Oaked Arrogant Bastard Ale - Stone Brewing Co.

mick303

Ontario (Canada)

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

Colour is a dark brown with a bit of dark burnt caramel. Lacing is decent. Head is toffee tan in colour.
Nose has plenty of caramel, toffee, vanilla, some clean hop bitterness. Flavourful with a distinct oaky edge.
Taste has more of the same notes, nice toasted malt. Creamy and oaky, big body, with a hit of clean hop astringency. Finishes cleanily, creamy and flavourful.
Great stuff, oak aging suits it nicely.

Serving type: bottle

10-30-2012 09:51:36 | More by mick303

McD0uche

California

4.23/5  rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Enjoyed at Bluewater Grill in Tustin, CA on 10/20/2012.

A: Pours a dark rosy brown with a substantial head. Retention is average, with some noticeable lacing after the reduction.

S: Smokey, malts, oak, and a sweetness I can't quite pinpoint. A pretty excellent aroma overall.

T: Delicious. Starts out sweet and tangy, with malts and hops dominating. It finishes on the smokey, bitter side of things. A very complex taste. You can't just sip on this and ignore the flavor--it demands your attention.

M: A little rough on my palate. Not particularly thick, but the carbonation is a little too high.

O: This was a memorable beer. Though the mouthfeel wasn't quite where I wanted it to be, the smell and taste were outstanding and I'm sure I'll visit this one again in the future.

Serving type: bottle

10-21-2012 20:24:55 | More by McD0uche

Theheroguy

Maryland

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

Appearance : Deep Red yet translucent, white thick head

Smell: Very complex fruit and hops notes with some sweetness

Taste: Hops and mint up front with some malt in the back ground. Woody flavor at the end and in the after taste. Overall this tasted great but not amazing

The mouthfeel was suprisingly average for such an expensive beer.

Serving type: bottle

10-21-2012 02:58:48 | More by Theheroguy

coreyfmcdonald

Georgia

4.03/5  rDev -4.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12oz bottle into a snifter

A: Pours a clear dark amber color with two fingers of dense white foam. Retention and lacing are both superb.

S: Malts balanced between bready and sweet caramel are the most dominate flavors. Close behind this I get significant citrus and pine hop aroma. Spicy and vanilla oak round out the aromas.

T: Interesting, lots of flavor packed in this for the ABV. The beer starts of with lots of bready malts with a bit of toffee sweetness. On the dry side for the style, but what characterizes this style anyways? I get lots of hop bitterness and piney hop flavor. Spicy wood flavor is there, but not overbearing. It mixes well with the bready malts and piney hops.

M: Medium to low thickness with average carbonation. This is an easy drinking beer and the mouthfeel works well for it, but it's not in your face like a lot of American Strong Ale mouthfeels.

O: This has the hops of an IPA and and a great malt profile with a strong bready and toffee flavor. Very strong flavors without intense bitterness, sweetness, or ABV. The sum of the parts is what creates the intensity. Oakiness adds an additional complexity. I really enjoyed this.

Serving type: bottle

10-19-2012 00:20:48 | More by coreyfmcdonald

KKB

Massachusetts

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

A – A brilliant orange/brown in direct light with hints of red as well. The head climbed up about two fingers high and is a sort of golden beige. This beer just looks lovely.

S – The nose is phenomenal. There is no two ways about that. Hops and malt, with the hops being pungent and fruity and cirtrusy and so nice. I actually can get the oakiness in the nose but it is very faint, definitely there though.

T – There you are, I was looking for ya. The flavor is just robust, savory, intoxicating, so many hops, but they feel a little mellowed out in this compared to the AB. This has a lot of sweetness that is somewhat caramel-esque, it has grapefruit in there for sure, and then after you swallow the caramelized sugar comes into play with the oakiness coming in big on the finish.

M – The mouthfeel may even be the cherry atop this magnum opus of beers. The mouthfeel is so smooth and yet it comes at you with a firm conviction, and still there is an element of creaminess that makes you just want to chug this bad boy down. So good.

O – Compared to AB? I have no idea. I don’t know which one is better than the other and I would be getting ahead of myself if I said that I did. This is truly something else though, and I could see how someone could say it is better than AB. I love this beer, it is one of my all-time favorites and I look so forward to picking this up again and again and again.

Serving type: bottle

10-16-2012 02:29:16 | More by KKB

GMB

Japan

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

Stone's Oaked Arrogant Bastard Ale fills the room with aromas of pine, citrus, and flowers as it pours forth a deep reddish brown body. The head is thin and disappears quickly. The small, delicate bubbles slowly moving towards the top tell me that this beer is going to be gentle on the tongue.

The nose is unlike any I have experienced. The kind of bright and bold floral and citral aromas that we expect from Stone mingle the earthy richness of warm, dry oakwood. Notes of dried fruits and toasted grains linger in the background, but that is not to say that they do not contribute. Indeed, the aroma is rounded out by the malt, which adduces aromas of browned (not burnt) butter. The interplay of oakwood and rich browned butter is new to me, and I am having trouble coming up with analogies. Perhaps one can liken it to roasting whole spices, such as cinnamon, in browned butter as the base for aromatic dishes.

The taste is even more complex and intriguing than the nose. The bittering hops play with Stone's bold citral hops to create the illusion of grapefruit. Sweet browned butterscotch, an undertone of bitterness, spicy and citral aroma hops, and woody oak call to mind flavors of meats slow-roasted in savory barbecue sauce. So do the beer's rich sweetness and soft feel on the palate.

Stone's Oaked Arrogant Bastard Ale is similar to Double-IPAs. Its flavors are intense, complex and demanding. Its flavors continue to develop for what seems like an eternity on the palate. I took my last sip ten minutes ago, but I am still picking up new flavors as I breathe and move my tongue about my mouth. Outstanding.

Serving type: bottle

10-15-2012 00:06:27 | More by GMB

pschul4

Illinois

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

Thanks to my buddy Erik for this treat!

A- Pours a dark brown with a huge dark tan head, about 3 inches of foamy head sticking to the sides of my glass for dear life

S- Intense battle of malts vs hops. Lots of smooth malts in the nose but the piney hops dont let them take over. Not much going on in terms of oak here but it smells amazing regardless

T- Move hops vs malts. The hops take their turn going first and the malts do what they can to keep everything in check but the hops are definitely winning this battle in the taste

M- Very smooth, this is the part of the beer where the oak aging becomes evident

O- Taste is good but a bit of a letdown after how good it smells. Maybe if this was a little older the hops would die off more and it would be awesome but as it stands its a little too hoppy to be perfect. Still delicious and I still would never turn one down

Serving type: bottle

10-08-2012 02:35:09 | More by pschul4

WastingFreetime

Wisconsin

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

AGED REVIEW

16 month old 12oz bottle aged at basement temperature.
(BTW the brewery recommends consumption within 3 months. I beg to differ and present opposing evidence.)

I've got a palate that's arguably over-sensitive to oak wood chips. After the fresh tasting was too 'lumber-iffic" for me I took the rest of the bottles to the basement cellar and forgot about them for over a year. And now, I'm really glad I did. It smells more like a barleywine now than a strong ale. I can smell caramel / toffee, citrus peel, vanilla (from oak wood) and a medium-strength leathery-tannic roasted malt / woody blast that is tempered by a gentle sherry aroma that wasn't there when the bottle was fresh. All of these factors are also present in the flavor along with a strong surge of grapefruit-pine resin bittering in the finish of each sip that satisfies my hop addiction quite thoroughly. It's even still got medium levels of soft bubbly carbonation!

However, it has lost a fair portion of the herbal and all of the minty hopping aspects it had fresh... I'd consider that a fair price to pay for the gain of these medium leather and light sherry qualities, especially considering it also reduced the oak wood tannic levels down into the range of my personal palate preferences. Aging this one worked out well for me because of my low tolerance for oak chips, all the extras that happened to come along with it were just extra icing on the cake for me.

Serving type: bottle

10-05-2012 19:09:52 | More by WastingFreetime

Goblinmunkey7

Massachusetts

3.98/5  rDev -5.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Thanks to angrybabboon for procuring a bottle of this after is disappeared locally.

Appearance: Very slight chill haze on a deep copper/amber. Rich brown and red hues. Head is off-white, creamy, and drops to a tiny, thin, wispy cap with sheets of lacing. Clumps of head stick around, but that's about it. Heavyish pour.

Smell: Mild touches of oak play with some sweet caramel malts. Roasted, deeply sweet, with some nice balancing citrus from the hops. Mild toasted notes. Cooked malts, mildly bready. Nice blend of floral, herbal, and citrus notes. Malt structure balances sweet and doughy. Oak adds a nice mellowing influence, pulling out some light vanilla and wood. Less aggressive than its non-oaked counterpart.

Taste: Herbal, sweet, and mellow. I didn't think it was possible with a Stone beer, but the oak really helped push down and blend the flavors. Big bready sweetness on the back coupled with a light toasted malt. Some big roasted malts follow and work well with the light floral touches and minor oak notes that float through the back. Some grapefruit and pine, but the hops are relatively clean. Loaded with caramel malts. Associated sweetness.

Mouthfeel: Nicely full without being heavy or syrupy. Carbonation is moderate and works well to spread out the flavor. Lingering bitterness.

Overall: Better than its parts would imply.

Arrogant Bastard is decent. It's a benchmark. Oak is good, but it's often used incorrectly. Stone makes a decent beer better by using oak properly. That's the story, and it's a good one.

Serving type: bottle

10-03-2012 23:48:57 | More by Goblinmunkey7

angrybabboon

Rhode Island

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

Consumed 9/27/12

Appearance: Slightly hazy but mostly clear copper brown - starts with a little, off-white head, quickly fades to nothing but a small ring - leaves some nice spots of lacing

Smell: Well, it's like Arrogant Bastard, but with oak - cooked, caramel malts, lightly toasted - some light citrus, with orange and grapefruit, and some pine - lightly herbal and spicy, with some oak

Taste: Lots of caramel and hoppier than the smell would suggest - grapefruit flesh with lots of pith - spicy caramel malts, lightly cooked and toasted - some herbal, earthy, and piney notes - oak imparts a nice flavor, not overbearing, nicely mellow

Mouthfeel: Medium, smooth, slightly oily, nicely carbonated

Overall: A great use of oak

I personally think this is slightly more drinkable than the non-oaked variety. The oak adds some nice (not excessive) flavor, and mellows out some of the overall harshness. Nicely complex and tasty.

Serving type: bottle

09-27-2012 05:20:47 | More by angrybabboon

Converge

Alberta (Canada)

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

355ml bottle poured into a 16oz tulip. I've never had standard Arrogant Bastard before, or any Stone beer for that matter, so I have little context to go by here.

A - Pours out of the bottle thick and creamy, with a deep burgundy hue and moderate haze. Big frothy head of light tan foam sits on top. Nice retention and awesome lacing.

S - Not quite as intense as anticipated, but still very good. Earthy aromas of oak, hops, hazelnut and a touch of maple fill the nostrils. Earthy hop presence is assertive but balanced by the rich caramel malt, toffee, and a hint of vanilla. An inviting blend of woody, resinous earth and pungent hop bite; very inviting.

T - Opens up malty, earthy, and a little sweet at the front. Oak is prevalent, but not dominant. Rich caramel malt is strong, with toffee, vanilla and maple notes coming through. The finish lends an assertive punch of earthy, slightly floral hops, fading into a lasting bitterness with a touch of coffee as well. Big bodied, but not abrasive. Definitely a malty profile, but not without complexity and balance as well. Good stuff.

M - Creamy and smooth, and surprisingly big. Low carbonation that prickles lightly. Finish is slightly astringent, with a lasting hop bitterness. Excellent mouthfeel.

D - Certainly not an everyday brew, but as an occasional treat, this is really something. The earthy profile, hoppy bite, and creamy body all come together to make a remarkable beer for the true beer drinker. Can't wait to try more Stone brews after this one.

Serving type: bottle

09-21-2012 23:00:16 | More by Converge

StonedTrippin

Colorado

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

finally ive obtained this. it pours a rich redwood color, clear and amber like tree sap. theres a head an inch or so tall just off white, but it relaxes to just patchy foam after a minute. the nose is less in my face than i thought itd be. its just mellow notes of mature oak, tart dried fruits, and aggressive west coast hops. theres more balance from some nice english caramel or red malts. its also calmed from its original version to an arguably less arrogant and more refined and sophisticated status, which i certainly appreciate. the hops are much more laid back, contributing more than just bitterness. the oak does wonders for this beer, and its definitely my favorite of the bastards. it has a great feel, full bodied but the carbonation is tame from the oak chips, and the finish is complex and refreshing at the same time. the alcohol is also not as evident, which i think is also a positive this time around. i really enjoyed this one.

Serving type: bottle

09-20-2012 01:51:39 | More by StonedTrippin

tectactoe

Michigan

4.29/5  rDev +1.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Pours a dense and deep amber color, almost enough so to be called brown. A thick, foamy, beige head forms atop the beer, outlasts half of the bottle, and leaves some excellent lacing behind. I've come to realize that most Stone brews leave tremendous lacing - this one is no exception. One whiff of this one and you can immediately tell it's a Stone brew - it has that tell-tale hop character; dense pine, pungent oils and resins, and bittersweet citrus rinds and orange peels. OAAB also contains a fat, meaty, malt aroma backbone, one that's almost too big to call it just a "backbone". Toasted, steely caramels, sweet malt and barley, a dense woodiness, something I'm guessing is characteristic of the oak-aging.

Surprisingly enough, the hops are a bit more mellowed out than the nose would have you believe, and I'd go so far as to say the hops (the bitterness, at least) is a little toned down from the original Arrogant Bastard. Don't get me wrong, it definitely stings the palate, but in a pleasingly moderate kind of way. Flavors are still there, albeit also a bit more subtle; leafy, herbal, ashy, piney, with large amounts of oil. The malt character in this brew is nearly 50/50, however, with lots of toasted caramel malt, burnt, sweet, sugary toffee, and toasted bread. The oak is even more relevant on the palate than in the aroma - a dense, woody character overshadows everything, slightly dry and rustic. The oak element really adds quite a lot to the integrity of this beer. The alcohol beefs things, making for a thicker and more robust taste without impeding or being too harsh. Slick mouth feel, with a body on the thick side, but not quite syrupy or sticky. Relatively low amount of carbonation.

Very impressed with this one. Compared to regular Arrogant Bastard, the hops are a bit more aromatic yet toned down on the palate. The malt bill is more prominent and the oak aging certain brings a whole new and tasty element into the mix. If you're a fan of the Bastard series or Stone brews in general, get your hands on some of this.

Serving type: bottle

09-16-2012 18:17:39 | More by tectactoe

Enoch

Virginia

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

Aroma: Treacle and a vegetative scent I couldn't quite identify. Some alcohol odor present in the nose. No hops in the aroma. Overall complex and hard to identify.

Appearance: Deep reddish-brown with some gold around the edges. An uncharacteristically large head with moderate retention. Extremely clear despite the color.

Flavor: Big burnt caramel/treacle flavors up front. Alcohol strong but not overpowering, or as assertive as a barleywine. No hops flavor; some maltiness and a woody flavor.

Mouthfeel: Warm feel with esters present. Very creamy, almost velvety, but hops bitterness lingers in the cheeks and the side of the tongue. Carbonation very low.

Overall: The oak chips added to the beer, but the star was the caramel/treacle flavor.. Lots of other flavors made this a very complex beer. Definitely something I'd want to drink again.

Serving type: bottle

09-10-2012 00:46:08 | More by Enoch

Ford

Texas

3.8/5  rDev -10.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Picked up a six pack straight from Stone in Escondido while on vacation. What an awesome facility they have!

Poured into a pint glass at home.

You can really smell the wood. I loved the first taste, but the aftertaste wasn't my favorite. Certainly a lot of hops and lingering bitterness.

A good beer. I'm really glad I picked it up. I'd love to try it on tap as I think that would lessen some of the bitterness at the end.

Serving type: bottle

09-08-2012 03:13:35 | More by Ford

gottabetweed

Texas

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

Pours a reddish brown with a thick creamy off white head. Lots of lacing on the glass.

Smell is very complex. Molasses, pine, alcohol.

Taste is very well rounded across the pallet. Oak, molasses, hops, and a nice alcohol burn at the end.

Overall, a very nice complex beer.

Serving type: bottle

09-06-2012 01:48:08 | More by gottabetweed

circus_cat

Virginia

4.1/5  rDev -3.1%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A: Nice two two and a half finger, creamed coffee-colored head when poured into a tulip glass. The body light brown with ruby around the edges in the light. Lots of lacing on the glass.

S: Malts, dark fruits, dried fruits, golden raisins, grain and piney hops. A little bourbon.

T: Caramel malt and oak barrel up front (a little bit of a bourbon or tennessee whisky) frollowed by fermented grapes and raisin notes. Very hoppy finish with bitterness lingering.

M: Dry and a bit sticky...very little carbonation in mine.

Serving type: bottle

08-28-2012 20:35:33 | More by circus_cat

jmdrpi

Pennsylvania

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

12 oz bottle, no date

appears a hazy dark copper color with amber highlights. 1/2" cream colored head. great head retention and layers of lacing. smells of sweet malt and earthy, floral hops. taste is not as hop agressive as the normal Arrogant Bastard. well integrated flavors, caramel malt and minty hops. smooth mouthfeel, medium body, mild to medium carbonation.

overall - probably better than the regular Bastard, but not as tasty as the Double.

Serving type: bottle

08-22-2012 03:59:19 | More by jmdrpi

ZachStone625

4.6/5  rDev +8.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Nice, reddish-brown color with a half-inch sweet head on top in my chilled glass mug. Got a lot of small bottles at the BevMo here in Silverdale and had a few of these with my dad.

This is a lot like the base Arrogant Bastard, with intense malty and roasted fronts with a subtle dried fruit flavor followed by a kick in the pants floral hop and bitter finish, but with a nice sweetness and rounded edge to it made obvious by the oak aging. You can definitely tell the difference between this and the regular Arrogant Bastard - if you liked the Bastard in its glory but want something a bit more drinkable yet with the same complexity, go for this. It's the same but with the edge off, and an added woody sweetness to make it more like Bastard Oaked Beer Candy.

As I reviewed the Bastard, I would say Intense, or Aggressive, but I'm also adding another couple of words: Drinkable. Approachable. Same dog, with less bite. Give it a try and enjoy, you'd be hard pressed to not like this one.

Serving type: bottle

08-12-2012 05:19:49 | More by ZachStone625

4DAloveofSTOUT

Illinois

3.65/5  rDev -13.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

poured into snifter glass.

Appearance: murky brown bodied beer with a small less than 1 finger tan head. Drops down to a small ring around the beer glass. Spotty lace.

Smell: its got a nice oak note to it that is easily picked out of the nose. dark fruits mostly prunes and plums. Touch of caramel from the malts. Little bit grassy and earthy with slightly herbal spiciness noted from the hops. Smells like it has a fairly nice balance to it.

Taste: starts out with mildly sweet being malt forward transitioning into a moderately bitter finish from the hops. Prodominently getting caramel and brown sugar from the malts with a decent dose of oak. Malts fade away to moderately bitter pine notes which tend to linger for a considerable time frame.

Mouthfeel: medium bodied beer with moderate carbonation. This one really drinks lighter that the ABV suggests that it should. Alcohol is well hidden in this brew.

Overall: This is a solid beer for the style. Not quite as big as most beers from this beer style, but its got a big enough flavor profile to be a legit American Strong Ale. I have drank Arrogant Bastard Ale a few times before and there is no question that the Oak version is a huge improvement over the base beer. Its just much more balanced and alot easier to enjoy. The price tag is a little steep for this brew and I think that there are a few better options available in this beer style for less money.

Serving type: bottle

08-08-2012 08:31:49 | More by 4DAloveofSTOUT

Oakenator

Pennsylvania

5/5  rDev +18.2%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

One of the best beers out there - Stone brews are often palate wreckers but this beer is a palate reset - especially after hoppy IPAs. Few beers can make that claim and it has something to do with the balance of hops and malt in this beer. The oaking brings a sweeter flavor to the normal AB - slightly more caramel comes through. Sweet pour; sweet head; sweet aroma. Amazing beer.

Serving type: bottle

08-06-2012 00:47:57 | More by Oakenator

Greywulfken

New York

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

A: amber brown beer with ruby highlights, two-fingers of frothy head; kaleidoscopic lace motes and clouds

S: caramel malt, herbal and earthy scents

T: hearty malt flavors with a slight caramel edge for sweetness; the bittering hops work with the malts to create a pleasing savory taste; dry woody oak finish

M: medium-bodied but has a chewy feel, the dry finish lightens this and leaves you with a nice crispness

O: weirdly enough, I have never had (regular) Arrogant Bastard (AB) but Double Bastard (DB) is a staple beer. This Oaked AB was great. Picked up a lot of familiar characetristics from the DB, but with a lighter (less menacing?) palate assault; definitely able to pick up the distinction of the oak, too...

Serving type: bottle

08-05-2012 15:14:14 | More by Greywulfken

LiquidAmber

Washington

4.63/5  rDev +9.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Review from 5/2010 notes. Poured into a Gulden Draak tulip. Pours a somewhat opaque orange brown with a thin white head and light lacing. Woody, malt aroma. Flavor is delicious caramel malt, pine and citrus hops and wood. Medium to heavy bodied. Malt middle and finish with a nice hop kick at the end. Well balanced. One of my all time favorite beers.

Serving type: bottle

08-03-2012 18:46:37 | More by LiquidAmber

ThisWangsChung

Maryland

3.53/5  rDev -16.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Welp, I'm not sure how 'special' this is for review #200, but seeing as Arrogant Bastard was one of the first beers I REALLY liked, why not review the oaked version right now; not only to compare it to regular AB, but to see how far my tastes have changed since then? 12 oz bottle poured into a tumbler pint glass.

A: Pours a reddish chestnut brown color with low translucence and extreme arrogance (at least it's supposed to be arrogant!) The head is a one finger light cream color with a fantastic texture that settles down into a thin, creamy looking film.

S: Light baker's chocolate, oak, vanilla, toffee, hazelnut, herbal hops, and caramel malt. Pleasantly aromatic, but a little weak.

T: I expected this to taste like Arrogant Bastard with slight oakiness...and indeed it does. Initial flavors are very nutty and caramel-y, before giving way to loads of oily pine resin. The oak profile only seems to plane away some of the harshness from the piny hops and help accentuate the nut flavors. Actually, this is kind of subdued in general flavor wise, even pleasant once you're accustomed to the bitterness.

M: Just like regular AB, it's medium bodied, with an oily, resinous aftertaste loaded with big hoppiness. Like I said before, its slightly tannic nature softens up the harshness slightly but gives a cleaner, drier finish...which is saying something considering how dry regular AB is. Adequate, pleasantly controlled carbonation round out the texture.

O: Arrogant Bastard is no longer one my favorite beers now, but after two misfires from Stone (Smoked Porter w/ Vanilla Bean and Sublimely Self-Righteous Ale), it's good to have them get back into my good graces again with this solid - if not amazing - drink. Long live liquid arrogance!

Serving type: bottle

07-31-2012 20:32:07 | More by ThisWangsChung

Dave1999

Virginia

4.58/5  rDev +8.3%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Pours a very dark red almost brown with a bright white head.

The smell is citrus hops grapefruit and lemons.

The taste is malty and bitter. The bitter hops are the main attraction here. The bitter hops after taste lasts a long time. With just a little sweetness. There is a little oak in there but it's not too strong.

The mouth feel is medium with medium carbonation.

Arogant bastard is one of my favourite beers and the oak aged version is great but I preffer the original. This one tastes more bitter and hoppy which is very tasty but I feel the original edges it.

Serving type: bottle

07-29-2012 21:11:12 | More by Dave1999