Oaked Arrogant Bastard Ale - Stone Brewing Co.

bottleneckedblog

California

4.43/5  rDev +4.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

Appearance:
Deep rust infused brown in color. One-finger thick head. Head is moderately creamy looking.

Smell:
Caramel, vanilla, and citrus with hints of oak in the background.

Taste:
Mildly sweet notes of caramel and toffee upfront. Develops into notes of raisins, orange rind, and faint hints of mint. Finish turns to bitter resinous hops/pine sap and juicy grapefruit that lasts for a long time.

Mouthfeel:
Smooth with moderate carbonation. Dries out in the finish.

Drinkability:
Amazing. Who would have thought oak chips would impact the flavor like they did. Definitely has softened some of the rougher edges on the base beer (Arrogant Bastard Ale). It's a definite improvement on an already damn good beer. Highly recommend.

Serving type: growler

03-02-2011 07:30:47 | More by bottleneckedblog

imagese

California

4.72/5  rDev +11.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a growler filled at the brewery into an imperial pint

A- just like regular AB. A gorgeous opaque ruby with a thin head that laces for days. A perfect example of a great looking beer.

S- a nice sweet bourbon roasted malt scent with some sweet brown sugar undertones. A nice piney hop bitterness lingers in the background.

T- hard to describe perfection. A big robust hoppy awesomeness with a strong dry malt back end. Great earthy pine hop bitterness just makes you want to keep gulping this bad boy down.

M- very crisp and menacing. So bitter, but yet so smooth. Has a slight linger on the tip of your tongue, but not anything unpleasant

D- for those "worthy", this is a very drinkable beer. So smooth, yet big and bold.

This beer is not for everyone. If you want a friendly amber or smooth golden ale, do not try it. If you want a big strong ale, grab a sixer, and enjoy!

Serving type: growler

12-07-2010 05:55:23 | More by imagese

almychristopher

New York

4.43/5  rDev +4.7%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

this beer pours a nice clear red color with an off white almost tan color that sticks to the glass as it recedes to an uneven patchy lace. the aroma gives away a bita of the oak, but not so much as to overpower the hop arrangement. the taste follows, once again well balanced hops and malt, the malt complimented by the vanilla woodiness of the oak. the medium mouthfeel with good co2 make this a pretty drinkable beer.

Serving type: growler

09-17-2009 21:56:16 | More by almychristopher

womencantsail

California

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

A: Dark red in color with a thin layer of white foam and amazing lacing.

S: Tons of caramel, oak/vanilla, slight citrus.

T: Very distinct oak flavor, malty sweetness, smoke, and of course the signature Arrogant Bastard bitterness on the finish.

M: Great body, very little carbonation.

D: Much more drinkable than "regular" Bastard and much more complex and interesting (in my opinion).

Serving type: growler

08-11-2009 02:23:01 | More by womencantsail

HalfFull

California

4.1/5  rDev -3.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a clear reddish amber into a pint glass. Topped with a medium rich inch of tan head initially, shrinking by mid pint to a thin surface film and throwing off a fair amount of lacing all along.

Oak jumps out as I pour the glass. A fair amount of woody hops lie beneath the oak and mix well with a moderate malt structure, a bit of caramel. I would say that the oak enhances the smell of this brew vs. its standard version.

Taste and feel are a bit diminished on the other hand though still very nice. Pick up some moderate caramel malts initially with more earthy hops later on. Occasional blasts of oak. Finishes with a touch of bitterness then a lasting confluence of oak and hops and spice. Feel is a touch thinner than the standard version, or perhaps just different from a bottle, and it does firm up a bit with some warming. Good marks for drinkability, not too sweet or dry, well balanced given the flavors and ABV.

The Bastard(in any of its forms) is Stone's best year round beer in my opinion, and Worthy of its label..

Serving type: growler

02-17-2009 00:55:45 | More by HalfFull

PeprSprYoFace

California

3.78/5  rDev -10.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Got a growler of this at the stone store.

Poured a dark red with a nice tan head.

Smells of alot of oak and hops. Spicy and citrus hops are the dominating scent.

Taste is very strong oak finish that lingers after each sip. A strong hoppyness and sweet malt character balance well.

Mouthfeel is ok but the oak lingers a little too long and creates a funny feeling in my throat.

Drinkabiliy is not high for me since it is pretty strong on the taste buds but the oak does make it smoother and more complex. A good one to try no doubt.

Serving type: growler

06-11-2008 06:20:03 | More by PeprSprYoFace

jjayjaye

New York

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

Pours a dark yet translucent copper amber color with a big stiff light tan head that resists fading. Nice sheets of lacing left behind. The smell has a lot going on. You get a sweet floral citrus from the hops with a vanilla caramel behind it. Medium-full bodied, the mouth feel is adequately carbonated with a tingle of hops yet mellow with almost creamy textures. Full flavored, the taste is just as complex. Citrus-pine hoppiness balanced with a sweet caramel malt and cherry vanilla notes. A notable hop bitterness lingers appropriately. A really nice drinker.

Serving type: growler

09-15-2007 21:44:39 | More by jjayjaye

rallison

California

4.5/5  rDev +6.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

I've previously reviewed this from the bottle - this is just an update for the growler (see previous review for more detail).

Looks great, with a perfect creamy off-white head. Smell is malty with a nice woodiness/earthiness.

Taste is great. Everything here comes together - I think moreso than the bottle - the mellow pine hops, the earthy oakiness, the slightly sweet malts - very nice. Mouthfeel is nice and creamy too. And drinkability is exceptional.

I like this even better from the tap than the bottle. A very well composed beer, and an example of good oak aging. Highly recommended.

Serving type: growler

06-17-2007 04:23:24 | More by rallison

gotbeer

Massachusetts

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

Poured this one from a Magnum. The Bastard Wood. Would you? reads the huge bottle.

The appearance was not much differrent than the standard bastard. Dark reddish brown with a nice head that laced the glass.

The smell was hoppy with a hint of oak.

The taste was far smoother than the regular Bastard. Huge citrus hops are noticable fading to oak at the end. Smooth and complex. Pretty incredible. The mouthfeel was smooth, and the drinkabiliity was superb.

I prefer this one to the regular Bastard. It takes it to a whole new level, and it's great. Awesome stuff.

Serving type: growler

07-21-2006 22:21:17 | More by gotbeer

errantnight

California

4.63/5  rDev +9.5%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Bought this puppy during my visit to Stone this spring. Finally served it up tonight opposite some homemade chili and cornbread.

What can I say. I could gloat about it's gorgeous deep brown color and frothy, billous head. It's alluring, and startlingly complex scent.

I could complain about the difficulty in pouring the first glass from this 3L monstrosity and about the disappointing lack of availability in bombers so that I could imbibe this bitch more frequently (although I hear it's on tap at the Publick House...)

But I'd rather wallow in the wonderful depth of character and flavor. I love big, bold, hoppy beers. And that's here... but it's not predominant. There's an alcoholic sweetness that stands out, the oak is mellow and distant. The distinct AB hops are right in the middle, not attacking up front or lingering behind. Superb balance... but it's not quite as astonishing as I was hoping for. Great, great beer, but between the anticipation and the pour and how it sat in the glass I expected this to be something I would be traveling back to San Diego this week for. It was worth it, but just shy of perfection.

That's faint criticism at best, and I can't wait to compare the on-tap variety.

Serving type: growler

04-17-2006 20:11:05 | More by errantnight

audiojon

California

4.65/5  rDev +9.9%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Simply delicious. I picked up a growler of this from the new brewery and shared it with some good friends. They are both admitted foodies, and I have been trying to share some of my favorite beers with them. This one went down as a favorite amongst all. We've all had good old AB, but oaked AB is something special! It just goes down so smooth, the oak lends the perfect finish to the brew. We finished the growler within a couple of hours, and had a great time in the process.

Highly recommended.

Serving type: growler

03-07-2006 09:27:51 | More by audiojon

mitchfor3

California

4.88/5  rDev +15.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Appearance: Poured from growler into a tulip glass which showed off this beer's beautiful garnet, deep dark cranberry color - it's redder than I expected. The head maintained itself well, a very light cream colored delight that left tenacious lacing and ultimately subsided into a sticky collar.

Smell: The aroma of this beer is simply stunning. HUGELY fruity, but in a good way! Almost no alcohol present in the nose, impressive for upwards of 7%, leaving a delicious hop bouquet undisturbed for my nose's pleasure.

Taste: Wow. Wow wow wow - stuningly smooth considering what this beer came from - the original Arrogant Bastard. The oak aging has worked wonders here smoothing out the harsher, more savage elements of the original into a truly refined delight for the senses.

There's no doubt about who's boss - it's the hops! Still, in a strange way this beer achieves balance. As the brew warms up, the alcohol becomes slightly more present, but it's never overpowering owing to the fact that it could never outshine the delicious hops in this brew. Alcohol is most noticable in the aftertaste, which by the way is delicious - appropriately bitter and woody - and lasts for about 10 minutes if you let it.

Overall: This was without a doubt one of the best beers I have ever tasted. Everyone and their mother is "wood aging" everying these days, but the tecnique was put to perfect use in this brew. I'm really not a fan of the original Arrogant Bastard, but the Oaked version seemed to take out all the flaws and accentuate all the positive attributes.

In conclusion - this beer is quite rare, but if you ever have the opportunity to try it, DO IT!

Serving type: growler

12-18-2005 21:31:45 | More by mitchfor3

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

Arizona

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