Lukcy Basartd Ale - Stone Brewing Co.

gpogo

California

4.25/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A- Red amber that seemed to start hazy and clear up by the time I got to the bottom.

A- Pleasant sweetness with some alcohol standing right behind it. Light oakiness, caramel. Light hops, I aged this a bit.

T- Sweet with a complex bitter oak alcohol hit. Vanilla started coming through as the beer warmed.

M- Lighter side of heavy with moderate light carbonation. Seems very smooth and easy drinking, but at the same time quite thick.

D- This is a delicious beer and I had no idea what to expect. Not exactly sessionable, but a great beer to spend an evening on.

Serving type: bottle

05-02-2013 06:52:29 | More by gpogo

ToddT

Pennsylvania

4.34/5  rDev +3.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

L- Clear medium amber with a medium sized off white head, the head fades slowly to a ring and leaves a bit of spotty lace on the glass.

S- A wash of hops notes, floral/grassy/pine, and a backbone of caramel malt. There is a hint of vanilla in the background along with a bit of oak.

T- Hoppy right away, tempered with some caramel malt and a woody oak quality. Complex and flavorful taste, with a dry finish and a final hop note to close things out.

M- A bit less than medium, and the same in carbonation. The finish is mostly clean with just a little bit of hop oil left on the palate.

O- A truly great beer, the idea of blending the bastard beers together to create something completely new is an outstanding thought. Be cautious though the 8.5% ABV with show you what a bastard it can be the next day.

Serving type: bottle

04-27-2013 02:21:59 | More by ToddT

buschbeer

Ohio

4.1/5  rDev -1.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

1 pint 6 ounce bottle
Served in a snifter

A - It is a deep copper color with some amber highlights. It is topped with a couple inches of tan head.

S - I notice some sweet caramel, toast, and some dark fruit. It is very reminiscent of a barleywine.

T - The taste has a lot more bitterness with some grapefruit being present. I am hard pressed to find the sweetness that the nose suggested.

M - Medium to full with moderate carbonation

O - This beer reminds me of a barleywine. I was surprised by the sweet smell, but the taste was more what I expected from Stone. I wish I would have had it fresh but still good.

Serving type: bottle

04-20-2013 20:50:41 | More by buschbeer

ONUMello

Ohio

4.25/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Somehow I missed that this was part of the "enjoy by" series (Bottle says "Enjoy by Jan 31, 2013" so take this with a grain of salt). Oh well.
22oz bottle poured into a pint glass
A: Reddish amber color with a billowy, lingering one-finger head
S: Great malt/hop balance. A bit of toffee, a bit of resin
T: Complex, with notes of rye, toasted wheat, toffee, resin, citrus
M: Fairly full-bodied, a bit thick but complex & pleasant
O: This certainly doesn't seem at all old or off, but as good as it is it makes me want to try one out in date. Well done, Stone!

Serving type: bottle

04-20-2013 16:06:08 | More by ONUMello

brewski09

Ohio

4.83/5  rDev +15.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75

Poured from a bomber into a Columbus Brewing Company pint glass.

A - Reddish brown with a beige/tan 1.5cm head. The head dissipates relatively quickly, but average for an 8.5% ABV beer. A nice beer to look at that indicates complexity to come.

S - Booze/vanilla oak (american) heavy in the beginning and . I would say primarily a Centennial aroma that fights with the booze and oak to eventually gain a dominance, but only slightly. Brief moments of booze and oak still show through in the aroma.

T - You get a steady bitterness right away that is married nicely with the booze and oak, then they fall out of symmetry before returning to a nice balance. The complexity of the flavors and how they start of in harmony, then each have their own moment, and then end in harmony again.

M - This is a rich, full beer on the palate in every way, including the mouthfeel. The beer is full and silky, with a nice resiny oil and residual sugar coating the palate after the sip is gone.

O - A great beer with a lot of complexity to it. It takes the 3 Arrogant Bastard Series beers and really melds them into something greater than any of the originals.

This is one of my favorite beers and I have to admit, I was sad to see this was my last bottle of the second release. I aged one 9 months and didn't think it was worth it. It was better in the first few months.

Serving type: bottle

03-20-2013 00:58:13 | More by brewski09

metter98

New York

4.1/5  rDev -1.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: The beer is clear amber in color and has a moderate amount of visible carbonation. It poured with a half finger high beige colored head that died down, consistently leaving a thin layer of bubbles covering the surface and a collar around the edge of the glass.
S: An interesting mix of caramel malts, citrusy hops, pine resin hops and oak is present in the nose.
T: The taste is similar to the smell, except that the hops are more prominent and lend a moderate to strong amount of bitterness that lingers through the finish (especially the piney hops). Hints of alcohol and vanilla are also noticeable. Once the beer warms up, the vanilla flavors become stronger.
M: It feels a bit more than medium-bodied, crisp and very dry on the palate with a moderate amount of carbonation. Some alcohol heat is perceptible.
O: This beer is like smelling salts in that tasting the hop bitterness will definitely wake you up, but there's an interesting enough mix of flavors to make it something you can sip and savor. It definitely tastes like a hybrid between an imperial IPA and a strong ale.

Serving type: bottle

03-12-2013 02:00:56 | More by metter98

peensteen

Ontario (Canada)

3.86/5  rDev -7.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

Hazy deep amber, just over one finger of off white head, good lace on the glass also. Smell is piney and quite hoppy, citrus with lots of orange flavour, malt, caramel with a faint bit of vanilla and oak. Taste is a mix of caramel, malt and hops, lots of pine and citrus, fairly bitter throughout, oak-vanilla, toasted in the finish, mildly sweet but drying mid palate, hoppy aftertaste. Medium carbonation, perhaps a touch high, medium body, decent feel. Quite a nice beer, very drinkable but I think of all the bastards I would go with straight up Arrogant Bastard as my favourite but I would certainly drink this again.

Serving type: bottle

02-22-2013 22:53:44 | More by peensteen

olfolxholme

California

4.16/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.25

22 oz bottle into a large Tripel Karmeliet tulip snifter

A - Very healthy two finger light khaki (near white) head. Nice dark ruby beer, glows beautifully when held up to the light. Was surprised by the amount of sediment, but just pour carefully. I'm not always a fan of the Stone bottle rants... but I like this one. "Best after 1.31.13" strikes me as possibly being part of the joke... But who knows. Guess this bastard is two weeks late...

S - American hops (citrus, resin, grass), caremelly malt, light toasted oak presence.

T - Wicked and complex blend of spicy hops, light smoke, very tasty amber malt presence. Nice lingering aftertaste of oak and grassy hops. I see others noting peat - that makes sense.

M - Perhaps a little watery in the body, but, overall, a nice sudsy wash. Aftertaste buzzes with hop bitterness.

O - Very drinkable, complex American Strong Ale with pronounced hop and oak character. Not for the weak of heart, but downright magic in the hands of the right lucky bastard... Even two weeks late...
45

Serving type: bottle

02-13-2013 03:51:51 | More by olfolxholme

WoodBrew

Illinois

4.21/5  rDev +0.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

The Lukcy Bastard is a big beer and reminded me of a good scotch ale. The beer poured a deep rich amber with thin white head that left some lacing. The smell was mostly malt with some sweet undertones. The taste was heavy with malt that included earth/peat with caramel hints and alcohol. The mouthfeel was full body with smooth carbonation. Overall it was a good beer....certainly could not session this one.

Serving type: on-tap

02-10-2013 22:14:24 | More by WoodBrew

kvgomps

New Mexico

3.91/5  rDev -6.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

Pour is thick with a lingering 1/2 inch head - does the souffle thing. Scent is surprisingly malty with just a hint (barely) of oak.

Taste is more like the Bastard you expect. Haven't had the Double so I'm not sure how strong of a presence it makes. Good pine flavor, decent resin/malt backbone, oak on the aftertaste (not too strong when cold but much heavier as it warms).

Not a common feature of Stone for me but this gets better as it warms. Doesn't hold a candle to Ruination but the oak makes this better than your average Bastard. This beer loses what it gains by the oak with the idiotic label. If you get past the first paragraph without a headache you're the better man.

Serving type: bottle

02-10-2013 04:38:37 | More by kvgomps

beerandcycling88

Washington

3.98/5  rDev -4.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

From notes
Poured from a bomber into a snifter

A Pours an amber color topped off with a white head.

S Lots of tropical fruit and citrus with lots of grapefruit like bitterness coming out.

T A lot of sweet tropical fruit and citrus with just a bit of bitterness and bready malt.

M a bit of a heavy body

Overall a pretty good take on Arrogant bastard family of beers. The tropical and citrus notes really set it apart from the others.

Serving type: bottle

02-09-2013 21:37:58 | More by beerandcycling88

DavoleBomb

Ohio

3.5/5  rDev -16.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured into a perfect pint. Enjoy by Jan 31, 2013, so I just barely made it.

3.5 A: Clear copper amber color. Two and a half fingers of frothy beige head. Retention is decent and a diffuse lattice of foamy lacing is left.

3.5 S: Surprisingly hoppy, this takes on a lot of the double bastard. Hop aroma is a mix of floral foremost with pine, herbal and earthy following behind. Caramel and toasty maltiness with notes of toffee and dark fruits - raisin and dates.

3.5 T: Taste is like the nose. Piney and floral hop flavor. Caramel, toffee, toastiness, and neutral malt maltiness. Dark fruits.

3.5 M: Heavier medium body. Good moderate carbonation. Lightly creamy and quite smooth.

3.5 D: This is good, but nearly every thing Stone offers has been eclipsed hundreds of times since craft beer started going more mainstream and showing up everywhere.

Serving type: bottle

02-01-2013 01:38:56 | More by DavoleBomb

facundoCNB

New Jersey

4.35/5  rDev +4.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

a clean dark copper pour with 2 fingers of yellowish head which left behind lots of nice lacing. aroma of sweet caramel, raisins, dates, a subtle smokiness, earthy bitter smelling hops. the flavor is complex as all hell. a delicious arrangement of sweet malts showcase the hell out of this beer, blend in some burnt tire bitterness from the hops, a subtle smoked flavor, a little bit of a wood profile, cherries, roasted grains.. holy crap this beer is all over but somehow works, and works damn well. medium body on the heavy side with a moderate amount of carbonation and a nice creamy feel to it overall.

this is an excellent beer. after all these years, the bastard is still excellent, and this is a great edition of it.

Serving type: bottle

01-29-2013 01:58:13 | More by facundoCNB

stewart124

Ohio

4.69/5  rDev +12.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75

22oz bottle with a drink by date of 01/31/13

Ruby red and brilliantly clear. Dense off-white head that lingers nicely.

The nose has plenty of pine and i'm not sure if I have started to get used to this smell or if it dissipates quickly but I lose some pine after just couple minutes.

Medium body with a smooth character overall. Huge background bitterness and just a touch of vanilla. Maybe some oak but I am stretching here. Very carbonated and it finishes very dry. Still that lingering piney bite on the tongue.

It doesn't take long for one's tastebuds to be beaten into submission. Medium caramel throughout. White grapefruit is probably the big citrusy note I get from the hops.

Delicious and well worth the price.

Serving type: bottle

01-27-2013 03:48:09 | More by stewart124

CurtFromHershey

Pennsylvania

4.18/5  rDev 0%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.25

Pours a rich brownish copper with a huge billowing head which persists and causes some of the sexiest lacing known to man

Smell is very hop forward, citrus, pine, and gin/juniper.

Taste is a bit maltier than the nose would lead on. Caramel, sourdough bread, grapefruit. Oak aspect very muted. Really wouldn't pick up on it if I wasn't looking for it.

Mouthfeel is a bit thinner than anticipated. Sturdy carbonation prickles the tongue similarly to the hop bite.

Overall a fantastic beer. A bit muddled as to what the intention is, otherwise would rate higher.

Serving type: bottle

01-25-2013 23:53:03 | More by CurtFromHershey

elNopalero

Texas

4.4/5  rDev +5.3%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75

My bottle had a best by date of January 2013. I cracked it open in December, 2012.

This pours a wonderfully rich amber with a thick head of foam. The foam loiters more than lingers, hanging out after the first few sips even. There’s a light aroma. It’s piney, with hints of orange peel and a whisper of cinnamon tea hiding somewhere. It’s not a vibrant, big aroma but nicely layered.

The flavor has a mellow rounded bitterness with a piney, resiny heft to the body with a dry tacky finish. It’s malty and smooth with a big bitterness like its siblings only without the sharp edges. I’m not worthy!

Serving type: bottle

01-22-2013 07:54:22 | More by elNopalero

superspak

Michigan

4.23/5  rDev +1.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

22 ounce bottle into tulip glass, best before 1/31/2013. Pours slightly hazy red amber color with a 2 finger dense light khaki head with great retention, that reduces to a nice cap that lingers. Spotty foamy lacing clings to the glass. Aromas of big grapefruit, orange zest, tangerine, floral, grass, orange rind, toast, caramel, oak, pine, bread, and herbal earthiness. Damn nice aromas with good balance and complexity of hop/malt notes. Taste of grapefruit, orange zest, toast, tangerine, citrus rind, caramel, pine, floral, grass, bread, oak, and herbal earthiness. Good amount of citrus piney bitterness on the finish; with lingering notes of citrus, citrus zest, citrus rind, floral, pine, caramel, toast, grass, bread, and herbal spiciness on the finish for a good bit. Excellent flavor complexity of hop flavors with a nice malt balance; and minimal cloying bitterness present after the finish. Medium carbonation and body; with and fairly creamy and sticky mouthfeel that is nice. Alcohol is very well hidden with hardly any warming noticed after the finish. Overall this is a very excellent American strong ale. Great hop complexity and balance of malt flavors; and very smooth to sip on. A very enjoyable offering.

Serving type: bottle

01-17-2013 05:07:05 | More by superspak

Chadhowie

California

4.76/5  rDev +13.9%
look: 5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75

This was my favorite of the 5 beers I sampled while at Stone Brewery in Escondido. I ended up buying a growler full of it when I left. The American Strong Ale is to the Imperial Double IPA what Round Table Pizza is to the best italian pizza. They are both outstanding, but the Strong Ale just adds that bold American touch that we all know and love.

Serving type: on-tap

01-16-2013 00:23:54 | More by Chadhowie

cvm4

Mississippi

4.31/5  rDev +3.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

A - Pours a very dark red amber with a bubbly eggshell head. Okay lacing.

S - Very juicy & hoppy (pineapple, citrus & floral).

T - Malty, hoppy, bitter, floral & burnt caramel. Flavors come together & meld wonderfully.
M - In the light side of medium body with high carbonation.

O - Smell delivers, taste is obscenely good. Bitter malty hoppy goodness.

Serving type: bottle

01-12-2013 02:10:53 | More by cvm4

chanokokoro

Illinois

3.8/5  rDev -9.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a 22 oz. bottle into a Stone branded pairing glass (short stemmed goblet)

Pours amber with golden highlights capped by a light beige one and a half finger head. Great retention with a fair amount of splotchy lacing. Toffee, citric hops, and some underlying toasted oak on the nose. Fairly complex, caramel joined by orange rind, charred oak, burnt toast, toffee, bitter grapefruit rind, and warming alcohol. Full-bodied, smooth and silky with moderate carbonation. A successful blend of all of Stone's infamous "Bastard" brews.

Serving type: bottle

01-08-2013 05:23:50 | More by chanokokoro

mdwalsh

Iowa

4.03/5  rDev -3.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A nice, lacy head on a big red body.

Aroma is great an hoppy. with a nice malty boozy-ness but not harsh.

Taste is a little harsher, too acrid with the hops.

The mouthfeel is awesome, perfect carbonation.

Overall, a worthwhile beer, something I will try again for sure.

Serving type: bottle

01-07-2013 17:22:27 | More by mdwalsh

smcnulty1981

Rhode Island

4.43/5  rDev +6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A: ruby red color with a khaki colored head a good ammount of laceing and some alcohol legs

S: lots of juicy citrus fruit and resin on the nose with no alcohol at all

T: great citrus flavor up front hits with a little of pucketing on the sides of the mith with some malt flavor on the backed no alcohol Tate at all when drinking

M: medium bodied mouthful very easy to drink doesn't drink like an 8.5 % beer

O: extremely great experience with this beer what really enhances it is if you smell the beer and sip it at the same time you can really emerce yourself in this beer

Serving type: on-tap

01-06-2013 21:28:25 | More by smcnulty1981

searsclone

Arizona

4.23/5  rDev +1.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

poured into a DFH flared pint glass. reviewed about 3 weeks before the enjoy by date

Pours a clear red, caramel color with a huge tan creamy and rocky head.

Smell is sweet chocolate, piney and earth. Really clean.

Taste is excellent balance of sweet caramel, toasty dark chocolate and clean hop finish

mouth is smooth, velvety, creamy. Prickly carbonation, medium mouth feel with a great dry finish. Perfect.

overall, crazy smooth and really easy to drink. If you get a chance, this is a must try!

Serving type: bottle

01-06-2013 19:54:15 | More by searsclone

rangerred

Tennessee

4.35/5  rDev +4.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured into a snifter out of a 22oz bomber.

Pours a clear ruby red with just a thin wispy head. Even with the lack of a substantial head there is very nice lacing throughout.

Aroma of piny hops mixed with burnt caramel. Some maple syrup along with a healthy dose of oak. Burnt toast and rye bread round out the aroma. Really a heavy, roasty, caramely, complex aroma that is extremely inviting.

The flavors continue the themes found in the aroma but on a much more intense scale. Tons of oak and pine with a healthy dose of caramel thrown in. Some burnt character and a spicyness that is reminiscent of rye. Fairly intense bitterness throughout balanced my sweetness. Mouthfeel is slick with a good amount of stickyness in the finish.

Overall, this is my favorite of the Bastard line. Really so much going on here and I really love the oak character. Perfectly blended and really one to savor.

Serving type: bottle

01-06-2013 02:41:00 | More by rangerred

Raven3464

Japan

4.23/5  rDev +1.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Appearance: It pours a clear, bright red to dark copper body with a one finger head. Sticky lacing makes the beer look extra sexy.

Smell: Pineapple, citrus, and pine trees come to mind at first. Sweet malt notes, a smell I will call the Stone Bastard "twang" and a woody oak aroma are also noticed.

Taste: Sweet malts and grapefruit blend into a huge hop punch. An "oaky" flavor similar to that found in Oaked Arrogant Bastard can be found but it is not quite as prominent. A slight alcohol burn lingers in the aftertaste together with the hops.

Mouth feel: It is medium bodied with just enough carbonation to wash down the sticky hops.

Overall: Stone seems to be rehashing old ideas but, with brews like this, who could complain? I think I prefer the original Bastards, especially the Oaked, to this hybrid but it can still be considered a successful experiment. I hope to have this again.

Serving type: bottle

01-05-2013 14:32:50 | More by Raven3464