Oaked Arrogant Bastard Ale - Stone Brewing Co.

TurdFurgison

Ohio

4.33/5  rDev +2.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Presentation: Drank on tap at Naja's in Redondo Beach, served in a pint glass.

Appearance: Extremely dark opaque brown, with a 1-finger whitish tan head.

Smell: Hoppy, malty, and inviting.

Taste: Strong and delicious. I guess I'm not experienced enough to tell the difference between this and the non-oak version. This tasted the same to me (although to be fair, it's been about a month since I last had arrogant bastard). Very very nice.

Notes: No problems recommending this to anyone. Very strong and addictive.

Serving type: on-tap

09-05-2005 23:31:17 | More by TurdFurgison

warriorsoul

Pennsylvania

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

Enjoyed on tap today at Redbones...it was this or Smutty's Wheat Wine...I believe I chose wisely.
Arrives a bit too chilled in a standard shaker glass...dark copper color w/ a full finger of fluffy off-white head. It does not remain long, but the lacing produced is phenomenal.
Aroma is nothing over the top...a great malt presence w/ a hint of wood and floral hops.
Taste is great...all I could expect from this one. Just when you think AB coudn't get any better and then comes the oak flavor...subtlely added, but complements this brew so perfectly.
I believe it adds to the lingering bitterness, as the hops are dominantly featured, but the oak carries all the way through the finish and quenches so nicely.
Mouthfeel is medium bodied and the carbonation if divine. Drinkability is through the roof...hard to go to anything else after tasting this one from Stone.
Really psyched to finally get to try this one...and especially on tap.

Serving type: on-tap

08-22-2005 23:46:59 | More by warriorsoul

DogFood11

California

4.7/5  rDev +11.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

If your a fan of arrogant bastard this is a must try. The oak ageing adds a whole new level to an already fine brew. Appearance was the same as the original but when I leaned in for a whiff it was a whole new brew. Woody, hoppy, with a heavy malt body that seems to be the boss. It is actually a settled down version of the original...all the tastes are a bit more subtle and add in a richer body and the wood and you have a gem. Had this at Naja's at a beer advocate social after hearing the guys talking about it. Thanks for the heads up...great great brew.

Serving type: on-tap

08-14-2005 17:12:14 | More by DogFood11

coasterfreak75

North Carolina

4.78/5  rDev +13%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

The pour was dark copper-red with a thick creamy three finger head that very slowly dissapated and stuck to the glass throughout the drink.

The smell was full of strong hop spice with a hint of malt and slight floral overtones.

The drink started with a kick your teeth out kick of hops the middle was all sweet heavy malt with oily lingering hops at the finish and just a slight hint of oak to hold you over until the next drink.

If you can still find it buy it now, this is by far the best incarnation of Arrogant Bastard.

Serving type: bottle

07-17-2005 17:47:32 | More by coasterfreak75

BuckSpin

Maine

4.55/5  rDev +7.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

My 100th BA Review.

I have been thinking for weeks which beer to review, and the opportunity to sample this came up, so it seems appropriate to let this stunning beer be my "Beer Benjamin", so to speak.

First, any beer in a bottle that big that even comes with a lock...whoa. Like most Stone offerings, this is a beauty to see. A striking ruddy-orange with an amazing clarity in its crystal ability to refract light. A 1/2" head of mixed cream colored foam never quite disappered - nice.

Oh, the nose. One word - OAK. Un (expletive) believable! Just outrageous. Its like a freshly split section of seasoned oak is under my nose. There are some malt and fruit qualities but who are we kiding? Amazing.

Taste? One word - OAK. Again, amazing. The barrel and Arrogant Bastard have played well together. The usuallt strong hops have been tamed to a pleasing bitterness that dance atop the usually fruited but now more wine-like tones. Malts and oak play like old friends - this is a fantastic experience that taste like no beer I have ever tried. Ironically it finishes very light, some bitterness, and some vanilla like sweet tones.

This was simply one of the best and most unique beers I have ever tried. If you have the opportunity, do your tongue a favor and try this. Outstanding.

Serving type: bottle

06-26-2005 02:24:18 | More by BuckSpin

ManekiNeko

Virginia

4.13/5  rDev -2.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Big ass honkin' 3L bottle shared with some NoVA BAs. Gently chilled. I used a Maudite tulip cuz the demon iz badassz.

Appearance: Clear cherry red topped by a tannish frothy head. A thick blanket of foam was retained for quite some time and left strong lacing and massive blobs on the glass.

Smell: Restrained AB hoppiness with a strong caramel malt backbone. Whiffs of oaky vanilla and smoke. A brooding, dark smell, perhaps like damnation?

Taste: Odd cedar/woodchip flavor on the outset. Bittersweet malty caramel kicks in accompanied by vanilla sweetness. Bitter hoppines pervades the entire experience. Woody flavor well integrated, though it takes the hoppiness down a notch or two.

Mouthfeel: A real solid medium body. This sucker has been working out and it shows.

Drinkability: I'm worthy, but I think I'll stick to normal AB unless this comes out in bombers (not bloody likely I hear). A good Stone effort.

Serving type: bottle

02-24-2005 21:47:21 | More by ManekiNeko

donnebaby

North Carolina

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

Dark ruby color is covered up quickly by a dense foam that dies to a filthy haze.

Nose is full of fresh hops and sweetness, and orange spice. Where is the oak?

Taste evolves as the brew warms, into a sweet orange, spiced with cloves. Very sweet, strawberries and cherry. A heavy sweet layer of vanilla adds to the already smooth mouthfeel, that is only interrupted by a spicy grating of hops and booze. Something grahamy and toasted develops. Overall, a little on the sweet side.

Excellent drinkability. Alot more force and stuff going on in this beer than the -- dare methinks -- "low" ABV.

Serving type: bottle

02-18-2005 04:46:57 | More by donnebaby

Bourre

France

4.38/5  rDev +3.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

As I poured the first glass, I had the impression that there would be no head, but it ended up forming a nice light and velevty head on an intense opaque amber brown color body. The smell is extraordinarily fresh and shows a great bouquet of red fruits with a very enjoyable sweetness. Also lighter hints of citrus, with a grapefruit character appearing slowly and getting deeper in the taste. Yeasty notes of vanilla appear after a while. The taste is way more aggressive than the smell. The very dry hoppiness invades and conquers the mouth with together with some oily notes. As for red fruits and citrus, their influence switched from the one they had in the smell: the once dominant red fruits notes are more subtles in the taste, as the grapefruity character took over. The aftertaste gets quite dry and grassy. The oaked aspect appears together with notes of cherry that create a slightly floury feeling on the tongue. Mouthfeel is enjoyably lighter than expected. Its complexity stimulates all the parts of the mouth and of the tongue. This surprizingly soft mouthfeel contributes to the great drinkability of theis character brew.

Serving type: bottle

02-18-2005 04:13:13 | More by Bourre

NeroFiddled

Pennsylvania

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

This will be a fairly straightforward and simple, hedonistic review as I've already reviewed the straight Arrogant Bastard and so much has already been said about this beer.

Basically, I feel that the Bastard is already a full-throttle beer and the oak-aging is wasted on it. Sure, the oak is present (and it's drying, woody character does help to tone down and smooth the beast a bit), but does it really help to improve the character of the beer? I'd say not. It's different, but it's not better. And there's just too much going on to really enjoy the character of the wood (although it is oak-chips, right?). Good, but not great.

Serving type: bottle

01-18-2005 01:54:37 | More by NeroFiddled

francisweizen

Australia

4.78/5  rDev +13%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

I had the last glass of this at Eulogy in Philadelphia after the Yards open house on 12/4/2004. Since I got the *very last* pint of this brew the bartender gave it to me for free. Thanks! And another big thanks to Tracy;-)

Dark reddish copper with a lovely, thick cap of white foam that lasts, lasts, and lasts. Leaving excellent lacing on my tulip glass. The aromas are excellent and although similar to those of the regular arrogant bastard they also exhibit hints of vanilla, oak and caramel. Yum. The taste is hoppy and malty up front with some lovely oak notes and vanilla hints in the middle. The finish is slightly boozy, malty, hoppy, and oaky all at the same time. This is a lovely blend of flavors here. The mouthfeel is silky smooth, thick, bw, and cask-like and the drinkability is only hindered by the fact that this stuff will get you drunk all-too-fast. It is still too bad that this stuff is all gone from Philadelphia. Does anyone want to send me a growler, or split a chained 3L bottle? Tracy?

Serving type: on-tap

01-18-2005 01:43:58 | More by francisweizen

GClarkage

California

4.93/5  rDev +16.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

01/07/05- On tap at the Toronado in San Francisco, CA

Presentation- Served in a tulip glass (damn! was hoping for a pint)

Appearance- Great orange-brown color with a nice big creamy head and nice lacing.

Smell- Possibly the best smelling beer I have ever put my nose to. So much malt, hops, fruity, flowers and oak put together.

Taste- The first thing that I noticed were the hops. Not to bitter, but just enough to entice me to drink more. Then the malt hit me. Rather dark and caramel flavored malt which mixed in perfect with the hops. To top it all off, it had an extra oak flavor that put it over the edge.

Mouthfeel- Medium to highly carbonated, but still goes down ultra easy.

Drinkability- One of the best beers I have ever had. Everything comes together so well in this beer. How I wish they had this beer in the bomber size bottles.

Serving type: on-tap

01-07-2005 00:34:44 | More by GClarkage

shapudding

Pennsylvania

4.5/5  rDev +6.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Growlered this after drinking a ton of it at the Exton Drafting Room. This has always been a favorite session for as long as I can remember, and now to have it oaked.... damn!
Poured deep and woodsy amber/ruby brown and clear with a think khaki ring and slight cloudy dusting in the center. Lovely. Perfect amount of carbination, not too much, just enough to let you know it is there, but not fizzy or "fluffy" feeling. The mouthfeel is very good. Bit under medium bodied. Scents of piney loveliness and vanilla. Nice and dry with dark, hoppy bites. Tastes of grapefruit rinds and gin, whiskey woodsiness. Touch of vanilla hits you at the end. AB is always such a drinkable one for me, and man, add some wood to it, and now it is even more so. Yum. Sad to see this one end!

Serving type: on-tap

01-02-2005 00:32:29 | More by shapudding

IceAce

California

3.63/5  rDev -14.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Served on-tap as a guest beer at BJ's Brewhouse in Brea, CA.

Arrived in a beer-clean footed pilsner sporting a dark copper body and a full finger of creamy tan foam. The nose is sweet with malt with strong backup from the smoky oak. To say that the nose is complex would be akin to telling somebody in the path of a hurricane that they may soon experience moisture.

First impressions mean a lot, and the first taste of this this brew is dry. Really dry. The open is laced with cheek numbing alcohol and grain. Midtaste is virtually absent, a pause which sets the stage for the scene-stealing oak finish.

Mouthfeel is good with a nice supporting level of CO². This is a funky beer in that where I expected smoothness, I received harshness. While I am certain that much time and expense went into the oak aging, the effect is lost when it becomes overbearing.

Serving type: on-tap

12-27-2004 20:49:23 | More by IceAce

watermelonman

California

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

This poured to a great dark ruby color with a medium head that lasted well. It's leaving a hefty dose of lace behind as well.

The flavors coming out of this thing are very strong yet wonderfully balanced. Malts start the party, layers of fruit come through next, and hops finish it off just right. Oak comes through somewhat in the middle of the taste and really makes itself known in the finish. The oak aging seems to have made this much smoother in the taste and mouthfeel. Anything negative I could have possibly said about the regular Arrogant Bastard, no matter how minor, has been reduced or eliminated in this version.

In short, this is an amazing beer.

Serving type: bottle

12-27-2004 04:36:17 | More by watermelonman

blitheringidiot

Pennsylvania

4.55/5  rDev +7.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Dark eggplant maroon yet clear ruby pour with some khaki head coating.

Hop oil scents (simcoe?) with the woody vanilla character meeting up with bubble gum.

First swigs: Granulated sugar and vanilla sherry overtones. Oak woody and maple syrup bubble gum and juicy almonds. Dry slightly lingering aftertaste.

Lighter carbination & tacky foam hops.

Last swigs: Vanilla porter with hops. Vanilla bubblegum from a growler. Thanks to fellow BA Shapudding for the sneak growler. Fairly enjoyable via growler. Wow!

Beer is good. Happy beering.

Serving type: on-tap

12-27-2004 02:07:07 | More by blitheringidiot

oracle

Indiana

4.15/5  rDev -1.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

10 oz draft

OK, maybe I shouldn't be writing reviews after all (although I'm probably not going to stop), but after many folks telling me how wonderful the Oaked Bastard was and how different it was from the regular Arrogant Bastard. Sorry, but quite honestly, I could not tell a difference between this and Arrogant Bastard.

Don't get me wrong. I love the bastard. I buy growlers of it quite regularly. It's a wonderful beer. I just couldn't taste a difference between that and this.

Beer arrived deep amber color with minimal head (probably due to a good job of pouring). Medium lacing left on the glass.

Smell was strong, with heavy hops and a strong alochol presence.

This is one strong beer. Very strong hop presense right from the beginning. Other flavors come in the middle, fruit (mostly plum) and floral. Strong alcohol flavor in the middle as well.

Finish is very strongly bitter, but not unpleasant.

Serving type: on-tap

12-20-2004 14:10:33 | More by oracle

egajdzis

Pennsylvania

4.13/5  rDev -2.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

3 ltr... Poured a copper color with an off white head and spotty lacing on the glass. Aroma of vanilla, cherry fruitiness, and a mild hoppiness. Taste was the typical Ab grapefruit bitterness, with intense malt. Finished with vanilla and more hops. I enjoyed this more mellow version of AB.

Serving type: bottle

12-19-2004 15:23:54 | More by egajdzis

northyorksammy

Ontario (Canada)

4.13/5  rDev -2.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A great experience, a 3 litre bottle shared with many fans. Beautiful dark colour, pour. Excellently hopped,moderated by choice malts, oak bits give flavour. Bitter and wine-like finish and aftertaste. Pine and some grapefruit in nose. Carmel and grapefruit in mid-sip. Medium-full mouthfeel. A bit too oaky from the oak chips, that was less so on-tap two years later when tried at Solena Beach Pizza Port.

Serving type: bottle

12-16-2004 15:59:03 | More by northyorksammy

BrewMaster

California

4.85/5  rDev +14.7%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Served from the always attractive 3L bottle. Luckily we had a new garbage can anda bunch of ice around to chill this bad boy. I have to give the apperance/presentation a 5 because this bottle is so damn cool with the lock and all. The beer itself poured beautifully and looked exacctly like the "un-Oaked" Arrogant Bastard we poured side-by-side. A creamy, frothy head that cascades down the sides of the Arrogant Bastard flute-like glass. The head on the oaked AB lasted the entire glass and then some. Fluffy, soft bubbles formed a nice stiff heaed atop this beer. The aroma is hoppy and sweet but not nearly as stong with the hops as the regular AB. A bit of citrus in the nose as well. The flavor is smoky sweet with a burnt wood flavor. This beer is very very smooth. A lot of the hoppiness has mellowed out to make this a more malty tasting brew. Notes of currant, caramel, and mango fill in the flavor well. It is a slight bit thinner in the mouth but is still very velvety and smooth on the palate. Aging with oak is a definate improvement upon an already exceptional beer.

Serving type: bottle

12-09-2004 17:45:43 | More by BrewMaster

FormatKid

Tennessee

4.8/5  rDev +13.5%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

I finally got a night set aside to drink this 3L, just me and a friend taking on this monster. Once I fumbled the lock off and popped the flip top I stuck my nose right in the bottle and took a big whiff...oh yeah, that's oak...sniffing from the bottle musty oak aromas were what I detected most of all. Once poured into a glass the body of the beer is a deep ruby brown, somewhat hazy, yet slightly translucent. The head is off-white with a yellow oiliness to it. This head is a champ when it comes to retention and lace and lasts through-out practically each entire glass adding to the overall experience. The aroma in the glass is lovely, hops are a bit downplayed when compared to the bastard in his original state, husky oak undertones and of course the dense caramelly goodness of the malt. The flavor totally corresponds, dense velvetty malts, subtle hints of husky oak, tiny pokes of vanilla flavor and dense piney hops. The oak aging process does wonderful things to the bastard...if only it weren't so damned expensive in this particular packaging, I'd still recommend getting one for the experience though.

Serving type: bottle

12-07-2004 00:02:53 | More by FormatKid

RoyalT

Ohio

4.85/5  rDev +14.7%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Appearance – This one came out a pristine orange-brown in color and was brilliant. It brought up a huge, stubborn, monstrous head in every pour from the 3L bottle. The head clung to the inside of the glass leaving gorgeous lacing and went down in clumps of shaving cream-like foam.

Smell – The classic AB nose is here for sure. The malts are dark and come out a bit better though since the giant hop aroma is somewhat muted. Along with this is the oak. It’s typical American-style oak meaning no big vanilla notes. These wonderful smells fade into a nice, deep, malty caramel at the end. It gives the impression of light whisky.

Taste – The Stone hop combination comes out much more at the taste. Even with the huge, dark, roasty malts coming at you full force they are still an even match. The malts darken up more on the tongue. Finally, the roasty malts and resiny pine give way to a light caramel and toffee finish.

Mouthfeel – This seems a little lighter in the mouth than the regular AB, although I’d still consider it between medium and full-bodied. The sharp bitterness and sticky sweetness are softened by the oak flavors to give this one an incredibly smooth mouthfeel.

Drinkability – I hate to use the phrase, “smooth as silk,” but man oh man was this ever so. This was one of the true pleasures in life. What a treat.

Comments – This is probably the biggest “session beer” that I’ve had to date. Skyhand and I had no trouble killing off this 3L bottle. Well worth the $60 that Stone is charging.

Update – Popped the ’06 right after it came out. This is edgy right off the shelf. The oak is raw. I keep checking my cheeks for splinters. This has a lot of spank that needs to be cellared out unless of course you like a little smack to go along with your bastard, which of course we all do. I suggest drinking fresh and aging as well.

Serving type: bottle

12-03-2004 14:31:19 | More by RoyalT

beergeek279

Pennsylvania

4.68/5  rDev +10.6%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Served from a D's growler into a dimple mug. The color is a dark tawny brown with a nice beige foggy head. The smell has a lot of the oak in it with just a touch of the hops. The taste starts with a nice mellowed but very assertive hop bite (piney) with the oakiness strong in the flavor, with a surprising touch of malt sweetness...more subdued but definitely more complex than ordinary Bastard. Mouthfeel is very oily yet otherwise smooth. As for drinkability, this is one I'd definitely enjoy several more of.

Thanks to Greg Koch for sending Oak Aged Arrogance out this way. I debated whether I preferred this to the standard Bastard, and I admit they both have their own unique characteristics; the everyday Bastard slaps you in the face with flavor, while this is more nuanced and subtle (words I never thought I'd use to describe Stone!!!) and equally enjoyable in its own way. Quite good, and if this growler is my last then I will be drinking more of these next year!!

Serving type: on-tap

11-25-2004 02:30:55 | More by beergeek279

SheepNutz

Kentucky

4.9/5  rDev +15.8%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

3 Liter bottle split up with my boys Kevin (kmpitz2) and Chris (clvand0) and poured into a tall stemmed Arrogant Bastard glass. It pours a deep brownish ruby red color with three towering fingers of head. Bigass chunks of lacing all down the sides of the glass. The smell is a little less hoppy than regular Arrogant Bastard. It still has some citrusy aromas, and some dark fruit aromas as well, such as cherry. The taste is rich and malty at first. Lots of cherry, wood, and earthy flavors. The finish is a great balance of hops with a hint of oak. The flavors just all come together in perfect harmony. The mouthfeel is extraordinary, so thick and so smooth. The drinkability is fantastic for a 7.2% brew. A damn near perfect beer. I wanted to give it a perfect 5, but I'm gonna hafta agree with Kevin here. For as strong as the flavor is, there could be just a little bit more in the nose. Nevertheless, the beer was just a treat to drink and an honor to share with Kev and Chris.

Serving type: bottle

11-23-2004 16:56:43 | More by SheepNutz

clvand0

Kentucky

4.53/5  rDev +7.1%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

I split this 3 liter brew with two other BA's - kmpitz2 and sheepnutz. The bottle is superb with its lock and chain. Poured into a 22oz Arrogant Bastard glass. It pours a red color with a very tall head that has great retention and leaves tons of lacing on the glass. The hoppy aroma seems subdued in this version, but still very much present ... just more balanced. The flavor is great. Caramel malts with a lot of American hops - citrus, earthy. The oak is very apparent in the flavor as well. Thoroughly enjoyable beer.

Serving type: bottle

11-23-2004 14:35:09 | More by clvand0

OldFrothingSlosh

Pennsylvania

3.68/5  rDev -13%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

On-tap at Anam Cara.

I was extremely/very/muchly excited to see this on the list of beers available at the lovely Anam Cara.

Hazy reddish-brown in color, with a long-lasting tan head that makes a tolerable effort to lace the glass. Aromas are certainly nice, but not what I'd expected. There's a pervasive oak character here but not the hop bitch-slap I'd expected from the Arrogant One. Flavor really threw me. I've had The Bastard before and this is nothing like it. Not nearly as boisterous in the hops and alcohol department. Lots of oaky character, with some residual sweetness on the palate. There's hops in here, but not nearly in the quantity I'd hoped. Finish is on the dry side. Mouthfeel is good but I wasn't blown away like I've been with other Stone beers. As AKSmokedPorter said...had I not known beforehand that this was oaked Bastard, I never would have thought this came from the Stone brewery.

Serving type: on-tap

11-17-2004 02:04:38 | More by OldFrothingSlosh