Oaked Arrogant Bastard Ale - Stone Brewing Co.

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

freed

Oregon

4.63/5  rDev +9.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

On cask at the horse brass. "Can I have a glass of that"... "we only serve it in glasses"... "That's what I asked for"...

A lovely goblet arrived filled with a color that, now that I've heard it referred to enough, can be safely described as garnet. The deep ruby glow was capped by an simple foam swirl.

The aroma was slightly spicy and malty with the same aggressive hop nose you'd expect from Stone. Very nice.

The taste was a very slow, rich complex malt present. The oak seems to have smoothed out many of the flavors, possibly even concentrating them. The hop bitterness is great, and doesn't detract from the mingling of flavors.

As nice as it was, a glass was appropriate, and I feel the number of days that I'd prefer this beer are quite few.

Serving type: cask

11-16-2004 17:22:07 | More by freed

taez555

Massachusetts

4.83/5  rDev +14.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Had this baby on tap at Anam Cara, served in a wineglass.

Poured a dark amber/brown body with a thick white head.

The nose was a beautiful mix of oak, big malt and some soft citrus piney hops.

Taste was along the same lines. Very rich, medium to full bodied, and extremely smooth from start to finish. A surprisingly big but mellowed caramel malt and citrus/piney hop bitterness and taste are actually very well balanced with an extremely noticeably woody oak touch in every sip. It ends with a lingering bitterness.

I’ve never been crazy about Arrogant bastard (always felt the double bastard and imperial stout from stone blew it away), but OMFG, this is one killer beer. The aging mellows it a lot and really brings out the malt notes and softens the bitterness. At the same time the woody/oak quality add a whole new dimension to the beer. Very nice. I wish they’d bring this out full time alongside the regular arrogant bastard in 22oz.

Serving type: on-tap

11-16-2004 08:40:57 | More by taez555

carln26

Missouri

4.22/5  rDev -0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

On draft at Anam Cara, this beer came to me in a tulip glass. The color was a dark hazy red/brown with a decent cream colored head. The lace draped on the side of the glass. The aroma was a decent blend of malt and hops. The flavor had malt with a hint of Christmas candy and some brown sugar, with a touch of hop flowers. A mild alcohol finish. I think the oak mellows the hops not the alcohol. Medium slick mouth feel. Medium drinkability. I couldn’t drink too much as you still sense the alcohol.

Serving type: on-tap

11-14-2004 23:31:16 | More by carln26

Ellbert

Ohio

4.83/5  rDev +14.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Appearance was just of that as the regular Arrogan Bastard Ale. A nice deep reddish color with a nice tan head that stuck to the glass.

Smell was wuite similar to the reg ABA but more mellow, not as much hops but some vanilla.

Taste: Very mellow. Good. Hops weren't as pronounced but they were there. The was a very mellow flavor to the brew. A very vanilla like flavor was there. It was really good after it warmed up.

Mouthfeel was creamy and it was very drinkable. Not harsh at all. Very good.

Not worth the $70 for a 3L bottle, but benmiliron and I split the cost and now that we did it once we don't have to do it again.

Serving type: bottle

11-14-2004 06:13:05 | More by Ellbert

bigchris1313

California

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

Appearance: A middle-brown, somewhere around Diet Coke, perhaps. It's a very dark amber in hue and absolutley beautiful.

Smell: I really don't know where to go. It's bitter, but at the same time sweet, sweeter than regular AB.

Taste: It's bitter, but at the same time sweet. This Oak-aged is even sweeter than regular AB, but not by much.

Mouthfeel: Not that thick, but thicker than most ales.

Drinkability: Well, I'm working on a 3L bottle as we speak. Because once it warms its flavor significantly betters, I would rate this brew as quite drinkable; however, in order to savor as much of the beer's flavor as possible, I would suggest getting some friends to help you out when dealing with a large quanitity of this ale, such as the 3L bottle. Regardless, it's damned tasty!

Serving type: bottle

11-13-2004 20:04:51 | More by bigchris1313

Crosling

Colorado

3.6/5  rDev -14.9%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Draught. Copper. Aroma consisted of the typical lemony and grapefruit like hops and toasted and caramel like malts that are usually present in the standard Bastard. Added notes of strawberry jam, vanilla and toasted oak became evident in the nose as well. In terms of flavor, the hops toned down a lot. Toasted oak and vanilla became evident as well. I had this on draught twice on two different days. It wasn’t that good and this isn’t what I consider to be an improvement. But you might.

Serving type: on-tap

11-10-2004 23:52:26 | More by Crosling

oggg

California

3.5/5  rDev -17.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Cask @ Real Ale Fest 6/04 Carlsbad

This beer is a hazy/murky brown, with a big bubbled foam. The aroma was just slightly hoppy, with some malt, and the smell of wet wood. On tasting, I got a restrained bitterness coupled with sweet malt and a mild roastiness. It seem to change on me and was sometimes sweet, sometimes dry. I'm not good at picking out vanilla. I just couldn't get a hold of this beer -- not clean enough, not hoppy enough...

I almost wet my pants when this beer appeared at the festival, but I was sorta disappointed when I finally got it.

Serving type: cask

06-18-2004 05:15:42 | More by oggg

Gusler

Arizona

4.45/5  rDev +5.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Cask @ Real Ale Fest
Oh my grannies bustle, this was my second most favorite at the Real Ale Fest, just a tad behind the Russian River OVL Stout, in fact I had several samplers of this to be sure I was able to judge its character lol.

A somewhat hazy brown, the head a tan crown that was creamy in texture, the lace a thick coating upon the glass, with the nose sweet with the aroma of malt and Oak, hints of alcohol and bubble gum, yummy is a good description. Start was ambrosial, thick with malt, the top moderate to full in its feel. Finish was moderate in it’s a acidity, the hops delightful, quite dry and a bit of a tummy warmer, one damn fine beer in this old dawg’s book.

Serving type: cask

06-15-2004 17:50:14 | More by Gusler

kmcnair

California

4.95/5  rDev +17%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

I sampled the Oaken Bastard on tap last night at O'Brien's in San Diego.

Appearance is incredible, robust dark amber color and creates a thick off white head. It leaves a very thick lace down the glass as it is consumed. One of the most impressive looking beers I have ever had.

Smell is different than the ever so hoppy bastard that I am used to. I get some rich, roasted malty character in the nose. A certain sweet quality is there as well. The oak adds an earthy, woody element that is rather nice.

Taste is really complex. Has some grapefruit, currant and woodsy elements. Its sweet and malty and really balanced.

Mouthfeel is very nice, medium to full. Creamy as it goes down and a slightly warm finish.

Drinkable? You bet it is, I managed to put down 3 pints in a couple hours and had my party not been heading out I would surely have had another. Even my girlfriend drank a couple of these and she is typically a hop hater.

If you have the option, try this one, it is great! The balance between hop and malt is unlike any other Stone offering I have had before. Hope to get to try it again sometime.

Serving type: on-tap

02-28-2004 20:22:00 | More by kmcnair

Boilermaker88

California

4.8/5  rDev +13.5%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Having heard that this fabled brew was being offered on-tap in Riverside, I knew I had to try it. So I met up with fellow BA Hopjack13 at Jag's New American Grille for a pint of what turned out to be a great beer.
Served in an Arrogant Bastard pint glass (along with a t-shirt, the total cost of beer, glass and shirt was $15), this Stone brew had a burnished copper sheen, clear to the eye, and a compact vanilla colored head that slowly shrank and left some modest lace behind.
The smell of Oak Aged Arrogant Bastard was phenomenal; the rampant hoppiness of regular AB is refined and mellowed, the sweet malty aroma is more pronounced, and there's a hint of vanilla or some fruit I couldn't quite place that added an extra, wonderful dimension to the nose. Tasting this beer had my taste buds happy from the get-go. A sweet, almost fruity, malt flavor permeated the front and the oak aging is truly notable in how it has calmed and allowed the somewhat clashing tastes of Arrogant Bastard to blend and meld together more harmoniously. The hops aren't subservient, far from it, but the bittering in the finish is smoother and more enjoyable with the aging. The feel was luscious; medium- to full-bodied, smooth, and creamy, thanks to the abundant carbonation.
Oak Aged Arrogant Bastard Ale is a wondrous brew that I could have been happy drinking all night. Alas, this was not to be but I hope to once more indulge in this great offering from Stone again soon. This is liquid gold worth going great lengths to try if given the opportunity.

Serving type: on-tap

02-07-2004 22:47:24 | More by Boilermaker88

Dukeofearl

California

4.28/5  rDev +1.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

Tasted at JAG's restaurant in Riverside California at a brewery special night. Overall, this is one beauty of a beer that will kick you when you aren't looking.

It was served up in an Arrogant Bastard pint glass (they made us buy a pint glass and an oversized shirt just for the right to buy the beer- this marketing ploy pissed me off because when we got there 20 minutes after they started, they were on their last XL shirt and only had XXL and XXXL left. The place was not busy! This is no way to run a railroad, and I lost some respect for Stone because of it). Sorry for the rant but I needed to get that off my chest. Back to the beer at hand. EDIT: After some reflection and some comments by other BAs, I realize that this may have been a ploy of the restaurant and not Stone. I do not know which, but I have since met Greg Koch and he doesn't seem the type to have done this.

The beer is a gorgeous copper-brown color that you can see through (at least before you start drinking it), and the first pint had a very nice off-white creamy head aboout 1 finger high. The second pint came with no head at all. The aroma is full of lush hops and smooth malt- very nice. The flavor is very full, with a lot of hops that are obviously mellowed out by the aging. I didn't have a regular Arrogant Bastard next to it to compare, but (from memory) I really did think there was a difference.

There was a great mouthfeel- there was a lot of carbonation hidden that would come up when swirled in the mouth that made for a pleasing creaminess against the sharp hops.

Drinkability- this beer goes down very well, but the alcohol kick was quite strong. A couple of these and I was done. Overall, this was an excellent beer, and I am pleased to have had the chance to try it.

Serving type: on-tap

02-07-2004 17:19:55 | More by Dukeofearl

nomad

Kansas

4.8/5  rDev +13.5%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Had this at the 12, 12, @ 12 Stone event at the Blind Tiger
(even remembered to take notes yay for me)

Poured a strange brown, black, red color, a different color from the bottle/draught version. Had a steady carbonation to it so the head, a slight creamy color, held tight. The lace dissipated pretty quick, though.

Nose smelled of grapes, currant, oak, barley, and was rounded out by a vinuous quality. It tasted of oak, hops, cedar, and very ripe wild grapes. All the flavors rounded out as the beer opened, when the malt and oak began to come over the hops. Take everything big and snapping about AB, calm it down and make it deeper and more complex - wow.

Mouthfeel was still sharp on the tongue despite the oak-aging but still thin and pretty easy to drink. The finish was biting (at first), mostly feeling salty, winey, but altogether smooth.

In sum, very drinkable, as the oak-aging softened, rounded, and deepened this beer’s character. The oak-aging really helped this beer alot, more than it might help other ones, I feel. Really made a great turn on the bottle version, taking it to an exceptional level.

Serving type: on-tap

04-04-2003 11:40:21 | More by nomad

Shiredave

New York

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

This beer is a work of art. I was lucky enough to try this at the Stone 12 beers event in NYC and it was in the opinion of many I was with, the "Best in Show". It had the same intense blend and balance between the sweet, slightly roasted malt, explosive citrus and firey hop flavor and bittering, but an added deep, smokey roundness that mellowed and softened it into someting incredible. I had 3 and still tried all 12 beers. Thank God for trains. An absolute taste treat for the hop lover. Lets hope the Stone boys keep putting thier Bastard in oak and sending it east!

Serving type: cask

03-20-2003 21:52:20 | More by Shiredave

cretemixer

Indiana

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

Oak aged on cask at the Chicago Real Ale Festival. It’s clear auburn in color and there is really no head to speak of. Smoky aroma with an aggressive hop note. Citrus and coniferous hops are the first taste, but very smooth. There is a nice roasted maltiness too. I have not had this in the bottle yet, so I am not sure how much I can attribute to the oak aging. A very nice balanced beer.
It was one of the first beers they ran out of at the fest and rightly so. I was duly impressed. I can’t wait until Stone makes it to stores near me. I am craving my next one already.

Serving type: cask

03-19-2003 19:15:57 | More by cretemixer

Dantes

New Jersey

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

Presentation: ~10oz. from draught in a tulip glass at the Stone 12 event. Served a bit cold. Cost: $5.

Appearance: Very nice pour, French butter-colored head with a dense, moussey consistency. Reduced to a thin, but lasting, opaque film. The body was a mahogany-reddish color and appropriately cloudy (surprisingly, the Double Bastard, Arrogant Bastard, and Old Guardian were very similar in color, varying by a shade or two). I was able to hold this to the daylight through the window.

Smell: The first notes are a prelude of hops, pine-tar, and some citrus fruit notes; quickly moderated by some sweetness and woody notes.

Taste: Surprisingly, this doesn’t assault the palate as expected. Rather, the junipery-pine notes are well-balanced by the malty sweetness, the deep, woody flavors, and some complex fruits. Tasted next to the “regular” Arrogant Bastard, one can tell that the flavor profile is smoothed by the wood, which adds vanilla notes and tames the hops to a certain degree. Flavors linger languorously, finishing well, with all of its elements standing until the end.

Mouthfeel: Full, silky, and luxurious. The carbonation is perfect; distributing the flavors but remaining unobtrusive.

Drinkability: Obviously very drinkable, but truly a complex beer worth savoring. I wish that this were something that was periodically available (limited enough to remain special) so that I could enjoy it in a quieter environment, on a quiet rainy weekend, along with a cigar and the Sunday paper.

This beer only got better as it warmed in my hand. Of the list of 12 beers available at this event, this ranked behind only the cask IPA in piquing my interest and desire to try; and it certainly didn’t disappoint. I mail-ordered a few bottles of Arrogant Bastard, but decided not to try them until after this event, so I had no preconceptions. Side-by-side with the “regular” AB on tap, this won hands down: smoother, more complex, better balanced. It had it all.

Bottom Line: A truly special experience for which I’m glad I was present. Thanks Greg!

Serving type: on-tap

03-19-2003 10:10:24 | More by Dantes

Jason

Massachusetts

4.63/5  rDev +9.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

On tap at the Blind Tiger. Deep hazed brick red brown colour with a special looking lace … one bad ass looking beer. A mad but “oh so confident” oily hop aroma with a one-two slap of faint alcohol and sweetness says “who’s your daddy”. The minty hop flavour puts the tongue in a headlock and the it drops a pungent grapefruit dropkick to the palate. Malt is there for the three count and vague hints of wood leaves a puckering dizzy feeling. This beer was like a suplex off of the top rope for me.

Serving type: on-tap

03-16-2003 14:04:51 | More by Jason

Todd

Massachusetts

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

Had on-tap at the Blind Tiger on 03/12/03. From the Stone website "Special batch. Extremely rare. Only previously available at one location in Southern CA and one location in Arizona."

A dark brown beer with a creamy off-white head; good retention. Aroma was incredible with a complex floral, herbal, citrus and woody nose. At first taste: creamy and smooth in the mouthfeel. Then strong mint, followed by strong hoppy/pine-y herbal flavour and juicy citrus (grapefruit!!); big hop bite. Oak anchors the big malty sweet flavours and carries thru to the dry finish with strong notes of wood.

Loved it; one of the highlights and I definitely prefer this over the non-oak version. The aging added a whole other depth of complexity and smoothness to the beer.

Serving type: on-tap

03-15-2003 07:26:43 | More by Todd