versatile, absolutely loved it!

D- This beer went down so smooth, it was unbelievable. I have had stronger beers before, but from the very first sip, I felt the burn in the chest and flushness in the face (not necessarily a bad thing). If I could have more than one, I would have gave it a 5.

Overall, this beer may be the best that I have had so far! I'm not sure if it's because I let it age for a year, but this beer was so complex and brought so many different varieties of flavors. Nice sweet citrus/pineapple malt flavor followed by a crisp, piney hops flavor. Absolutely perfect! I'm seriously debating whether or not to let my other bottle age for another year.

edit: Just opened a bottle of the 2008 Double Bastard and the 2007 is so much better. Let this beer age for at least a year.

Serving type: bottle

10-30-2008 03:51:50 | More by rhinos00
Photo of erz316
erz316

Indiana

4.88/5  rDev +13.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

1pt 6fl oz bottle into samuel smith pint glass.

A - darker than the oaked, with the same colored head (cream). the body is coming onto the side of opaque, a darker copper colour.

S - a bit fruity with hops and some of the musty barley from the regular bastard. a bit of pine in the far back with some booze taste.

T - sweet, hoppy, booze. there is pine, sweet sugar, bitter sour fruits, and so much more all over the taste; too much to explain in one sitting. extremely complex. far beyond the other bastards. this deserves more contempleation and another review.

MF&D - perfect, no complaints , subtle crisp carbonation with creamy soothe body and perfectly viscous.

Serving type: bottle

02-27-2009 01:04:35 | More by erz316
Photo of BeerCon5
BeerCon5

Pennsylvania

4.88/5  rDev +13.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Pours a clear, dark reddish-brown color with thick tan head.

The scent is of citrus and piney hops, with a noticeable alchohol scent.

Very sweet taste. Caramel, burnt sugar, fruit (pineapple?), piney hops. Also some notes of chocolate and a strong alcohol taste.

Very smooth feel, full-bodied, perfect carbonation, with a dry finish.

Very drinkable especially with the 10% ABV.

Serving type: bottle

03-31-2009 19:33:12 | More by BeerCon5
Photo of chwilliams
chwilliams

Oregon

4.88/5  rDev +13.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

A - pours into a murky mass of malt and lupilin, which glows a deep purple-amber in the light

S - rich malt, reminiscent of a decoction mash (but most likely not), notes of coffee, carmel, and a little chocolate, overall hop armoa is very subdued with all the malt, yum...

T - initial burst of butterscotch and carmel sweet falling into the hop bitterness which slowly rotates to hop flavor in the finish

M - rich, with a zesty quality from the high alcohol level

D - very, what's not to love? it's got a lot of hops and a lot of malt, both balanced together, it's luxury for the palate.

Serving type: bottle

11-24-2009 07:25:46 | More by chwilliams
Photo of ClavisAurea
ClavisAurea

New York

4.88/5  rDev +13.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

Bomber in a pint glass.

Appearance: Much darker than I imagined, deep golden brown, little head

Nose: well the hops of course, sweet and malty, has the nose of a Munich lager, very rich

Taste: at 10.5% I can NOT taste the alcohol (very dangerous), very malty but the hops cut through to the end with a spicy finish

Mouthfeel: it has an effervescence to it that is very appealing, it feels light on the tongue but heavier as it schmooses down the throat.

I would have no problem pounding down 3+ of these. The only problem is that they would end up pounding me back, but I kinda like that. Like most west coast beers, they are experts at hiding the alcohol. Pick up a few of these if you can find them. It seems more like a double IPA than an American Strong Ale.

Serving type: bottle

12-18-2009 23:33:37 | More by ClavisAurea
Photo of lbaker
lbaker

Indiana

4.88/5  rDev +13.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Ok. I've been wanting this brew ever since I got my hands on my very first arrogant bastard...09' release and here we go...

(a)- Pop the top off and I instantly know I'm in for a trip. Beer pours into pilsner with next to no head. This looks like some wicked stuff. Dark dark carmel color. (4.5/5)

(s)- I don't even know what to say. First sniff of this stuff and I'm hesitant to take a sip. Frangrance is so alive, strong toffee, caramel and pine scents hit the nose. I feel like I've I breathe any deeper I might knock myself out. (5/5)

(t)- Wow. I really can't put my finger on it. Taste is almost even with sensation. Strong toffee, caramel flavors. Something really sweet in there...almost like a hint of pineapple that's growing on a damn pine tree. D-licious (5/5)

(m)- Completely different experience than Arrogant Bastard. It doesnt hit you up front and leave you until the next sip, this beer is here and here to stay. Mouthfell is very unique because I feel like my mouth and tongue are clicking on all cylinders...noting is getting missed. With over 100 IBU's this beer is amazingly smooth, and the bitterness is almost overlooked for all the awesome flavor and feelings. (5/5)

(d)- As far as drinkability goes, if I made a point to, I could probably drink more than 1 of these at a sitting...but 2 would be max. This beer is exceptionaly smooth, much more than AB. This beer was such a suprize...no wonder its a favorite in the Extreme American Ale category. I feel like this brew has far more return qualities than beers with similiar ABV. (4.5/5)

Thank you Stone!!

Serving type: bottle

02-02-2010 04:33:51 | More by lbaker
Photo of SDtastentune
SDtastentune

California

4.88/5  rDev +13.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

A - Dark red amber, no head, no lacing. Kinda bubbly, but not fizzy.

S - Alcoholish, malty, hoppy.

T - Alcohol, whiskey, malts, hops, great aftertaste of refined ale!

M - Hot, definitely carbonated, heavy/large bodied.

D - Drinks great if you can hang with it, definitely a hop head connoisseur type ale with lots of BITE and CRINGE.... I like it. Drinks similar to a barley wine, if I taste tested it blindfold I would call it one. Thumbs way UP, this is one HOT ale!

Serving type: bottle

10-27-2010 03:40:18 | More by SDtastentune
Photo of oldsailor
oldsailor

Nevada

4.88/5  rDev +13.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Waited in line for a long time for the special release of the 2006 vintage. It was well worth the wait. The taste of this was amazing. Smooth and complex, the beer took on a different feel from a typical double bastard. The warmth from the alcohol was definitely there as this beer wasn't messing around. My 2L growler was gone before I knew it.

Serving type: growler

03-20-2011 03:32:27 | More by oldsailor
Photo of EA728
EA728

Texas

4.88/5  rDev +13.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

A: Amber/Orange Color, almost identical to AB, not much head.

S: Very hopy

T: Sweet, malty with a bit of hops. Did a side by side comparison with AB, so it didn't taste as hopy as that, but still pleasant. Almost has a Belgian Strong Ale taste with the sweetness.

M: very smooth, thicker than AB, but that's to be expected.

O: I loved this beer, its a sweeter, less hopy, maltier beer than AB.

Serving type: bottle

11-05-2011 19:20:01 | More by EA728
Photo of joemcgrath27
joemcgrath27

Alberta (Canada)

4.88/5  rDev +13.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

A - hazy deep copper, tower of tan head retained forever
S - fruity aromas of cherry and tropicals, big malt aromas, sweet and spicy alcohol, and some piney woody hints
T - burnt sugar sweetness, caramel malt with a big helping of piney hops, light woody smokiness with a spicy alcohol note and subtle fruitiness, just outstanding
M - extremely smooth big body with a pleasant mix of sweet and bitter, with the alcohol extremely well balanced and keeping the palate and tummy warm
O - this is a beer advocates dream: big, balanced, complex, and very tasty, so happy I got a chance to savor this nectar

Serving type: bottle

02-20-2012 04:54:50 | More by joemcgrath27
Photo of mzwolinski
mzwolinski

California

4.85/5  rDev +12.5%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Wow, I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw this on the draught list at Papago's. I'd already had a hefty porter earlier in the evening, but couldn't leave without snapping this up.

Best idea I ever had.

An incredible brew, but like the company says, not for the faint of heart. The color alone should be enough to warn you off. It's a devilish deep amber, mahogany. Colors like that are put in Nature to tell other living creatures to back the hell off.

Head is thin, leaves a nice sticky lace on the side of the glass.

Aroma is.... well, wow man. Caramely sweet, very pine-like hoppiness, and maybe just a slight hint of alcohol.

Ok, well, not so slight. It's big. So are the hops, for the matter. And the sweetness.

And then there's the flavor. Did I say wow already? Butterscotch sweet, with a warming alcohol feel and flavor that starts around mid-palate and keeps on growing. Fruity notes are present, and a magnanimous dosage of hop bitterness. Stone manages to pack an immense amount of flavor in this beer. Very complex.

Don't plan on drinking anything else after this beer. First, it'll taste like tapwater, and second, you simply don't need any more alcohol after this. Go take a nap and have pleasant dreams of the next great offering from Stone instead.

Serving type: on-tap

09-16-2002 11:25:31 | More by mzwolinski
Photo of avylover
avylover

Virginia

4.85/5  rDev +12.5%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

ruby golden color with a syrupy look to it. This beer looks like it means business, even before you pop the top. Tried arrogant bastard so this could only be better right? RIGHT!! .Smell is malty caramel with a hint of alcohol...nice. Once this beer hits the tongue thats when the hops hit you. This is a great blend of HUGE sweet maltiness and HUGE bitter/citrous hops. I could find something new in the taste every sip and the high ABV is a great bonus.Great mouthfeel, with a nice taste lingering after every sip, coating the mouth with malt and sizzling my tongue with hops!!, and if I had a steel liver drinkability would be a 5, so a 4.5 is fair. One of the best of any style. top notch beer hands down. Whenever you see this beer....BUY IT.

Serving type: bottle

03-08-2003 14:22:37 | More by avylover
Photo of oggg
oggg

California

4.85/5  rDev +12.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

2003 Double Bastard Bomber

What the heck type of beer is this? I figured it'd be a double IPA or something, who knows. Certainly not a barleywine, IMHO.

Appearance wise, you can't tell what you're in for. Dark orange brown, nice head.

Then you get the aroma, and you expect, oh hey, a nasty bitter IPA is coming up. Anything that smells this wonderful is going to wring my tongue with bitterness.

You do indeed get hit with a marvelous hop bite... a hop gnash... king kong size, mac truck bitterness. I've never had anything this bitter. Marin Brewing White Knuckle, maybe... But the malt backbone, the caramel, the malt, the malt is the key. It starts strong and ends stronger and really keeps the bitterness in perspective. The bitterness does not linger and you're left with sweet malty caramelly chewiness.

I just saw that this beer is in the Strong/Old Ale category. I guess that would be appropriate. No winey taste of a barleywine here. At 10%ABV, you don't notice it AT ALL. After one 16oz glass, I was flying high. I let my roommate taste it, and he didn't notice the alcohol at all either, so it wasn't just because I was in heaven. Why on earth is it in a freakin bomber? Because after you wake up, you can finish the rest of it and start you're trip back to heaven all over again.

Stock up on this one.

Serving type: bottle

12-02-2003 00:40:52 | More by oggg
Photo of bditty187
bditty187

Nebraska

4.85/5  rDev +12.5%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Four bombers of this elusive beast landed in my possession thanks to my cousin Scott in Las Vegas and thanks to DESTRO for all of the information needed to track it down.

Double Bastard seems fitting enough for my 600th review on BA.

Dark crimson-brown in hue with coppery highlight, it is fairly dense in the middle with great color depth, a finger and a half of light beige head was impressively fluffy with great retention. As I quaffed unorganized sticky lace was produced. As a whole this is a lovely beer in appearance. The bouquet has more balance than I was expecting, the maltiness is has great depth, there is a touch of sweetness upfront, toasty behind the sweetness and caramely in the finish, the hoppiness is noticeable but more restrained than I was expecting, in no way is that a negative assessment. The hops in part an aroma of pine and grapefruit. The nose is very inviting. One sip of this nectar and I swear I got misty-eyed! Oh momma is this tasty! Upfront the palate has a quick burst of alcoholic heat that is swiftly encompassed by a rush of thick, hearty hop bitterness with a forest of tasty pine trees and groves of grapefruit. The hoppiness is long-lasting and powerful, as conceived by Stone the massive malty qualities close the beer with a big, sweet, caramely thud. It is huge in sweetness but far from cloying. The threesome between the alcohol heat, hops bitterness, and malt sweetness is beautiful in its grace, threatening in its power, and orgasmic in its taste. The huge flavors all work in harmony, each taking center stage on different sips. The aftertaste is so great you have to sit back in your chair and ponder the beauty that resides in your glass. I might be gushing but it is absolutely worth the praise. Full bodied, period, there is nothing “medium” about it, the strong malt backbone and firm carbonation creates a mouthfeel that is sturdy enough to support the big taste. Arrogant Bastard was great but swill in compassion to its older, angrier brother. Even with the whopping alcohol potency it is highly drinkable. It is quite the belly warmer. What a great beverage, it is as simple as that. If you have not tried this demon yet I highly advise you do. Wow!

2003 Release.

Serving type: bottle

01-07-2004 16:50:34 | More by bditty187
Photo of RockyTopHeel
RockyTopHeel

North Carolina

4.85/5  rDev +12.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

2004 Release in a 22 oz. bomber.

Dark, cloudy, chestnut-amber in color with a thin layer of foam floating on top. Aroma full of hops, caramel, and many, many other dark, wonderful flavors.

The taste is surprisingly smooth, with a wonderful back-and-forth volley of hops, caramel, brandy characters, and again, millions of other faintly detectable elements, with alcohol warming around the edges.

This is an unbelievable offering, truly exceptional to its core. A fine sipper after Turkey Day leftovers, too...

Serving type: bottle

11-29-2004 18:35:12 | More by RockyTopHeel
Photo of redteg02
redteg02

New York

4.85/5  rDev +12.5%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Apperance: is almost like a fine scotch with a darker red highlight. poured it the traditonal way (tilted for half the glass, in the center for half the glass), and it produced no head at all, a little disapointing and what kept this beer at a 4

Smell:Wow, a lot better than the regular bastard. strong fruit with just a mild hint of the alcohol. my comments do not do it justice, truly an impressive smell. best ive had.

Taste: again wow, first impressions are fruity, but counter acted by a nice bitterness (nothing too powerful though). very complex in the taste, almost a woody taste in there but nothing too strong. goes down smooth and tastes wonderful.

Mouthfeel: full and just shy of chewy. very nice

Drinkability: i could drink this all night long. however since it is 10% ABV i would not remember drinking it the next day. with that said 3-4 and i'd be set.

Serving type: bottle

12-04-2005 07:52:37 | More by redteg02
Photo of jakester
jakester

Pennsylvania

4.85/5  rDev +12.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

I bought this as a single at Union Jack's on the Manatawny. I drank it in a goblet. The back of the bottle has words on it I don't know, and I'm a crossword puzzle junkie.

Pours a clear ruby red with a tan colored head of foam. Head falls to islands and a ring, with decent enough lacing. Carbonation looks steady. A pretty beer!

Aroma is HUGE fruit and caramel, with giant amounts of floral/spicy hops. Notes of dark cherries, dates, figs, prunes. Some sweet solvent, but pleasant. There is a ton of stuff happening in there.

First flavor is (WOW!) huge dark caramel/Munich malts, followed instantly by a big dose of hop bitterness. Warm heat is next, indicating a big alcohol presence. Fruits are here, like cherries, dates, and plums/prunes. (All prunes are plums, but not all plums are prunes!). For as huge as this beer is, it definitely works. Aftertaste is sweet, bitter, warm, and caramelly.

Mouthfeel is a huge body, smooth and creamy for its size, with an oily feel on the tongue. The back of my throat is under attack from hops and alcohol. Finish is very long, sticky sweet, and warm.

Well, this is certainly an incredible beer. Stone isn't afraid of offending you with their stuff. Thank goodness I'm not easily offended! Huge malt, hops, alcohol, fruit, everything. I love it!

Serving type: bottle

12-10-2005 17:17:48 | More by jakester
Photo of SPLITGRIN
SPLITGRIN

Kentucky

4.85/5  rDev +12.5%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

2005 bottling. This is the third year in a row Ive been lucky enough to have this beer cross my tongue.

Deep blackest red body is sinfully beautiful. Thick golden tan head sits at almost 2 inches thick and stays well. Leaves a slight lace.

Zesty sweet malt on the nosewith sweet dark fruit and a nice mix of spiceyness.

Thick rich darkness enters the mouth on first sip. Long burnt malt is even and well spread out. Palate is blessed with spicey dark fruit, so well mingled with the malt. Amazing balance. Mouthfell is a begging for the next drink, taste buds electric from slight hop notes, mouth watering for more. You hope you never see the bottom of the glass. Another unique, arogant, Double huge success from Stone. Yum!

Serving type: bottle

12-18-2005 00:24:39 | More by SPLITGRIN
Photo of PhiloPsych
PhiloPsych

California

4.85/5  rDev +12.5%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Pours a big, bubbly head that leaves lacing around the whole glass. When cold, the taste is much sweeter than the regular Arrogant Bastard. As it warms the other flavors come through. Not as harsh as the regular Arrogant Bastard, but there is just as much complexity. Maybe a bit smoother and more drinkable than the regular Arrogant Bastard, which is surprising since the alcohol is heavier here. As far as I am concerned this is a really great beer. Very good. Very nice. Very Stone Brewery. I love it.

Serving type: bottle

12-17-2006 00:51:33 | More by PhiloPsych
Photo of techdiver
techdiver

Pennsylvania

4.85/5  rDev +12.5%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

2006 release.

Beautiful dep mahogany with a substantial creamy head that dissipates slowly leaving rings of lace behind.

Dominant hops over a barleywine nose.

Great taste, so smooth and creamy. Complex, with a sweet start leading to a bitter hoppy finish. Some alcohol presence, but very well hidden.

Thick and full mouthfeel.

Sublimely drinkable. I thank Robert at State Line for this 22oz. bomber; just so I didn't have to open my 3 l. yet.

Serving type: bottle

06-10-2007 20:33:56 | More by techdiver
Photo of Pencible
Pencible

Virginia

4.85/5  rDev +12.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

I tried this right after the Oaked Bastard, and it poured pretty much the same. It smelled quite different, though, more like a barleywine with prunes and roasted malt scents mixing with citrus hops and some alcohol smells. It tasted very strong like orange hops, cherries, and brown sugar, with some alcohol warming. It was oily with almost no carbonation, and had an ultra smooth and long lasting aftertaste that was both very bitter and nicely sweet. Overall this was a very complex, very strong, and very delicious beer. More please!

Serving type: bottle

03-31-2008 20:11:25 | More by Pencible
Photo of KBoudreau66
KBoudreau66

Massachusetts

4.85/5  rDev +12.5%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A- Poured a darker brown/copper color that had a small tan head that lasted throughout and left lacing after each sip.

S- Has the smell of many fruits that I will be able to discern better as my beer knowledge increases. It has a strong malt smell, and of course hops.

T- Has the sweet fruit flavor that you would expect from the smell. It also has the smokey malt taste and washes down with hops and alcohol.

M- Full-bodied

D- An excellent beer, that is great to pour in to a glass and sip on and enjoy. The package store that I work at just sold the last few about a week ago which upsets me because I didn't get to grab one more before they come back.

Serving type: bottle

02-04-2009 15:47:06 | More by KBoudreau66
Photo of Stunner97
Stunner97

New Jersey

4.85/5  rDev +12.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Appearance- Nice thick white foamy head, with dark brown beer with slight carbonation and bubbles that can be seen on the edge of the glass, relatively clear in body and can be seen through

Smell- Beautiful sweet strong malty nose, lots of caramel and molasses just rip out of this beer, very sweet sugary nose, slight hops, and maybe slight hints of a milk chocolate,

Taste- thick creamy flavor at the jump off, lots of sweet sugar and malts lead off the early taste, similar to nose to lots of sugar, malts, caramel, and even hits of chocolates smash you up front deliciously, on the finish though you get that ever so slight bitter hops that slowly and slightly build up, an amazing beer with very complex flavors that would be interpeted different by people on each taste, good slight bitterness on finish matches sweet start

Mouthfeel- Very very very soft, creamy smooth and definitely heavy bodied, though so soft it has illusion of light, a nice beauty of a mouth feel

Drinkability- Scarily drinkable considering the 10.5 percent alcohol, its so soft smooth and delicious you want more and more with each sip, a classic beer to me, one to savor each sip, I could find a flaw what so ever in this beer to be honest, so well rounded and yet so complex, hard to put into words just how good this beer is, infact i feel me trying to describe it now isnt doing it justice, if you like the regular bastard try the double its like the ultra reserve of whats already a reserve, enjoy! you wont regret it!

Serving type: bottle

03-16-2009 05:15:56 | More by Stunner97
Photo of jdklks
jdklks

Nevada

4.85/5  rDev +12.5%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

I was surprised to see that I had never reviewed double bastard when having it fresh (i reviewed the 2005 last year from the brewery, but not the 2008). anyways, here goes:

This is beautiful and unique looking beer. Different lighting produces anything from dark brown to bright orange, and at all ends of the spectrum it looks great. it's murky and difficult to see through, except when directly backlit. the head is an off-white-nearly-tan color that compliments the body and laces the glass nicely. This one smells much better when it has a little age on it, but nevertheless it smells great fresh. hops and alcohol dominate here, though the malty goodness that shines as the beer matures is already apparent. a nice combination of dark and citrus fruitiness.

The flavor is, of course, the best part of the beer. if i were to classify this beer i would call it an old ale or a barleywine. it is overly-hopped for either style (something which of course changes over time), but, unlike most other overly-hopped old ales and barleywines, it doesn't matter here. The hops are most pronounced in the finsh and grapefruit-like bitter aftertaste. up front there is a deluge of sweet dark fruitiness (figs, red grapes, prunes) that evolves into a roasty(?) and sweet (brown sugar) maltiness that makes the transition to overwhelming hops nearly seamless. this is a very complex beer that is just so fucking good all the way around.

The mouthfeel is thick, but perhaps over-carbonated in its youth. this progresses favorably as time goes on. drinkability is nothing other than constantly reaching for more.

Serving type: bottle

11-19-2009 06:27:14 | More by jdklks
Photo of wangbruins
wangbruins

Florida

4.85/5  rDev +12.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

A- Extremely hazy and murky caramel brown with a thick tan head. It actually looks like apple cider with the same thick and fuzzy appearance

S- Very hoppy with lots of caramel and some orange and spices, cinnamon I think

T- Lots of caramel and oranges as well as a spicy aftertaste...it's tremendous...even better than Arrogant Bastard

M- Thick and smooth as most Stone beers and the aftertaste is no less than perfect

D- If you don't know it yet, Stone is my favorite brewery and this may be their best output yet!

Serving type: bottle

01-17-2010 02:49:19 | More by wangbruins
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Double Bastard Ale from Stone Brewing Co.
96 out of 100 based on 3,636 user ratings.