Arrogant Bastard Ale - Stone Brewing Co.

RyV

California

4.16/5  rDev -1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Arrogant Bastard is my go to beer, it's my fridge stocker. It has a great malt/hop balance, the color is a nice amber, a good finger to finger and half of nice white/off-white head, and a slightly sweet and bitter smell. It has a great bite on the pallet, but still smooth drinking.

Serving type: bottle

06-18-2013 21:26:01 | More by RyV

LikeARollingStout

North Carolina

4.23/5  rDev +0.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

22 oz bomber poured into a snifter

A - A beautiful red-brown. Darker than amber but still has that reddish hue. Not quite a fingers worth of head, which dissipated quickly.

S - Almost smells like a barley-wine. It's hoppier than it is maltier, but there's still a good biscuity presence. Hints of citrus. Also a good deal of booze smell for a 7.2% ABV.

T- Roasty maltiness composes the first phase, followed by a good deal of bitter hops to balance. Again, almost like a barley-wine, but not quite. If you took a barley-wine and mixed it with an IPA, you'd get Arrogant Bastard. It finishes noticeably sweet, with notes of caramel and toffee, taking the edge off of the booze/hoppy bitterness. There's kind of a nuttiness throughout the whole taste experience that I throughly enjoyed. This is a well balanced Strong Ale.

M - Medium bodied and perhaps just a bit too much carbonation. Wet/oily from the hops.

O - Very impressed with Stone's take on the Strong Ale. Will probably be adding this into my rotation.

Serving type: bottle

06-14-2013 02:58:40 | More by LikeARollingStout

utopiajane

New York

4.24/5  rDev +1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

It pours a mahogany red. Deep like good wood. Clear. Not as much head as I thought it should have and not much retention down to a thin cap and even that disappeared. Smell is sweet caramel malt and hops bitterness. Because I wanted to try it so much I just dove right in. Lacing nicely and up front is full on hops. The citrus becomes more evident on the nose and in the finish. Nice long finish, medium carbonation and medium body. You would think to look at this beer that it would be heavy but it’s surprisingly light. It’s fully loaded with hops and strong malt backbone realizing a rich deep flavor that is not complex but rather assertive and in your face arrogant.

Serving type: bottle

06-11-2013 10:38:44 | More by utopiajane

dar482

New York

4.39/5  rDev +4.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

The beer comes in a mahogany color with amber on the edges in the light.

The aroma has huge dank pine, herbs. It then has some caramel, hint of dark fruit, and slightly sweet.

The flavor has a round caramel malt, but it attacks you with a huge amount of pine, herbal, grass, and resinous hop bitterness. The body is medium.

I definitely prefer the Oaked version of the beer because the characteristics match so well with the oak. However, this is still quite good. This beer really does attack you with hops and bitterness. Not recommended for not those into bitter beers.

Serving type: bottle

06-10-2013 04:14:03 | More by dar482

Robert_Ray

Arizona

3.66/5  rDev -12.9%
look: 4.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

I like to be adventurous and I knew what I was getting into when I bought it, but I was hoping for a little less of the hop after taste back-end and more of the sweet malt front-end.

It taste very similar to several of the popular IPA's and I am just not an IPA fan. I don't blame this Bastard.

For a guy that absolutely loves Belgian Ales, I should have known better. I think that I will try and recap it and give it to one of my adult kids (who loves IPA) . I will then open a Belgian style Tripel and enjoy.

Serving type: bottle

06-08-2013 00:13:48 | More by Robert_Ray

stella77artois

New York

4.56/5  rDev +8.6%
look: 5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

22 oz bottle poured into Weizen Glass.

A - Powerful, gorgeous looking beer. Dark reddish brown, with some carbonation noticeable at the bottom. Poured a very thick, tannish colored head. Head shrunk slightly, but remain prominent at all times. Thick, good looking residuals left behind.

S - Lot's going on. Up front there's a lot of malt, some caramel, and lot's of spices. Difficult to put a finger on them, so we'll just call it "spicy". When warmed a bit, I noted a bit of a roasty smell, similar to a bock.

T - The great thing about the Bastard brews is how much is going on in the taste department. Up front, there's a lot of malt, notes of caramel, lot's of spice. I could really notice the spices in the aftertaste, which is delicious. Almost a light red pepper taste, very nice. As with the aroma, some cocoa and roasty flavors. Alcohol slightly noticeable when warmed. This is one of my favorite beers because like I said, there is so much going on flavor wise, but they all compliment each other so well, and nothing is out of place.

F - Good thickness, carbonation is felt. Not dry at all, which I like. Can really feel the spice in the aftertaste.

O - A damn good beer, that's all that needs to be said. I highly recommend this brew.

Serving type: bottle

06-06-2013 14:34:58 | More by stella77artois

macrosmatic

Florida

3.36/5  rDev -20%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Reviewed from notes. Had on-tap at Mellow Mushroom (Brandon). Served in a pint glass.

A: Very dark copper to brown, not quite clear, with a half-finger of off-white creamy head and low visible carbonation.

S: Malty, toasty sweetness, somewhat boozy, and touches of nuts and toffee.

T: Big toasty malt, significant booze, and light hop bitterness. Some booze and malt sweetness in the hang.

M: Medium body, but lighter than I expected. Alcohol quite noticeable, and more so that I expected given the relatively modest ABV. Medium carbonation sensation.

O: I am real disappointed in this one. I thought that I'd had this one before and enjoyed it; I remember enjoying the Oaked Arrogant Bastard. But this particular example - not doing it for me. Malty and boozy, and not in a good way. EDIT: Reading some other reviews, I'm wondering if this was old or just a bad batch. I got almost no hop flavors/bitterness, let alone aroma. Guess I'll really have to try it again and see if it's better the next time around. Will update review if it changes significantly.

Serving type: on-tap

06-03-2013 13:30:36 | More by macrosmatic

Bryan17

Connecticut

4.63/5  rDev +10.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75

Appearance: Very dark ruby color. Head is 1.5 inches, lingers substantially, nice tan color.
Smell: Malty caramel.
Taste: Excellent; not as "aggressive" as the bottle says. Strong malt followed by the sharp bite of hops at the finish. Almost sweet.
Mouthfeel: Creamy. Perfect amount of carbonation. One of the best feeling beers I've had.
Overall: One of the best beers I've tasted. Nothing to criticize.

Serving type: bottle

05-24-2013 22:50:09 | More by Bryan17

FairyFunBoy

California

4.85/5  rDev +15.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75

This is my go to beer. Having the luxury to live in San Diego gives me the pleasure of picking up this liquid gold for cheap.

A- Dark red/copper with a beige head. Great lacing down the pint.
S- Burst of hops! Citrus, pine, and grass smells aplenty with a sweet malt backing.
T- Bitter citrus hops accompanied with sweet malt and molasses.
M- Smooth, great carbonation, satisfyingly "thick"
O- If you haven't had this beer, get it. It is the sole reason I became the huge hop head I am. Huge hops with huge sweet malt. It's a perfect pairing. My favorite from Stone.

Serving type: bottle

05-23-2013 02:25:23 | More by FairyFunBoy

DrinkSlurm

Connecticut

3.85/5  rDev -8.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

Poured from tap into pint at yardhouse in palm beach gardens. I can't believe I never had this before...
Pours a deep amber almost brown. Nice white lacing and a bit of head.
Piney sweet malt aroma..meh
Taste is very bitter piney hop meets sweet bready malt. A bit dry.
I hate to be that guy but I just don't get this beer...its good but just way too bitter and one dementional. I think its one of those pioneer brews that are classically good but maybe don't live up to the current trends....

Serving type: on-tap

05-22-2013 22:56:07 | More by DrinkSlurm

Kuaff

Alaska

4.38/5  rDev +4.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Ah, Arrogant Bastard. A very common craft beer, but a superb one. I poured this bomber into a snifter at cellar temperature.

The head on this bastard is a thick, two-finger, off white mass of foam which sticks around for quite a while. The color of the beer is a deep, dark transparent ruby. It looks like blood, but not quite as oqaque. Awesome.

It smells like pure hops and pine with a bit of caramel or honey-like sweetness.

The taste has a citric, hoppy tang, along with some sweet maltiness. Once the aftertaste kicks in, I get thorough bitterness. The bitterness shines through more than anything else as the "thesis statement" of this brew. However, there may be some other aspects in here that I can't quite identify (maybe some spices and nuttiness?). It's complex, and oh so satisfying.

This beer has a medium thickness, and a pretty lively carbonation. Feels real comfortable.

A damn solid ale available all over the place at a great price, and guaranteed not to dissapoint. It's easy to take something like this for granted, but its ultimate excellence cannot be denied.

Serving type: bottle

05-20-2013 05:28:39 | More by Kuaff

dc87

Washington

4.39/5  rDev +4.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A - Looks good. Dark red, maroon colour. A little cloud. Head is just off-white. Nice lacing.

S - Very hoppy, just like an IPA. Floral and a little piney.

T - A really nice, big taste. A big caramel and bread malt taste up front. Quickly balances out perfectly with an equally big, piney hop flavour. Has a little spiciness to it. Aftertaste is boozey, bitter and citrusy. Overall a really great taste.

M - Also great. Pretty highly carbonated.

O - An exciting and very drinkable beer, with a lot of character. Very fun to drink. Will definitely have again.

Serving type: bottle

05-19-2013 05:27:46 | More by dc87

KYGunner

Kentucky

3.84/5  rDev -8.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

Arrogant seems to be the right word as this ale proudly displays a deep rusty hybrid of red and brown. The head is equally as strong with a thick creaminess and thick lacing.

The scent is not nearly as proud but light malt and hop aromas are definitely in the mix. Subtle tea leaves and floral earthy hops are also evident.

Almost Pale Ale like taste Arrogant Bastard presents an earthy, floral array of hop flavors. Not as much on the malty or grain side this Strong Ale is pronounced in its hop flavor. The tea leaves manifest themselves and then a piney metallic aftertaste takes hold.

Overall, it's strong in appearance and hop flavor but slightly weak in aroma and overall character. Very good but not great.

Serving type: bottle

05-17-2013 21:50:04 | More by KYGunner

benfons

Belgium

3.88/5  rDev -7.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

A: seems brown but turns out to be dark orange, hazy, hardly any head

S: caramel, grapes, bread, hint of malts, really promising,

T: really bitter, some caramel and nuts, a bit bready but overall mainly bitter hops.

M: rather thin, dry finish, not a lot of carbonation

O: really promising nose, warming, But overall not a big fan, still have to find that American brew, which has a bit more balance.

Serving type: bottle

05-14-2013 21:33:23 | More by benfons

trxxpaxxs

New York

4.09/5  rDev -2.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

A: Pours a deep translucent red/burgundy with one and a half fingers of khaki colored head. The foam takes a minute or two to settle, leaving a good helping of lacing on the glass as it drinks.

S: The nose is sweet malt, some tropical fruits, a touch of spice, and a good helping of pine.

T: It starts out initially sweet and malty with a caramel base. The hops begin to show up in the middle as the beers gets more tropical and spicy. I get pine hops, spice, and some booze in the finish. NOTE: I think this beer is a bit too cold right now. I should have let it warm up a bit before reviewing.

M: Medium bodied beer. It's sticky, a bit chewy, and coating. The spice and bitters linger on the palate well after the rest of the beer is gone.

O: Very good beer. One of the first craft beers that I remember trying.

Serving type: bottle

05-11-2013 13:48:20 | More by trxxpaxxs

jageraholic

Massachusetts

4.95/5  rDev +17.9%
look: 5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

In bottle....guess it's a Stone day. Served in an IRS tulip. Best buy date of June 2nd, so it could be fresher, but I believe Stone to know when their beer will shit out by.

Appearance: very amber. Inch head with aggressive pour (yeah, on purpose). Dissapates and leaves a thin white line of head above the amber beer. Swirls magnificently, looks like a beautiful ocean wave with the bubbles floating up to the top.

Aroma: some sweet biscuit malt, but mostly piney hops with a little grapefruit in the background. I know the grapefruit is more prominent fresh.

Taste: hops. Grapefruit and pine. Followed by some malty sweetness and a finish of piney bitterness with a little citrus in the background.

Mouthfeel: thick in the mouth without filling me up. Could go back to back with this bomber. Perfect carbonation. Smooth beer but has a prickly carbonation to unbalance it which seems perfect.

Overall: Hot damn! I am worthy you bastards! I absolutely love this beer. Perfect unbalance of hops and malt. Heavy but not too heavy, could drink this all day but this will ruin a palate far more than ruination. Read the back story, what a fantasic mistake! Parts of this beer arent perfect but as a whole this beer cant get any better. Perfection. Enthusiastic 5!!

Serving type: bottle

05-10-2013 19:46:00 | More by jageraholic

MadCat

New Jersey

4.25/5  rDev +1.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Appearance: Dark amber, with a light brown head. Head is about average, but dissipates somewhat quickly leaving its presence behind

Smell: Hops. Lots of hops. Piney resinous hops, along with some citrus and floral hops. There is nice malt character in the background

Taste: First thing you notice is the hoppy bitterness. It is a rather intense bitterness, but a delicious bitterness. There is some nice roasted malt flavor in there as well. Some nice citrus, pine, and floral flavors, along with caramel malt sweetness. A very good, and complex brew. Better on tap.

Mouthfeel: Some thickness to it, a good carbonation level, some bite, overall very good

Overall: An excellent brew. Better on tap than in the bottle. More drinkable. More malt sweetness to balance out the intense, but delicious hop flavors.

Serving type: on-tap

05-09-2013 01:37:24 | More by MadCat

MarkQ617

Massachusetts

4.69/5  rDev +11.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.75

This is one of the best ways to get piss drunk. This is a tasty, bold ale that fills your mouth with hops and malt. Good lacing beautiful soft foam that lets you know the combination won't be too harsh. Enjoyed at Atlantic Beer Company in Boston. I'd heard a lot of hype about this beer, and it absolutely lived up to expectations.

Serving type: bottle

05-07-2013 01:20:22 | More by MarkQ617

gr0g

New Jersey

4.11/5  rDev -2.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Cloudy, dark amber in color with a nice creamy head. Good head retention and some nice looking lacing. Hop notes are the primary components of the aroma but aren't as prominent as in an IPA -- some muted pine and grassy aromas come through.

On the other hand, the hops definitely show up in the flavor. Solid hop bitterness from start to finish, lingering for a bit afterwards. This is backed up by a solid caramel malt profile. Malt and hops do battle, with the hops winning out in the flavor profile. Mouthfeel just seems "right". Despite the 7.2% ABV strength, there's no boozy fuel note.

A strong, beefy ale with IPA-like flavor components, Arrogant Bastard slots nicely into the Stone lineup of aggressively hopped beers.

Serving type: bottle

05-05-2013 19:18:10 | More by gr0g

lancecenter

Texas

3.73/5  rDev -11.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

A - Deep copper with about a centimeter of fluffy head that doesn't go away. Sticky lacing all over the glass.

S - A mix of hops, caramel, and something burnt.

T/M - This is simply an assault on the taste buds. It starts off with a slap of bitter hops followed by burnt hops. Moderately dry finish.

O - This beer is not for everyone. Hell, I'm not even sure if it's for me.

Serving type: bottle

05-05-2013 04:48:32 | More by lancecenter

chinchill

South Carolina

2.68/5  rDev -36.2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 2.75

I remember having this beer many years, before I started taking notes and entering reviews. I didn't like it then but was still surprised to find I don't like it now either. In general, I'm a big fan of Stone Brewing and my tastes have expanded to include many 'extreme' and big ales. This revisit started well enough, with an attractive red-amber ale topped by a small but durable tan head. The aroma was a slightly boozy mix of medium malt and herbal/earthy hops. The main impression made by the flavor is, unfortunately, the overly bitter aftertaste.

M: medium body and carbonation.

O: too challenging.

Serving type: bottle

04-29-2013 00:09:36 | More by chinchill

roundthewaygirls

Virginia

3.78/5  rDev -10%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

poured into a tulip glass.

A: dark, hazy. appears brown. ruby tint shines through when held up to the light. got a little carried away with the pour. three fingers of frothy, off-white head. substantial lacing.

S: piney stone hop profile. caramel notes. burnt toast or biscuit. sugar or molasses. maybe something citrusy buried in the malts.

T: hops up front. malt bomb. mostly sticky molasses with a hint of caramel. more dimensional than the smell. The sweetness is offset by the burnt toast, bready character. there's a certain dryness to it that doesn't come from the hops. definitely burnt malts, but maybe wood notes as well. don't really pick up on the alcohol.

M: medium bodied. slight carbonation on the tip of the tongue. burnt malts and hops really resonate on the palate.

O: love stone. this one is a little deeper and darker than their ipas. complex malts. not particularly refreshing, but i think it follows through on its intention. bold brew for bold nights.

Serving type: bottle

04-27-2013 04:16:44 | More by roundthewaygirls

Alextricity

Michigan

4.44/5  rDev +5.7%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

Served on-tap at One-Eyed Betty's in Ferndale, Michigan.

The beer is a dark, ruby-ish color. A very nice little head on it with super sexy lacing... a very pretty looking beer, for sure. Arrogant Bastard has a taste not quite like beers I've had before... there's some bitterness in there, for sure, but it's not as intense as it seems a lot of people like to describe it. The hops in this beer mixed with the malts balance it perfectly. I've had some people try and tell me it tastes/feels "soapy", but I don't get that at ALL ... maybe that's because I had it on-tap. The taste is complex to the point where I can't pinpoint exactly how I remember it being, but it was interesting, and it was super tasty... a seemingly wild blend of hops and malt, and I couldn't get quite enough of my sample. Crazy drinkable, tasty beer.

Serving type: on-tap

04-27-2013 03:41:26 | More by Alextricity

Clinterjack

Texas

4.69/5  rDev +11.7%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Wonderful beer. I don't get the aroma, it's not nearly as telling as the taste. We drink beer for the taste primarily, so I rank this beer highly. I enjoy the hoppy, burnt malt taste, it's one of North America's best. The aroma has bread, malt, and pungent hops undertones, it's just not prevalent to me. The taste is the key, it's outstanding.

Rich amber color, a beautiful red.

Thick, frothy head that dissipates quickly, lacing was moderate.

Aroma is mild, does not give an accurate portrayal of the flavors.

Taste is nice, pungent hops, intense compared to most American ales.

Serving type: bottle

04-26-2013 23:51:50 | More by Clinterjack

flyingpig

United Kingdom (Scotland)

4.46/5  rDev +6.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

Half Pint of tap at Craft Beer Co, Farringdon, London (£4.50):
Deep ruby amber to copper colour in the glass with a thin white lacing on top and around the sides.

Fresh hops with strong caramel notes and further grassy hops. There is a lot of sugar upfront and some sweetness along with hints of toffee and a generally quite rich aroma. There is some roasted malts as well but overall it is the hops with some citrus that dominates.

Caramel and rich, sweet flavours with grassy hops from the smell and a lot of bitterness. There is some grapefruit coming through and a lot of sweetness. Surprisingly refreshing and had a pleasant alcohol kick to it that went down well.

Smooth with a medium to full body and a lot of carbonation. There bitterness levels were very in your face and the mouthfeel was complimented by some sweet malts too.

An exceptional beer and one that did not disappoint in any way, shape or form upon first trying it. The beer was insanely hoppy with lots of bitterness. Surprisingly easy to drink and went down well with the mouthfeel complimented the taste and smell quite well. A must try.

Serving type: on-tap

04-25-2013 15:48:29 | More by flyingpig