Arrogant Bastard Ale - Stone Brewing Co.

damndirtyape

Ohio

4.25/5  rDev +1.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Served in a mason jar at Coalhouse Pizza, Stamford, CT.

Appearance: Dark hazy copper-amber beer with a light tan to light orange head. Initial 1/4" head upon serving died down to a thin skin across the top, but plenty of persistent lacing noted as I drank the beer down. Dark, inviting, rich in color and lacing. A great looking beer.

Smell: For all the taste, a bit surprising it wasn't as strong in aroma. A bit of nice malt and citrus hops, but not very strong in aroma. Maybe the glass?

Taste: Strong hop flavor right up front with citrus, orange and just a hint of pine, then moving into a solidly wonderful malt base to counter that hop flavor, and then a just right bitter finish - hoppy, but not a mouth-puckering bitter finish. Oh so good.

Mouthfeel: Smooth, nicely creamy, just right carbonation. To my surprise, did not stick to the teeth as much as I expected.

Overall / Drinkability: A very dangerous beer...I could easily see myself having another one and regretting it later. On the other hand, while strong in flavor, balanced enough that you can get all the flavors in each sip and deeper drink as well such that you want to come back for more. I've had the oaked version of this beer in bottle, but on tap and unoaked...I think it's an even better beer although the smell wasn't as strong as I though it would be. Still, a great beer I will seek out again.

Serving type: on-tap

05-23-2012 02:47:28 | More by damndirtyape

jazzyjeff13

United Kingdom (England)

4.13/5  rDev -1.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A 22oz bottle with a BB of April 2012, so it's a little out of date (but hopefully still in good condition). Picked up the other week from Great Grog in Edinburgh. Love the printed label. I've been wanting to try this beer since I first heard of it.

Poured into a tulip pint glass. A deep reddish-amber hue with good carbonation. Produces a huge head of creamy tan foam with excellent retention; this slowly subsides to a surface layer. Aroma of sweet, biscuity malt with notes of aromatic citrus hops, dry yeast and a serious whiff of booze.

Tastes of sweet malt with an intense bitter finish. Notes of grain, candy sugar, grapefruit, citrus, subtle pine and dry yeast. A warming hint of alcohol in the background. Spicy and prickly, with considerable bitterness upon swallowing. Mouthfeel is smooth, tingly and full-bodied; it flows nicely over the tongue. Highly astringent - dries the palate thoroughly. Aftertaste of bitter aromatic hops and malt.

Fantastic - a definitive US beer. The flavour is perfect, with superb balance between the malt and the bitter/aromatic hops. The body is also solid; the only let-down is the aroma, which is less suggestive than you might expect. If only I could get this regularly for a reasonable price. A true classic - put this on your list of must-try beers.

Serving type: bottle

05-20-2012 01:43:54 | More by jazzyjeff13

MeneerBeerSnob

District of Columbia

3.85/5  rDev -8.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Bomber poured into a snifter

A-pours a dark amber with finger and half of light mocha head, lots of carbonation

S-bready biscuit malt

T-caramel biscuits up front with back of strong hops

M-lots of carbonation with caramel malt dancing on your tongue

O-simple great strong ale, lots of malt and hoppyness

Serving type: bottle

05-19-2012 20:47:19 | More by MeneerBeerSnob

acevenom

Louisiana

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

Poured into a brandy snifter. Pours deep caramel brown with a large soapy light tan head. The head retains well, dissipating slowly to leave some lacing on the side of the glass. There are aromas of big malts and resinous hops. It has an earthy smell. There's a nice big caramel malt backbone in the taste that brings some mild sweetness and breadiness to the table. There are some nice piney malts that balance the malt flavors. It's a well balanced flavor with a hoppy aftertaste. The alcohol is not detectable in the taste. The body is medium to full with adequate carbonation. The beer is smooth and the drinkability is very high. Overall, this is an excellent beer and worth all the praise it gets. It is an excellent accompaniment for a meal that also has big flavors or if you're looking for a beer to have with a steak dinner.

Serving type: bottle

05-18-2012 22:26:32 | More by acevenom

illegal-seed

4.13/5  rDev -1.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

This was my very first ale. First few sips kind of had me thinking what the hell is that...The bitterness almost overwhelmed me. Keep in mind I drank only lagers before trying this. But after a few sips of it it just grew on me. Ever since I have been buying more ales than lagers. I have this beer to thank for that. It got me into a whole new world. It indeed, turned me into a hop head.

Never had an "American strong ale" to compare it with but its a pretty regular beer for me. I enjoy it a lot. Good beer for a hop head.

Serving type: bottle

05-10-2012 17:38:09 | More by illegal-seed

DevilHunterCyrus

4.75/5  rDev +13.1%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

It's very powerful at first and wasn't expecting it, but over all to me it's one of the best beers, It's not for people who don't like strong tasting beers, It'll also make get a faster buzz then most beers with just 1, 1 pint bottle. The sent of it is a tad different from the others but I can't put my finger on it, the taste of it is like no beer I ever had, you really could taste it the after taste is a bit odd though as it has like a mediciney after taste but it isn't bad to the point of you cannot drink it.

I plan on purchasing this beer again and trying the other kinds as well and reviewing them also, but so far the brewers are doing a really great job with this ale and I wish they keep up with the dedication they put into it.

Serving type: bottle

05-10-2012 03:51:29 | More by DevilHunterCyrus

bigaltemple

Colorado

3.93/5  rDev -6.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

22oz. poured into the ol' NB globe.

A - Deep amber with some bright reds at the edges when held up to light. Great clarity! Soapy, off-white three finger head settles to half finger cap. Nice, thick patches of lacing stick around.

S - Solid malt base. A lot of bready/biscuit malt. Pretty resinous hops make their presence known.

T/M - Baking bread up front with a mild hint of sweet caramel before a pleasant hops bitterness takes over. Finishes sort of sticky and dank making me want another sip. Medium bodied with a fair amount of carbonation. I actually wouldn't mind a touch more in the carbonation department.

O - Definitely a solid brew. Always enjoy it on tap when available. Can't beat the price and availability.

Serving type: bottle

05-08-2012 01:06:02 | More by bigaltemple

omokoro

New York

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

Glassware, shaker glass. Pours a clear, deep red color with a thick, two finger off-white head. The head barely recedes at all and the lacing is like a sponge coat of paint. The aroma is of pine, citrus, and earthy notes. The taste is dominated by intense bitterness, both upfront front and the back. This is not a session beer. There is significant malt character, but the hops do not give other flavors a chance. The mouthfeel is rich, the head is creamy, almost like froth on a latte. This is an enjoyable beer, perhaps not to be enjoyed daily. I can understand why the brewer's were so hesitant for people to only correlate this beer with Stone.

Serving type: bottle

05-07-2012 21:37:42 | More by omokoro

Charlottini

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

Arrogant Bastard is one of my favorite go-to meals. Yes, I said meals. It's also especially excellent with "big food", such as red meat dishes. It arrives menacing and dark in color, strong in flavor, and it's alarmingly easy to drink despite it's massive personality. It won't overpower your food, but if you like strong beers, this one is just amazing. I've enjoyed it out of a bottle and from a tap. I think the tap version is slightly more fabulous, but both are positively fantastic.

Serving type: on-tap

05-05-2012 20:04:28 | More by Charlottini

atr2605

New York

4.5/5  rDev +7.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A-pours a nice dark red/amber color with a foamy tan head with great retention
S-moderate citrus hop aroma with a hint of biscuit and caramel
T-Starts with a mix of the malt sweetness matched with bold hop flavor, finishes with the dry biscuit flavor and malt sweetness lingers on the palate
M-medium-full
O-a nice complex contrast of malt sweetness and full hop flavor creates a really drinkable beer that still packs a punch. I've had it numerous times on tap but just got around to reviewing. It never disappoints.

Serving type: bottle

05-03-2012 01:39:38 | More by atr2605

StonedTrippin

Colorado

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

nice buy for less than 5 bucks a bomber. pours opaque red/orange in color, thick looking, with a nice 2 inch tan head. smells like citrusy hops right away, bitter and bold. also a full bodied red malt characteristic. flavor is very dynamic, with an exciting hop and malt interplay going on. the hops are indeed fruity but bitter, while the malts are dark and sweeter, with notes of toffee and bread pudding. feel is properly arrogant in this beer, with lots of silky smooth body, a detectable alcohol sting, and mellow luxurious carbonation. overall this is a pretty good beer, definitely something different, but i dont think its as incredible as some people make it out to be. a complex glass of ale, but its not made by the hand of god.

Serving type: bottle

05-02-2012 19:45:48 | More by StonedTrippin

WrathsU

Florida

3.4/5  rDev -19%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

A - Ruby red perfectly clear body with slightly off white very thick head. Long lasting head and good apparent lacing.

S - Carmel malts and toffee up front pretty strongly. A decently malty body with a not as strong hop aroma to it. Kind of let down with the hop aroma.

T - Dark malts without a roast flavor throughout. A lot of malt up front with a good bitterness kick towards the middle and in the end. Finishes with a slight vegetal taste which is undesirable.

M - Medium-heavy bodied with good carbonation level and low alcohol burn.

O - A pretty mediocre beer in taste. It hides its alcohol good, and has good attributes, but when it comes down to taste I am slightly disappointed with it.

Serving type: bottle

04-28-2012 01:24:54 | More by WrathsU

brotherloco

California

4.18/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

22oz bomber. Enjoy by 06.11.12. Served in a tulip.

Pours a dark, but clear ruby red. Forms about 2 fingers of beige foam that clears to islands of large bubbles and a ring. Bits of lacing left behind.

Aroma hits with the malt first, with a strong brown bread note. Some dark fruits. A nice dose of citrusy hops right behind that. A touch of alcohol.

Taste pretty much follows the nose, but is better. A lot of bready malt with a some roastiness. Middle sweetens up and is accompanied by citusy and bitter hops. Maybe a slight bit of alcohol way in the finish, but overall nicely buried.

On the high end of medium bodied with a medium level of soft carbonation. Very rich feel.

Serving type: bottle

04-27-2012 23:28:32 | More by brotherloco

rarbring

Sweden

4.08/5  rDev -2.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A clear brown ale with ruby nuances, a warm tan head with good lacing and good curtains.

A smell of fresh brown bread, eggs, milk chocolate.

Starting sweet caramel and toffee, muffin batter, brown bread, chocolate, sherry and raisins.

Little carbonation, soft and sticky, a huge body with a smooth sessionable dry finish.

Nice, balanced, a great beer.

Serving type: bottle

04-22-2012 18:09:47 | More by rarbring

Drinkerofales

California

4.45/5  rDev +6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Pours copper brown with ruby red highlights. A big tan head leaves plenty of lace and retains well.

Smells of toasted malts and dark candy, rich, a hint of pine and booze round out the aroma.

Taste is similar to nose, but a bit more piney, toasted malts, and a nice tangy hops finish.

Texture is very smooth for this medium bodied brew. Not super drinkable however, as the happy warmth it gives means don't drink too many.

A nostalgic beer for me here, as when I read this label the first time almost 20 years ago, I knew this beer was for me, and the label was for the BMC crowd.

DOA

Serving type: bottle

04-21-2012 07:00:25 | More by Drinkerofales

abrand

Illinois

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

23 ounce bomber poured into a pint glass

Pours a dark amber color with an off white head that lines the glass throughout. Smell is pretty malty with some breads as well as raisins. Nice complexity to the nose. Taste is amazing. Lots of dark fruits, hints of chocolate, plenty of malts with a yeasty finish. Mouthfeel is medium bodied. Overall this is a great beer. So much going on with this.

Serving type: bottle

04-17-2012 20:09:47 | More by abrand

Adam5150

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

Pours a clear amber color and an off white head. Has good retention and lacing. Aroma of toasted malts complimented by citrusy, piney hops. Taste has sweet notes of toffe and caramel malts upfront with a heavy, aggressive hop bitterness in the finish. Medium thick body and smooth.

Serving type: bottle

04-17-2012 15:38:12 | More by Adam5150

Foddz

Ontario (Canada)

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

A: Orange-caramel pour, slight chill haze that faded quickly. Head is plentiful and off-white, very fine and frothly like a Tripel. Foam persists nicely and leaves copious thick lacing around the glass.

S: Seriously heavy malt- Caramel, maple syrup, candied fruit, prunes, raisins. Hops quite present and provide a lighter floral/citrus edge. Really just bursting with scent.

T: Almost as flavourful as it smells - a slightly different balance. Hops more pronounced and more grassy than citrus/floral. Plenty of malt still present. Caramel, raisins, fruit. The subtle tones are trampled by the hops - but really my only knock on the taste.

M: Smooth, palpable, velvety. A nice bite from the alcohol and carbonation. Leaves the palate pleasantly sticky and eager for more.

O: Fantastic. Lives up to its name - the taste is bold, brash, matching the bombastic self-promotion adorning the bottle. Wish I'd checked the review before purchasing - I would have come home with more as this isn't available locally.

Serving type: bottle

04-12-2012 23:27:23 | More by Foddz

jojoluvsbeer

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

Pours reddish amber with a very slight orange tint and a off white head that forms a ring after a few minutes and leaves nice lacing on the glass. Aroma is sweet with a floral hoppiness and some earthy, pine scent as well. Taste is splendid has a sweet hoppy bitterness with a distinct pine flavor along with some fruity sweetness. Body is medium. Has a nice alcohol burn at the end.

Serving type: bottle

04-12-2012 03:26:08 | More by jojoluvsbeer

ChrisPratz

4.4/5  rDev +4.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

One of my favorite all time beers. First enjoyed this brew about 6-7 years ago on tap in an old rustic bar that used to be the town courthouse. Beer totally fit the atmosphere. This time, i'm enjoying it from a bomber bottle in a pint glass.

A: Deep red/brown color, not unfiltered but seems to have a hue that makes it not totally transparent. Fill finger of foam head on the top, keeps the lace very very well almost the entire way thru.

S: Lots of hoppiness wafting off the suds, also toasted grains and some sweetness. May have a hint of alcohol as well, which makes sense given the 7%+ ABV. Probably attributed to the carbonation and excellent lacing but the aromas stick around even with just a little bit left at the bottom of the glass.

T: Wow, its been awhile but this beer always impresses. Smooth and tasty all the time, shows some maltyness. Hints of chocolate and some roasted flavors as well as some sweet caramel lead to the hoppyness. Bitter but not overdone. Everything seems to blend well all across the palette and the alcohol taste isn't overpowering despite the higher ABV. Leaves a slight dryness in the mouth but not one that is unenjoyable.

M: Carbonation is perfect. Any more and it would be a bit spikey in the mouth, any less and it may be flat. Again, leaves a slight dry feeling from the alcohol content but it doesn't ruin it in any way/shape/form.

O: Again one of my absolute fav's. It may be a tad expensive but a nice treat to have from time to time. Stone really knew what it was doing with this one, glad to fork over the change and indulge with an air of arrogance :)

Serving type: bottle

04-12-2012 01:30:49 | More by ChrisPratz

Chaney

District of Columbia

4.45/5  rDev +6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I've never actually reviewed this one. Rock on!

Served in a Stone shaker pint.

A: Poured a crystal clear, amber color, with an amazingly dense and foamy 2 finger head that clung to the glass and then some.

S: Malty.... just kidding. Seriously, this had a tremendous hop profile with a good bit of yeastiness that almost resembled a nitrogen pour.

T: Palate-wreckingly bitter, but with tons of flavor in every drop. This had all the bitterness of an IPA, but without the citrus. This could be best described as a bitter, melted Jolly Ranch.

M: Lots of lacing on the glass and a good bit of lingering on the palate as well, but it was that special, nihlistically, "man candy" type.

O: As most hop heads will tell you, "One of the all time greats!"

Serving type: bottle

04-10-2012 20:35:12 | More by Chaney

kangarooAdam59

Pennsylvania

3.68/5  rDev -12.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Into a pint glass:

A: dark brown body with a soft lumpy creamy looking half finger head. The head lasted about a good three minutes. The lacing was mild in that there wasn't any rings or any foamy leftovers.

S: mainly the hops with some malts in the background.

T: mild bitterness backed up by some citrus and hops.

M: medium and is mainly smooth, sessionable

O: this is a decent beer, nothing to scream about. I guess I just thought it would've been better but hey I'd still have it again

Serving type: bottle

04-09-2012 19:04:43 | More by kangarooAdam59

bobhall78

4.53/5  rDev +7.9%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A - Medium dark with some orange color. Can still see light through it.

S - Malty, citrus, chocolaty.

T - Mild bitterness, some citrus in there somewhere, mild coffee, and chocolate flavor.

M - Medium body, smooth.

O - Not bad for a dark beer if you like a hint of citrus in a dark beer. Goes down smooth with a little bitterness.

Serving type: on-tap

04-08-2012 17:31:23 | More by bobhall78

Jonmoore89

North Carolina

4.9/5  rDev +16.7%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Poured a dark amber, with a tan/cream colored one finger head that stuck until the very end. The aroma was the only thing that I found disappointing. I picked up some sweet/herbal hops and a slight bit of malt, but nothing too special. The first taste... aggressive hops, citrusy, piney, floral, herbal, and mildly malty. The complex taste definitely made up for the lack of aroma. Its medium body and carbonation was perfectly in tune with the taste. Still a sipping beer though. I was interested in trying Arrogant Bastard for a long time and I must say that it lived up the the hype. The story on the back of the bottle is a nice touch as well.
Awesome Beer!

Serving type: bottle

04-05-2012 23:34:23 | More by Jonmoore89

mothman

Saskatchewan (Canada)

3.03/5  rDev -27.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Had this a few times and I really can't get into this beer. I have had it out of the bottle aged a little and it was too malty. I have had it fresh on tap and it was just a whole mess of things going on.

Pours a beige head. Color is an amber.

Aroma: Lots of malts and hops. Caramel and chocolate with floral and grassy hops. Citrus fruits blend in.

Taste: Pretty much the same as the nose. A mix of malts and hops all blended together. Not really my thing. I like the hop profile, but the malts take away from it too much.

Mouthfeel: Creamy and bitter. Medium bodied with a medium amount of carbonation. Ends sticky.

Overall, as I said early this beer just isn't my thing. Go hops or go malts here. The mix isn't my style for this beer.

Serving type: bottle

03-31-2012 13:01:16 | More by mothman