Arrogant Bastard Ale - Stone Brewing Co.

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

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

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

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

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

mjc3151

Illinois

4.24/5  rDev +1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A - dark brown but clear. medium head forms upon pour

S - smells of hops, lots of hops. a very good smell indeed

T - wow! initially very bitter. after swallowing i taste the sweet malts

M - medium carbonation, rolls past the tongue smoothly

O - a bit too bitter for my tastes but still a very good beer

Serving type: bottle

04-25-2013 01:25:52 | More by mjc3151

Siriusfisherman

Montana

4.45/5  rDev +6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A: Clear, dark ruby with nice pillowy off-white head with good retention. Great lacing.

S: Big on the hops in the nose, pine resin, citrus, and spice (classic Chinook). The malt is very substantial as well, with burnt caramel candy and some bisciuty breadiness.

T/M: Nice kick of bitterness upfront, moves into some big hoppy and malty flavor. The hops are more of the big resiny pine notes, citrus, spice, and some herb. The malt showcases nice burnt sugar, biscuit, and caramel flavors. The finish is pretty dry, but has some nice sweetness from the caramel malt.

Overall, this is one in your face beer. SNPA made me realize that there are beers with a lot more flavor than what society would lead you to think. This was the beer that made me realize that beers could blow the roof off of your palate. My palate has tamed this beast since then, but I still find this to be a great beer to keep on hand at all times.

Serving type: bottle

04-21-2013 23:46:06 | More by Siriusfisherman

BradMacMullin

Massachusetts

4.76/5  rDev +13.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75

Been a while since I had this ale, and I forgot how much I like this. I find the bottle narrative a little off-putting...slightly arrogant, but I purchased a 22oz anyway.

Color is a great copper look, and although the head was only 1 finger, it retained itself throughout. Usually I get little out of the smell, but this ale has a nice floral hoppy smell. What I find great though is that the taste isn't crazy hoppy, and has a nice balanced sweetness.

Really great ale without having an ABV that knocks me out - says a lot these days when 7.2% is mild. Great reliable beer from Stone.

Serving type: bottle

04-21-2013 00:39:55 | More by BradMacMullin

SpruceMoose

Australia

4.36/5  rDev +3.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Arrogant Bastard Ale holds a somewhat legendary status amongst drinkers. The bottle's red and white logo featuring Satan holding a stein glass shows the drinker that it's a beer best avoided by lager purists or casual drinkers alike, for the depth of flavour and character that this ale possesses really coincides with the arrogance and masculinity portrayed on the bottle. And, if the bottle's anything to go by, "sniveling yellow-swill-drinkin' wimps" are in for a surprising but hopefully rewarding experience with this ale.

Appearance: An aggressive pour into a dimpled DAB Dortmunder stein glass leaves a dark brown to ruby red body with generous cream-coloured head. The head retains its consistency well past the first sip and leaves moderate lacing down the glass. Overall very pleasing.

Smell: Dark cocoa aromas contrast with the scents of many intriguing hops, perhaps the most ubiquitous being citra. Not dissimilar to English IPAs yet maintaining the American craft beer charm of several kinds of hops.

Taste: The drinker is overcome with a wave of bitterness upon the first sip, with the hops gently rising as the beer remains longer in the mouth. Deep, charismatic and thoroughly enjoyable. The generous alcohol content (7.2%) is noticeable with an alcohol taste underlying the wonderful bitterness.

Mouthfeel: Just as one would expect from an American craft dark ale; moderate carbonation with a dense body, similar to many Sierra Nevada brews. Not too thin and watery, yet not too thick and bold.

Overall: This ale needn't the arrogance it flaunts on its bottle (although this undeniably adds to its character) as its deep hop aromas and aggressive bitterness give it its well-deserved status as one of the finest examples of American craft beer brilliance. The bottle claims that "[we're] not worthy" of drinking it, and perhaps it's right; any ale with as much character as this would have even the most seasoned beer buff worshipping it religiously.

Serving type: bottle

04-15-2013 11:55:40 | More by SpruceMoose

Hendry

Vermont

4.14/5  rDev -1.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Having enjoyed the Stone IPA, I was taken by the high rating displayed on a tag in front of the beer, so I thought it was worth a try. Pours like a super creamy British Brown Ale with a tall frothy tan colored whipped cream head that sticks around for an eternity.

Not getting the powerful aroma of hops in the nose as much as a malt explosion: sure, the hops are in there, you can certainly get a whiff of them amongst the caramel and bread tones that dominate.

Flavor reminds me of a highly hopped British Ale, more specifically the Landlord Strong Ale by Timothy Taylor. There is a degree of toastiness to this ale that takes center stage in the flavor, and while interesting, not exceptional.... something lacking the way my palate reacts, sort of a cough syrupy & malty toasty aftertaste that seems to be halfway to a black IPA.

A reasonable buy at $5 for the bomber, but there is a sort of rich heaviness to it that wasn't inviting me back for another sip. Worth a try? Why the hell not, but fans of tart cloudy IPAs are not likely to be back for a second helping.

Serving type: bottle

04-10-2013 03:39:08 | More by Hendry

Treyliff

West Virginia

4.16/5  rDev -1%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.25

A- pours a clear dark ruby color with a good size creamy white head that retains forever leaving walls of lace down the entire glass.

S- oily and pungeant grassy hop, vegetal, sweet doughy and bready malt, caramel and powdered sugar

T- great balance in this one, the bready sweetness of the malt provides caramel and custard notes, the hops are grassy, herbal and slightly floral. Finish is dry with a clean hop linger and a touch of alcohol

M- medium-full body, creamy viscous mouthfeel with a smooth and velvety finish and just a touch of warmth at the end, very nice

O- great balance and very drinkable, one of the easier drinking strong ales that I can remember, with great mouthfeel to boot

Serving type: bottle

04-10-2013 02:50:54 | More by Treyliff