Oaked Arrogant Bastard Ale - Stone Brewing Co.

barczar

Kentucky

4.01/5  rDev -5.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a brilliant amber with copper highlights and a frothy one inch beige head that dissipates slowly, leaving thick, holy lacing.

Resin, pine, and grapefruit open the aroma, with fresh cut grass and slightly dank cannabis rounding out the hop profile. There's some caramel malt sweetness buried in there somewhere, along with toasty oak. Notes of dark fruits...raisins, prunes, and figs, emerge.

Flavor is a juxtaposition of sweet and bitter. There's an initial promise of bitterness, which the malt overcomes mid palate, but resiny, herbal hops take back the profile in the finish. Grapefruit, tea, fresh cut grass, resin, burnt caramel, and oak are on the laundry list of flavor notes. Lightly burnt toast flavors emerge as it warms.

Body is fairly full, with moderate carbonation and light alcohol warmth. They'd a bit of hop astringency present.

Great, complex beer. A little too resiny bitter for my liking, but still very good in all other respects.

Serving type: bottle

06-12-2013 18:21:20 | More by barczar

tanarm

California

4.18/5  rDev -1.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Beautiful clarity in a deep dark amber body. Great head retention.

Definitely oaky upfront, sharp oak wood. Undertones of dried fruit. Dankish hops.

Smooth and malty, the oak is in the background now. Finish is long, bitter, hops are there to balance sweetness. Chalky, minerally dryness. Malt and fruity esters shine here. Dark cherry, blackberry, raspberry. Abrasive hop bitterness and citrus rounds things out. A little astringent.

Mouthfeel is mostly dry. Medium body. Slightly creamy. Low-medium carbonation.

Easily drinkable for a big flavorful beer. Gotta say I like this better than I remember having tried it years ago.

Serving type: bottle

06-11-2013 05:17:30 | More by tanarm

RWLawman

North Carolina

3.55/5  rDev -16.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A - Maroon in color with little head to speak of.

S - Immediately detect the presence of piney hops, along with a sweet smell and malts.

T - I agree with another reviewer with his assessment of the flavor experience in order: Astringent taste followed by sweet and malty, lastly the tingling presence of pine hops.

M - Medium-bodied with a tingling carbonation.

O - Not my typical style or preference, but it was a refreshing change in pace. Solid offering by a solid brewery.

Serving type: bottle

06-10-2013 00:13:31 | More by RWLawman

BeerDocT

Georgia

4.25/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.5

Been wanting to try this one for ages. Spotted a four pack at my local Total Wine and could not pass it up.

Appearance 4.0: Pours out a deep, dark amber color. Very little head, but after the pour, unusual spotty foam started popping up. Very attractive.

Smell 3.75: Nice bouquet. Lots of barley malt biscuit malt and a distinctive, pleasant and subdued pine aroma. All up-front and a very nice accompaniment to each and every sip. I do not, however, detect any wood notes.

Taste 4.50: Front is somewhat dry, but the alkaline taste of the hops is very noticeable. Middle is somewhat sweet and malty with more hops detectable. Finish is wonderful with heavy malt and hops intermingling once again with an emphasis on hop flavors. Chinook hops. Unmistakable. Also, this is where I first noticed a resiny, oak taste. Finish is of medium length with more of the hops and a very slight vanilla taste, probably the result of the oak.

Mouthfeel: 3.75: CO2 carbonation was good, but there is a noticeable burning in the mouth while drinking this beer which may turn off some tasters (not me!).

Overall 4.50: Excellent brew. The addition of the oak has transformed an already wonderful brew into something on another level. I know my score does not reflect a true average of the different component scores, but the taste of this beer has to be experienced in order to be fully appreciated. Recommended. Pick a four pack up if you find it.

Serving type: bottle

06-07-2013 04:16:20 | More by BeerDocT

4ster

Quebec (Canada)

4.15/5  rDev -1.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Enjoy by 04.23.13... a little overdue but figured it'd be ok....

Reddish dark amber, aggressive pour gives a good 2 finger head, off white, frothy, lacing holds up pretty well while drinking. Quite bitter, pine, woodsy, caramel malts....Pretty full bodied, off sweet caramel malts up front, but then just lots of bitter hops, oaky-wood pungency, hints of booze on the after-taste.... I find you don't get as much vanilla/other oak flavours when just using the oak chips instead of letting it sit in a barrel....

Mouthfeel is quite nice, very balance, more on the full/heavy side, very smooth and easy drinking for a oaked, dark ale...med carbonation, not too alcoholic or sticky, if anything slightly drying...

Overall, not having tried the non oaked version, I found this quite a nice ale, easy drinking but pretty decent, full flavoured and with a little added complexity and bite to it from the oaking...

Serving type: bottle

06-02-2013 02:24:00 | More by 4ster

rlee1390

Indiana

4.08/5  rDev -3.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.5

A-Clear deep ruby, one finger off white head that leaves some lacing.

S-Wood, malt, caramel, toffee and grass.

T-Oak, dirt, caramel, grass, very malty, balance isn't quite there mild bitterness and some pine.

M-Lighter, slightly carbonated and maybe a tad watery.

O-A nice beer, the oak imparts nice flavors, if the balance was a tad better the beer would be phenomenal.

Serving type: bottle

06-01-2013 16:01:18 | More by rlee1390

danieelol

Australia

4.26/5  rDev +0.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Pours a lovely amber with great head and lacing.

Smell is English-style malts and a waxy pine melon lemon from the hops. Do get some floweriness from the oak coming out.

Taste is as I remember it from the original- really strong bittering hops without huge hop flavour. Luckily I like that sort of thing.

There is malt and some hops. Oak provides some chocolatiness; which is great, and also added astringency; which I also enjoy.

Overall a fantastically enjoyable Strong Ale.

Serving type: bottle

05-25-2013 11:51:02 | More by danieelol

ksimons

New York

4.18/5  rDev -1.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

A-a dark amber with a fingers worth of fluffy cream head

S-caramel malt, light grapefruit hops, vanilla

T-caramel malt backbone with sharp bitter hops and vanilla with a bit of oak

M-medium body, medium carbonation, leaves a slight bitter aftertaste

Overall a really nice, interesting, complex beer

Serving type: bottle

05-19-2013 22:18:25 | More by ksimons

jamescain

Texas

3.9/5  rDev -7.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured into a tulip glass. Best by date of 5/13/13.

Pours a cloudy orange-red with a thin off white head that fades into a thin lacing. After a while in the glass the chill haze subsides and the beer clears up. The aroma is pretty muted, the hops may have faded at this point. Its malty with notes of caramel and some woody-vanilla hints. The taste is not as assertive as regular AB. I'm wondering if the oaking mellowed it out a little bit, or if it was the age of the beer. Its a relatively chewy malt bomb. Toffee, bready, caramel and oak are the predominate flavor profiles. The body is medium-thick but not syrupy. There is a slight tannin finish to the beer, presumably from the oaking. I like this beer but I'm not a fan of the tannins. Although I can't complain since the 4-pack was only $5.

Serving type: bottle

05-09-2013 16:23:21 | More by jamescain

TheCondor

Missouri

4.25/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

After having had Arrogant Bastard (and loving it), I was excited about trying the Oaked version of this fantastic brew. Side poured with standard vigor from the 12oz bottle into my Boulevard glass, co-sponsored by the KC Royals. 1st Place in the AL Central, in case you didn't know. While I write, its' snowing in KC, making me want to go to Stone Brewery and relax in 75 degree weather.

Appearance - Pours a beautiful deep ruby red color with a nice one finger that dissipates slowly and leaves excellent lacing. Very impressive presentation on this brew, and of course Stone kills it on the packaging. Always a pleasure.

Smell - Malty sweetness is certainly strong, with a bit of hop character. A hint of the oak can be detected, as well as some spiciness and booze. A fairly complex nose, albeit not very strong.

Taste - What the nose lacks, the taste makes up for. The oak is certainly prevalent, with a nice malty spicy sweetness making up the majority of the drink. There is a little hop character in there as well.

Mouthfeel - This is one of my favorite parts of this brew, in that it is so smooth and you get a touch of the alcohol at the end. Nothing overwhelming, but it is there, and I like that. It doesn't let you forget you are drinking alcohol. Leaves a nice, smooth, sweet taste on the palate. I would say it is a medium-heavy beer.

Overall - While I did not like this beer to the extent I like the standard Arrogant Bastard, it is still an excellent beer no doubt. I would highly recommend it, although I would also recommend you drink the original first for a control group (comparison purposes). Great beer.

Serving type: bottle

05-01-2013 02:37:58 | More by TheCondor

trxxpaxxs

New York

4.1/5  rDev -3.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Pours a deep ruby color with a huge two full fingers of puffy off-white head. The foam doesn't take too long to settle, but when it does there are big rocky bubbles along the edges of the glass. Tons of lacing as it drinks.

S: The nose is malty, spicy, and boozy. I get a touch of caramel, leather, and tobacco in this beer as well.

T: It starts out sweet with malt and caramel. As it moves to the middle I get vanilla, spice, caramel, and leather in there. It's also a touch earth (dirt and leaves). That may not seem appealing, but it is nice. The back end brings on the booze along with more caramel and vanilla.

M: Full bodied beer. Sweet and spice envelop the palate right away. It's hefty but it's overly sticky or chewy. Nothing too lingering after the beer is gone.

O: Very good beer. The vanilla in the beer shines through thanks to the oak aging. It's pretty darn delicious. I may revisit this beer if I'm in the mood for a smooth well balanced woody beer.

Serving type: bottle

04-29-2013 21:13:25 | More by trxxpaxxs

BurgeoningBrewhead

Pennsylvania

4.61/5  rDev +9%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.75

Poured into snifter. Deep gorgeous ruby red, with a full white head that leaves lots of lacing. Smells hoppy like an IPA, but with a thicker malt presence. Taste is similar to the smell; hops up front, solid malts through, but a sweet woody oak finish that sneaks in at the last second. Mouthfeel is pretty full, but smooth. Delicious.

Serving type: bottle

04-28-2013 03:39:22 | More by BurgeoningBrewhead

kagent777

Utah

4.31/5  rDev +1.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

12 oz bottle poured into my perfect pint glass. This is the first commercial beer I have had in a while because I have been enjoying my homebrew.

Appearance: A gorgeous deep amber with a very well retained two finger tan head. The only negative are the yeast floaties that I can see swimming around in the carbonation.

Smell: Oak barrel "funkiness" and pin hops.Caramel sweetness bring it all around.

Taste: The taste really follows the smell. Bitter with the oak barrel note up front. A solid maltiness with a touch of sweetness as it finishes. The strong 7.2 ABV is hidden very well.

Mouthfeel: The mouthfeel is solid with the taste going all over the mouth. This beer has a slick sort of feel. The carbonation is good and the body is sizable for the style.

Overall: I do like the oak treatment the they added to Arrogant Bastard. It adds a layer of complexity to an already very solid beer. The only downside is the added expense. A solid treat now and then.

Serving type: bottle

04-25-2013 03:00:53 | More by kagent777

drrone

Utah

4.4/5  rDev +4%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

A- Pours a nice dark amber with 1 finger of tan/beige head that slowly faded with almost no lacing.

S - Not very strong, but intriguing and it draws you in. It has a nice malt nose, with some caramel and pine breaking through. The wood is subtle, but definitely there. Hops, but they seemed faded (I'm not sure, but this my by due the fact that I had an Enjoy By a couple of hours earlier).

T - Great taste! The hops are definitely there, with a great sweet malt base. Caramel, vanilla and smoked wood creates an interesting complex.

M- Medium bodied, easy to drink. The alcohol is there, but I find it nice to drink. Little carbonation.

O - Pleasantly surprised by this beer. I like the original, but the oak added to it more than I thought it would. Still a good hop hit and aggressive, but adds an interesting element to a great beer.

Serving type: bottle

04-25-2013 01:16:26 | More by drrone

flyingpig

United Kingdom (Scotland)

3.83/5  rDev -9.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

The Cave, Glasgow (330ml, £2.80):
Mid to dark brown colour with a clear body and a bubbly, off-white head that also leaves some nice lacing.

Mild, hop filled aroma with a bit of caramel and a nice amount of spice too. There is a good mix of toffee and some light grapefruit backed up with citrus and an oak type aroma.

Fruit and spice along with some oak and caramel from the nose. Again some medium strength hops make an appearance along with some spice and grapefruit. There is a nice, wooden oak flavour towards the end.

Smooth with a tiny amount of grain that is barely noticeable. There is some spice and a good, oaked wood feek and a lot of depth to the mouthfeel.

Quite nice, a touch more oak filled and spicy than I would have like but the beer did not suffer for this. The beer was very smooth and highly drinkable despite the relatively high abv. and the strong taste. There was a good malt taste to the beer that complimented the initial early hop one beautifully and went down a treat; a strong but very enjoyable beer.

Serving type: bottle

04-17-2013 10:57:48 | More by flyingpig

gcamparone

Rhode Island

4.49/5  rDev +6.1%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a 12 oz bottle into a snifter. Purchased in Attleboro, MA.

A- Pours a deep amber, clear body with a thick, gushing off white head that reduces very slowly and leaves chunky, sticky foam 1/2" thick on the sides of the glass. Very appealing.

S- Very floral with citrus zest, a big malty caramel backbone, oak barrel, and pine sap.

T- The oak chips really punch you in the face the second this beer hits thee tongue - lots of vanilla, caramel, and butterscotch upfront. This progresses into an aggressive hop bite with lots of pine, resin, citrus, and floral notes. The finish is borderline astringent. All of this is sitting on a medium-heavy roasted malt backbone that gives it subtle notes of toffee, chocolate and caramel.

M- Medium-heavy body, medium carbonation.

Overall a hugely complex beer. The oak chips really take this beer to a whole new level and add a lot of nice flavors. I could probably only drink one of these in a sitting but it's good nonetheless.

Serving type: bottle

04-12-2013 23:56:47 | More by gcamparone

Matthew_Phoenix

Illinois

4.01/5  rDev -5.2%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4

Had this out of the bottle and poured into a glass earlier this month and haven't gotten around to reviewing it until now. Bought a 4-pack and got it for my friends b-day. I thought it would be cool for us to share a beer together. This is my first review, here we go!

A-The beer looks flawless and the bottle is incredibly cool and funny. Has a pretty large, tan colored head and it seems like it stays forever. The beer is a deep copper color, almost amber. looks great.

S- Smells different. You can really smell the oaked and wood flavoring and it is for sure the strongest and primary smell. There might be some sort of citrus thing going on too from what I remember as well as the hops. Might be some sort of bready sent going on. Not to bad, but once again, mainly oak and wood.

T- Wow! The taste is pretty much like as my friend put it, "Like drinking a liquefied tree!" There is a heavy wood presence here. Not a lot of booze taste here, which is good. Hops are noticed here, but not overly powerful. The taste finishes dry, but not too dry. The taste lingers for a very long time afterwards. Even after chewing a stick of gum, I was still able to feel it on my mouth. Overall, a very aggressive and strong taste, but I don't mind.

M- Not a whole lot of carbonation, which is a good thing. Most beers are too carbonated and it takes away from the other qualities of the beer. The mouthfeel is heavy without a doubt. Like I said before, the taste stays with you for a very long time.

O- A very big and bold beer. Tastes very different and unique in a good way. I have never had anything like that before. My friend couldn't stand it because he said it was like drinking a tree. While he was right, it's not necessarily a bad thing. Overall, a very pleasant experience, if you get the chance to try this, don't pass it up!

Serving type: bottle

04-01-2013 03:12:36 | More by Matthew_Phoenix

thecheapies

Pennsylvania

4.19/5  rDev -0.9%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.25

Gorgeous-looking beer. Dark red-mahogany color with a fluffy bone head of dense sticky foam. Lacing is amazing and thick. Retention is ridiculous.

Toffee malts, American oak, some booze, grapefruit and sappy hops, mild raisin. Nice.

The oak is huge. Super woody and dry and piney, which develops the hop profile even more. The flavors are just... massive. A step-up from regular Arrogant Bastard. Elements of the floral and the citrus compete with the big oak and toffee breadiness. Very enjoyable.

Dextrinous and chewy. Medium-big in body. Lots of trapped bubbles exploding upon drinking. Busy.

Very good strong ale. Better than Double Bastard, in my opinion. Easy toslug sip and enjoy.

Serving type: bottle

03-14-2013 04:18:12 | More by thecheapies

M_C_Hampton

Georgia

4.43/5  rDev +4.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.5

A: poured from a 12 oz bottle (bbd 3/22/13 ?) into a pint glass, pours a light red orange brown with a light tan head that lingers leaving good lacing, clear

S: oak, toffee, citrus hops, pine, caramel

T: bitter hops up front mixed with an earthyness from the oak tannins, middle sweetens slightly with oak still present, finish is pine resin and bitter, taste lingers, slight hints of spice maybe nutmeg

M: thinner than I expected, aftertaste is long, very slight alcohol presence

O: a nice adaptation on Arrogant Bastard, oak mixes well with hops, very drinkable

Serving type: bottle

03-09-2013 02:28:12 | More by M_C_Hampton

duracell

Quebec (Canada)

4.7/5  rDev +11.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

12oz bottle into a snifter.
A - Pours a dark amber/mohogany color, hazy. 1-finger, light brown, super creamy head. Nice legs, almost no lacing. Thin bubbles create a nice head at every swirl.
S - Big complex aroma . Malt, hop and oak have their place. Malted sweetness, candy sugar, dark fruits, piney hops, citrus, wood, vanilla.
T - Starts fresh and malty with loads of herbal notes, slightly floral. Then a citrusy bitterness kicks your tongue, blending nicely with some wooden character and phenolic spiciness to linger forever.
M - Very smooth. Carbonation is spot on. Medium body with little alcohol.
O - Arrogant Bastard is huge, the oak version is even bigger!

Serving type: bottle

03-04-2013 19:47:14 | More by duracell

kawilliams81

Illinois

4.24/5  rDev +0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Poured from a 12 oz bottle into a Half Acre snifter.

A- pours a dark amber with a 2 finger tan head. Big trails and amoeba lacing remain on the glass.

S- sweet malts, dark fruits, light smoke, sweet candy apple, faint pine.

T- amber malts, toffee, light citrus, and bitter pine.

M- medium body and carbonation. Very smooth with light dryness from the bitterness.

O- nice beer and better than I remember. Smoother than regular AB and has nice sweetness to it.

Serving type: bottle

03-03-2013 04:48:54 | More by kawilliams81

timn

Kentucky

3.94/5  rDev -6.9%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Pours a nice dark, but clear, ruby red, with bubbles visible. Color reminds me almost of a port wine or fortified wine. Looks very appealing.

S: Strong smell of hops, but also some sweetness and a bit of a caramel aroma. The hops are the strongest smell, but some complexity in the aroma.

T: Very strong hops and bitterness powers this one from start to finish. Tastes a lot like an IPA. The oak really only comes in at the end, but is a nice touch. The bitterness is really what lingers here, though.

M: Good mouthfeel. Smooth, with some tingle from the carbonation.

O: This is a nice beer, though one has to really enjoy IPA-type hoppiness and bitterness to like it. The oak adds some complexity to the taste. I have not tried the non-Oaked version of this beer, so I don't know how they compare, but this one is pretty good.

Serving type: bottle

03-03-2013 04:29:55 | More by timn

MisSigsFan

California

4.64/5  rDev +9.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75

"This is an aggressive ale..." but you most certainly will like it. Pours that signature Bastard darkish red color with a 1.5 finger bone-white head. Head is extremely smooth with great lacing. The smell is very similar to that of the standard Bastard, but with just a hint of the oak chips at the very end. The taste is actually quite different from the standard ABA. This time, sweetness, biterness, and oakiness dominate, with just a bit of pine at the end. The mouth is also quite similar to the original Bastard. Smooth, yet leaves the biterness lingering. Overall, I'm won over. Honestly, I'd probably buy this over the original any day, but unfortunately, it's not as common. Good thing I'm from San Diego!

Serving type: bottle

03-02-2013 02:01:46 | More by MisSigsFan

dar482

New York

4.71/5  rDev +11.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75

It pours out in this deep rich amber brown, with lots of red in it. The head is thick and pillowy.

Smelling it, it has a wonderful aroma that is so inviting. There's lots of malt, but it's not strong and doesn't overpower you with the oak. There's a biscuity sweetness to it that is so warm and delicious. You just want to go in immediately.

Drinking it, it starts off with a round vanilla flavor. It has a swirl of many flavors. The roasted malt flavor along with the soft light oak along with the medium body is a fine combination. There is a big lasting bitterness in the end, but it doesn't sit too strongly on your tongue to ruin it. It's almost peppery like rye.

The complexity of this beer really sells it for me. Very drinkable despite the alcohol flavor in it.

Serving type: bottle

02-25-2013 03:51:02 | More by dar482

kvgomps

New Mexico

3.04/5  rDev -28.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.75

Pours a rich mahogany with a ton of effervescence when held up to the light. A 1 inch head with good retention and a ton of wood on the nose. I'm gonna guess that's oak.

The taste is sort of flat and undefined upfront but this gives way to a strongly overpowering bitter oak profile. This isn't all that different from chewing on tree bark. Even has that sort of medicinal bitter pine flavor on the tongue minutes after the sip. Almost feels like whatever little balance was present in the original has now been sapped out.

Well, I don't care for the taste but it has some things going for it - the appearance and mouthfeel do win it some points. Unfortunately these pale in comparison to the taste for me. I enjoy barrel aged beers so I'm a bit surprised at this one. I'm guessing this is a polarizing brew. Still though, worth trying once.

Serving type: bottle

02-25-2013 01:58:24 | More by kvgomps