Arrogant Bastard Ale - Stone Brewing Co.

fireman10

4.63/5  rDev +10.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

i am not the biggest ale fan...until now. this ale is a wonderful blend of hoppy, bitter, and full body greatness...with a slight trace of an exotic spice from some small tribal community in southern Iran that i've never heard of. At first the inexperienced drinker may find this beer a bit vulgar, cocky and downright mean...but as the offensive posturing of this beer starts to mellow down and slides smoothly down your throat, you will find yourself begging for yet another fake beating. by the fourth gulp, you will be writing love notes.

Serving type: bottle

01-22-2013 02:36:58 | More by fireman10

TheCondor

Missouri

4.46/5  rDev +6.2%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

In my continuing quest to imbibe all the Beers of Fame, I consumed some Arrogant Bastard Ale. THe last Stone product I drank was Ruination, which was way too much for me. It kind of soured me on Stone products for a while. Side poured with vigor from the bottle into a pint glass.

Appearance- Pours a beautiful clear brown color with a big, fluffy, rock to finger head that disspiates very slowly, still retaining much of the head down to the last drop. Excellent lacing as well, leaves tons of residue all down the glass. Fabulous presentation

Smell - Smells so unique, especially given its appearance. Breads, toasty malts, and aggressive hop characteristics such as pine, citrus, and grapefruit collide in the nose of this brew. So unique, I hardly know how to charaterize this brew!

Taste - Outstanding, one of the best tasting beers I have had for a while. Strong hop notes up front such as citrus and pine give way to the malty, bready backbone. As the brew warms, there is a bit of dried fruit flavor as well.

Mouthfeel - Finishes crisp and bitter, like an IPA. Letting this beer warm only makes it more refreshing and drinkable. This is truly an exceptional brew.

Overall - One of the the best beers I have ever had, and I've drank quite a bit of beer in my day. Warm or cold, this beer is outstanding. I was taken aback by the beer that poured like a brown or amber ale, smelled like an IPA, and tasted like, well, nothing I've ever really had. It is a true conglomeration of styles. A hybrid of styles, done absolutely correctly. If you haven't had this brew, you need to get it.

Serving type: bottle

01-22-2013 01:30:55 | More by TheCondor

MCain04

Illinois

4.04/5  rDev -3.8%
look: 4.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

poured out of a 22 oz bomber into a spiegelau large snifter. 6 weeks fresh.

a: deep amber and clear, dark cream head of 2 fingers with awesome retention and lacing. pretty beer.

s: might just be my stuffy nose but it's not too aromatic. I get some nice piney and floral notes with some malt and a little caramel but it's not strong

t: arrogant hop bitterness overwhelms the palate. a touch of sweetness from the malt body. just very very bitter... very bitter.

m: smooth, a tad dry, a little over carbonated, crisp.

o: frequently enjoyed given availability. it ruins the palate a bit but when I'm in the mood for a bitter bomb this is an old standby.

Serving type: bottle

01-19-2013 07:35:07 | More by MCain04

djjacobsen

4.14/5  rDev -1.4%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

This is a fun one. AB introduced me to the craft beer world. I knew little about it all. The color is a gorgeous amber brown. the smell is of nothing but earthy hops and booze. The taste follows the nose...super bitter upon a canvas of earthy notes that are centered in this American Strong ale. It is a decent jump-off point and is always fun to revisit but the Arrogant Bastard is nothing more than a well-labeled, over-marketed beer beast. I guess I'm not worthy

Serving type: bottle

01-17-2013 23:06:32 | More by djjacobsen

Chadhowie

California

4.7/5  rDev +11.9%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75

This is by far one of my favorite all time beers. The strength and fortitude of the hoppy full flavor makes this a perfect beer. It's no wonder that multiple variations have been and are attempted based on this beer. Pretty much all of those are excellent too. You can't go wrong with Stone!

Serving type: on-tap

01-17-2013 22:22:00 | More by Chadhowie

Misajet90

Montana

4.86/5  rDev +15.7%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75

This is a good solid beer to go along with a strong flavored meal. I usually will have one with a steak or burgers but to be honest it's a good beer to have just about anytime.

If you can find it on tap it's worth it every time. I've only seen it at the Brewery and at Barney's Beanery but I'm sure there are more. Out of the bottle this is a great beer also.

Overall I highly recomend this beer to everyone, if you like dark beer or not it's worth trying it out.

Serving type: on-tap

01-15-2013 19:35:31 | More by Misajet90

ironchefmiyagi13

New York

4.38/5  rDev +4.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

I have to say it was the bottling that lead to the purchase of this beer, as well as being curious to seeif I had what it takes to enjoy a beer such as this. Well I do! Fantastic brew from a fantastic brewery.

A: pours a rich rust/amber color with a thick head that lasted for a minute or two with substantial lacing.

S: initial aroma after opening and pouring were notes of toast, caramel and butter scotch and aggressive hops/pine. After it has sat and opened up, nuances of dried fruit like mango, prune and apricot are noticed.

T: explodes with flavor! They weren't lying when they said this is an aggressive beer. It's been about 5 minutes since I took a sip and I can still taste the hops. But at the same time, it doesn't scare me away with the hops and bitterness and dry finish. It makes me want to drink more. Very dark chocolate is there after sitting for a few minutes, as well as burnt sugar adding to the dry, bitter flavors.

M: rich flavor and very dry and long finish.

O: thank god that the store I bought this at has a couple other Stone beers. This was definitely a 'trial by fire' beer and I believe I passed the test. A great purchase.

Serving type: bottle

01-14-2013 23:44:35 | More by ironchefmiyagi13

ChapaTX

Texas

4.64/5  rDev +10.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5

Excellent beer! You have to have a taste for a stronger tasting beer to enjoy this one. Poured a darker brown color. Taste is hoppy, barley like. Not bad at all and will get again. I personally like a hoppy taste. I would say that it is just under the taste of an IPA. It also had about an index finger width worth of head on it that was tannish in color.

Serving type: bottle

01-14-2013 12:53:00 | More by ChapaTX

Svendozen

New Hampshire

4.58/5  rDev +9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Poured into a tulip, which I still have yet to get used to. I'll tell you, if it didn't have beer in it I would probably crawl under a table if anyone saw me drinking from a stemmed glass.

Pours a big fat, two fingered head that hangs around like your wife's annoying friend...only...in a good way. You could almost serve this head in a dish with an ice-cream scoop.

Smells like a grapefruit fruit and a pine cone had an illegitamate love child in the form of a good beer. Kind of reminds me of Sierra Nevada Pale Ale in the aroma department.

The taste was a big shock to me as it wasn't nearly as hoppy and bitter as it smelled. It does have the grapefruit hoppy taste of a pale ale, but it's not overpowering which is what I was afraid of. Honestly I'm a stout man, and I bought and drank this as a promise to a friend. I am truly glad that I did. This is a fantastic beer...and I will definately be buying more of it.

Serving type: bottle

01-08-2013 07:00:59 | More by Svendozen

Kelpius

4.88/5  rDev +16.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

This is one of my favorite bottled beers. Considering some of its qualifying competitors come from the same company, you can't go too wrong with any Stone beer. Delightful mouth feel, superb flavor and tremendous overall quality. A bit pricey, but worth the splurge. Try it. It might become your favorite beer. If you like something a bit hoppier, try the IPAs from Stone. Seriously, a brewery we can only hope is around to stay.

Serving type: bottle

01-07-2013 05:35:37 | More by Kelpius

barnzy78

Illinois

4.48/5  rDev +6.7%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Enjoy by 2/28/13
Pours brown with some reddish hues when held to a light, great frothy beige head holds good retention & leaves excellent lacing all over the glass as the head dissipates. Nose is fresh piny hops, grapefruit, sweet caramel malt, bready, pungent. Tastes are definitely bold with pungent, piny, grapefruity hops, bitter up-front, sweetness comes through as bready malt and heavy caramel, almost burnt. Slight earthiness, but the pine rides out the finish and lingers. Medium body, creamy, nice carbonation. Overall, always a favorite of mine & nice to come back to after waiting too long to pick one up!

Serving type: bottle

01-06-2013 04:35:44 | More by barnzy78

AAG

Texas

4.05/5  rDev -3.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Served on tap at BJ's Restaurant and Brewery in Temple, Texas on New Year's Eve. All I can say is "wow!" What a great way to start off 2013...

Appearance - 2-3 fingers of nice, thick head; dark brown in color; head subsided over time as I drank it but left brilliant traces of lace down the sides of the glass. Great looking beer...

Smell - Citrus fruity smell, caramel, extremely aromatic; can smell the hops; incredible smelling beer.

Taste - Wow...initial reaction is, "wow, this beer is hoppy." Then I began to taste the incredible citrus taste, a hint of coffee, caramel, and malts. Incredible beer by the second sip; almost rind-like in it's taste. Very complex tasting beer....one of the most complex beers that I have ever tasted.

Mouthfeel - Very hoppy; bitter hops tend to linger slightly in your mouth and throat but this subsided as the beer warmed and I made my way through it.

Overall - In short, not for the faint of heart! Complex, intense, mildly overwhelming, with a sharp bite. However, extremely enjoyable; well-crafted; aromatic, full-bodied; delicious. Probably not for a novice (and definitely not for a BMC drinker!) but definitely recommend this to those that appreciate such a well brewed beer. Wow...

Serving type: on-tap

01-01-2013 16:31:50 | More by AAG

jrenihan

Ontario (Canada)

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

The beer is very dark amber in colour. Good-sized off-white head. Good lacing.

Nose contains sweet bready malt and citrus -grapefruit sticks out. A bit of a toasted aroma.

Nice mix of sweet and toasty caramel malt and bitter, citrus hops. Grapefruit. Overall a fairly bitter beer, but the malt does provide balance. Strong flavour.

Full bodied, moderate to high carbonation level. Oily.

Overall, good. Pretty aggressive flavour, quite bold.

Serving type: bottle

12-31-2012 15:08:15 | More by jrenihan

obrike

Texas

4.3/5  rDev +2.4%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

I've had this many times but have never reviewed it. Mother in law brought it over as a gift.

Not sure why I had to wait so long to drink again...this one is a winner. Absolutely fantastic looking beer in my New Belgium goblet. A light brown/reddish color, lacing is sticky as hell...all over the glass.

Wonderful burnt caramel malt scent right off the bat, followed by citrus hops. A sweet syrupy scent mixed in with the hops perfectly.

Taste follows...an initial blast of roasted caramel malt followed by bitter hops. Drinks like a black IPA. So good. Not too boozy but enough of a kick to put you in a good mood. Crisp finish, medium carbonation. The backend of the sweet malt finishes this one off nicely. This is a well made beer...and many are certainly not worthy enough to enjoy it to the fullest.

Stone delivers yet again!

Serving type: bottle

12-30-2012 02:01:11 | More by obrike

abeerwiseguy

Texas

4.55/5  rDev +8.3%
look: 5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

This was my first taste of this fine ale from Stone Brewery.

First poured hard into a pint bar glass from 22 oz bottle, this brew was a dark mahogany brown in color and produced 3 fingers of a dense light brownish head that lasted more than a few sips leaving thick lacing on the glass. ABV on the bottle at 7.2%.

After warming a bit the aroma was dominated by both the malts and hops which from my experience was unusual as normally it is either one or the other. Some caramel and coffee hints were also noticeable.

The flavor profile was hop dominated and spicy along with a somewhat sweet wealth of caramel and toasted malts. It possesses a lengthy finish with tones of malty sweetness, caramel, and roasted coffee beans as well as palate cleansing hop bitterness. It is very well balanced, complex and a treat for the tongue.

With good body and light carbonation, and the hop spiciness perfectly balanced by the malty sweetness, the mouth feel is well above my average for strong ales I have tried.

Overall what can I say. Perhaps that perspective is a good thing. As one who “came of age” in the 50’s/60’s, and eagerly sampled the readily available US beers of that period, this beer makes me very happy. Those who have “come of age” since the 1980’s cannot fully appreciate the dramatic difference between the readily available beers I naively quaffed in my 20’s and 30’s and what is available today. And breweries like Stone are the leaders in providing such a drastic difference between then and now. They are paving the future of beer by expanding the envelope beyond what we so eagerly enjoy today.

Serving type: bottle

12-22-2012 16:29:09 | More by abeerwiseguy

Mikecap

Rhode Island

4.83/5  rDev +15%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

This was one of my first forays into the aggressive hop-foward west coast beers, and I have never looked back.

Pours a deep brown color, almost black in appearance with a slight whitish head.

The smell recalls citrus notes with pine and maybe even some oak in there, the hops are certainly at the forefront and Stone makes no attempt to hide that.

Powerful malt and hop flavors dominate the brew, bitter without being too bitter, plus some sweet notes of citrus and caramel. Absolutely delicious.

Certainly a bold mouthfeel that captures the essence of the style. Although classified as a strong ale, I put it more towards Black IPA on the spectrum thanks to the hops and intensive, but smooth finish.

Overall one of my favorite beers out there, and a true product of the fine men at Stone.

Serving type: on-tap

12-20-2012 16:25:05 | More by Mikecap

lordofstarside

Nevada

4.33/5  rDev +3.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

One of the beers that got me into craft beers, only now getting around to reviewing it. Bomber to snifter, best by 1/20/13

Pours a dark brown ruby with a finger of caramel tinged foam. Moderate carbonation with good lacing and retention. Aroma of hops, caramel, some citrus, toffee, a bit of alcohol and some sugar with a good sweet malty back. Taste of spicy hop, caramel malts, and some butterscotch. Sweet malts come through with a strong finish tying the beer together. Mouth is full bodied, good carbonation with a nice sticky finish. Overall a great beer worthy of the hype and arrogance

Serving type: bottle

12-15-2012 08:40:07 | More by lordofstarside

arfenhouse

California

4.38/5  rDev +4.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

A: Very big head and very good lacing. Dark amber with off-white lacing.

S: Smells like an IPA hiding behind a brown ale. Brown sugar and grapefruit.

T: Really follows the smell. Good brown ale characteristics. Caramel, brown sugar, toasted grain/bread,, skunkiness. Very hop forward flavor that resembles their IPA. Grapefruit all the way.

M:Feels thick with medium carbonation. Dry.

O:Very well balanced beer. Sweet and hoppy brew. Flavor text is hilarious and a good read.

Serving type: bottle

12-14-2012 09:10:53 | More by arfenhouse

ubenumber2

Arkansas

4.28/5  rDev +1.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured from 22oz bottle into pint glass , deep dark colors , 2 finger off white head with nice lacing

Smells like a well balanced ale of hops and malt with some citrusy smells to it, just sweet enough to stop the hops from over powering the beers

Taste is well balanced to me , both the hops and the malt both come out equal to me , very full bodied beer , carbonation is just right , not one flavor really over powers another , a great well balanced ale that I will be purchasing more of

Serving type: bottle

12-08-2012 16:41:09 | More by ubenumber2

mfnmbvp

Illinois

3.93/5  rDev -6.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

22 oz. bottle, no bottled on date present.

A - Beautiful dark ruby brown color, I poured the beer like sh*t and ended up with a giant three finger head, but I'm not going to complain too bad since the first glass I had was a nice half finger head, and I got a lot of lacing on the glass.

S - Wonderful roasted malts and a nice bitter hop presence in the nose. I love it.

T - The taste is almost just as pleasant as the smell, nice bitter hop kick to it amidst some roasted malt flavors.

M - Nice mouthfeel, not too carbonated, and the bitter hops linger in the back of your throat for a minute. I almost enjoy this ale as much as I enjoy certain IPA's.

Overall, a wonderful beer from Stone Brewery, who mostly never ceases to delight me. While I am a big fan of their Stone IPA and their Ruination IPA as well, the Arrogant Bastard Ale probably stands out for me as their landmark beer. I love it, but I try not to drink it too often so that it remains a pleasant treat. A must have beer.

Stone Arrogant Bastard Ale ---4/5.

Serving type: bottle

12-04-2012 23:43:31 | More by mfnmbvp

Tucquan

Pennsylvania

3.95/5  rDev -6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Had this on 2012-12-02 at the Huntingston Street Pub in Huntington, IN

A - Mahogany color with a short head and decent lacing.

S -Roasted grain, pine, citrus, maple syrup and light floral. Not real sting.

T - Caramel, burnt-toast, roasted grain, grapefruit zest gives significant bitternes; more than the oak-aged.

M - Medium body and light-medium carbonation.

O - All-in-all, a very flavorful beer that complimented my meal at this fine establishment. I enjoyed meeting and talking with Steve, the very-knowledgeable owner

Serving type: bottle

12-03-2012 01:26:49 | More by Tucquan

jucifer1818

Florida

1.7/5  rDev -59.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 1 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 1

NOTE: I am very, very biased against this kind of beer. you have been warned

appearance: looks good, 4/5

smell: overwhelming hops flow from this one, pleasant I suppose, but its just a mild warning for whats coming in the taste. 3/5

taste: Remarkably un-balanced despite its stronger alcohol content. overwhelming hoppyness. so overwhelming that it becomes remarkably hard to drink

I have to choke this one down, and its almost as hard for me to drink as a ruined batch of beer, hobo wine, and malt liqour, so I will rate it as such
1/5
(if you are not me and LIKE that kind of burn, then I suppose give it a 5/5 for taste)

mouthfeel: I cant tell. the hops stung too much to notice
Average I suppose

Overall: I hate this beer. I really really do.

I know that it wasn't made for me. it was made for hopheads
but I am not a hophead
I give this one a 1/5

if you love hops, I suppose its worth a 4/5
however, if you want balance to your beer and greater character from the malt, look elsewhere.

Serving type: bottle

11-30-2012 04:01:51 | More by jucifer1818

Danny1217

Florida

4/5  rDev -4.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a deep amber with an off white head that has some nice retention. Lots of nice lacing left behind.
Smells extremely hoppy and somewhat sweet. Lots of caramel, citrus and earthy scents. Slightly nutty.
Extremely hoppy taste as well, balanced with some caramel like sweetness. Roasted nuts, citrus, caramel. Some complex flavors here. Very bitter bite on the end. Dry. Harsh, but not overly so. Medium body and carbonation.

Arrogantly overhopped and flavored. This beer packs a ton of flavor at only 7.2% ABV. Very good.

Serving type: bottle

11-28-2012 21:58:19 | More by Danny1217

KKB

Massachusetts

4.63/5  rDev +10.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A – A gorgeous deep copper/ caramel with a tight-bubbled light beige head. A good looking beer, it starts leaving lacing around the edges from the get go as the head recedes.

S – Am I worthy? If ever a head could smell intimidating this is it: Over-hopped, ridiculous amounts of malt—arrogant indeed. The smell contains sharp, citrus hops as well as a concrete malt overtone that probably should clash, but doesn’t…at all. One of the best noses out there, IMO.

T – It’s a meal, you know? It’s an experience, it’s a delight, a lark, a song, an adventure. The taste is just so bold, and in a way typifies Stone brewery in my opinion. This beer should be an overwrought undertaking—it’s too much—so many hops, so much malt, so much character, it ought to overwhelm. And yet it does not, it is simply… great. One of the best things out there. Beautifully sweet and caramel-esque from the malty goodness, powerfully bitter and floral from the huge hoppy content, and these two super powers balance one another out. It’s very impressive, it’s very good—I see where the arrogance stems from.

M – The mouthfeel is just like this strong ale, it is bold, it is concrete, but it is just right for this beer. It has a medium body, very light carbonation with a bitterness on the palate due to the hops

O – This aint my first rodayo kid, I’ve been drinking his arrogance for a minute now. And I must say, that this is one of my favorite brews, from one of my favorite breweries on the planet. It is not nearly as intimidating as you may think it is, it just has so much flavor, and it is beautiful thing. Go beer, go, stone, go arrogance. DELICIOUS!

Ps. Ignore the 4 for the overall. I am only giving it that to balance it out to the score that I think this beer deserves. A 4.63 is utterly appropriate, and I think I gave each of the categories an accurate score, but with the overall being 4.5 the score for the beer was somewhat too high, so I lowered the overall.

Serving type: bottle

11-23-2012 05:32:22 | More by KKB

jaz58

Ontario (Canada)

4.35/5  rDev +3.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Enjoyed this brew at Jerome Bettis Grille in Pittsburgh

Pekoe Tea in colour.

A nice thin head that stayed thoroughout the drink creating a nice lace spider web.

Hints of toffee in the noise.

Tea with a hint of qunine at the beginning. The bitters come in and they are aggressive yet not overwhelming.

If you enjoy IPA's this Brown ale may beat a few you have had.

Serving type: on-tap

11-21-2012 02:40:27 | More by jaz58