Arrogant Bastard Ale - Stone Brewing Co.

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

ToddL

1.75/5  rDev -58.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 1 | feel: 1.5 | overall: 2

Had 3 other persons at my table. No one would dare try a second taste of the overly hoppy bitter beer.
I'm not a huge fan of hops , So it was all I could do to hold my nose and choke down this beer I paid $7 dollars for. But if you are a fan of bitter tasting hop flavored beers give this a go. This just happens to be on the opposite spectrum of my liking.

Serving type: on-tap

11-19-2012 14:50:53 | More by ToddL

BeerDocT

Georgia

4.1/5  rDev -2.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Served in a chilled tulip glass.

-Appearance 3.5: Poured out a dark, opaque brown. 1/2", cream-colored head quickly faded leaving spotty swirls. Lots of CO2 little bubbles abound.

-Smell 3.5: Subdued bouquet, but I do detect lots of grapefruity hops and a slight hint of barley.

-Taste 4.5: Front is slightly sweet and alkaline dry, then the middle kicks in and hits you with sweet barley tones like a delicious wave of LME, but this is balanced by a HUGE hop kick in the back of the mouth. Wow! Finish is restrained: more hops, but more dry than the middle. Finish is all alkaline hops and is strangely smooth. Really amazing flavor profile in this beer.

-Mouthfeel 4.0: Carbonation is complementary to the enjoyment of this beer.

-Overall 4.0: Excellent tasting beer and that's all that matters to me. If I ever find this on tap, I will not hesitate to order a pint. This beer has a really unique flavor profile and I will definitely be buying this brew again. Wonderfully sessionable in spite of its 7.2%.

Serving type: bottle

11-16-2012 04:32:00 | More by BeerDocT

Cavanaghty

Maine

4.98/5  rDev +18.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Served on tap in a sample glass.

Appearance: Deep amber color with a white head.

Smell: Hops, citrus, malts. Some sugars too in the background.

Mouthfeel/Taste: Medium bodied and smooth. Hoppy, citrus taste that dominates the palate.

Overall: Great beer, this one definatly lived up to it's reputation. I will have this one again.

Serving type: on-tap

11-09-2012 14:38:44 | More by Cavanaghty

BigBarley

Texas

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

A - Poured into a pilsner glass, rich, deep amber color with a finger head that maintains for a long time. This beer looks flavorful, with a deep color that gets much more clear and closer to an orange when held up to the light. Somehow it can be dark and light at the same time, which to me says powerful stuff.

S - Smells very balanced, the nose hits hard with a hop presence and a malt sweetness all at once. Very faint hints of caramel and something almost sour smelling that hide below a heavy hop profile.

T - Strong ale indeed! This is one hell of a beer, touching on all sorts of flavors. As is the case with many Stone brews, the hops seem to dominate, but there are hints of a biscuit taste, a minor touch of dark chocolate, a note of caramel, all seemingly wrapped in a hoppy bitterness that attacks the tongue. This is not a beer for a standard beer drinker. Extemely flavorful.

M - I feel this beer would be a better fit with a thicker body, but the carbonation is nice, and it does go down smooth. Not too thin, just lacking a really ALE-worthy construction. Luckily the mouthfeel is not my primary attraction.

O - A great beer for seasoned craft drinkers. Heavily recommended to hop heads who want more than another IPA. All around flavorful and satisfying beer. I personally feel that Stone has better beers out there, but this one has plenty of merit, and stands above most beers as a truly strong ale.

Serving type: bottle

11-06-2012 15:37:05 | More by BigBarley

nUgZ

North Carolina

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

22 oz. bomber poured into a snifter.

A: Dark amber color with 1 finger tan colored head. Nice lacing as well.

S: Sweet but earthy smell. A little nutty as well. Malt as well as some dank hops. Some alcohol if you really get into it. Pretty complex all in all...every time you go back you can get something different.

T: The taste is as complex as the smell, if not more so. Sweet malts up front with subtle hops on the back end. Quite nutty with the alcohol hidden well. Almost like smoked nuts. Well balanced overall.

M: Medium bodied, but very smooth. Decent carbonation.

O: An excellent beer. All the complexities I would expect from Stone. The beer opens up more and more as it warms. Like a story begging to be told. Very well-balanced.

Serving type: bottle

11-05-2012 21:27:25 | More by nUgZ

PhantasIPA

Delaware

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

This beer has a dark red color and is a little cloudy. The head was pretty thick at 3/4 of an inch from bottle to glass and the lacing was above average, leaving lacing 2-3 inches high.

The smell is nice. Heavy, earthy, nutty tones mixed with a nice sweet smell.

The taste is distinct and subtle at the same time. Like the smell, the taste is dominated by a nutty flavor followed quickly with a sweet, malty taste. The malt flavor tastes like brown sugar. There is a hint of spices in the aftertaste.

The mouthfeel is smooth, mainly from the sweet malt and then dry from the spices at the end. The spices are difficult to identify...

Overall this beer is a solid ale. 7.2% ABV is masked well by the sweetness of the brew but you can still taste the alcohol in the beer. Worth a try, even though some reviewers find the beer difficult to finish.

Serving type: bottle

11-04-2012 20:50:15 | More by PhantasIPA

raznug

Ohio

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

Appearance: This bastard pours a garnet colored and is topped with 1” of tan colored head, that leaves lacing down the glass.
Smell: Arrogant has the aroma of a blend of malt and hops that is rather intense.
Taste: The flavor of this beer goes nicely with the aroma and is a nice blend of hops and malt with a touch of alcohol burn in to back of the throat.
Mouthfeel: This is a medium bodied beer that is rather easy drinking compared to some but like the label says not for the yellow swill drinking wimps.

Serving type: bottle

11-03-2012 15:00:58 | More by raznug

oidrink

1.9/5  rDev -54.8%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 1 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Taste like asprin... effin hate it so much.. yuck! I had that taste on the tip of my tounge that was numbing. I thought it would be awesome without that nasty taste. Its however smooth.. If they change that taste I would engage another drink. Its not horrible but maybe you should buy 1 22oz. and try it out... who knows you might like it. It also was like 4 dollars at a store in Portland oregon.

Serving type: growler

10-26-2012 00:01:17 | More by oidrink

AmitC

Indiana

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

Wow a 5.99buck 22 oz bomber. I have high expectations because of Stone name and its price.

Pours with a very little head. Less than a finger thick. Ruby amber color. On the darker side of strong ales. Not a lot of reddish hue. But still something a lot discernible. Leaves some lacing on the glass, not absolutely mesmerizing but yes it is decent. Clear and transparent. A good amount of bubbles rising from everywhere.

Smell is a lot complex. Initial impressions of mildly roasted malt, more sweetness and caramel. Some mix of hops, that is at times resinous/piney and at times little citrus. But you have to really search for it. You have to sniff it out. Nose creates an anticipation of a much sweeter ale.

Than it actually is. Gets into my palate with a lot more bitterness than what nose gives. Nowhere near that of an IPA but still a good amount of burning sensation when it passes through the throat. That is something i appreciate here. Sweetness is there, in abundance, however it just makes the aftertaste of bitter hops go away. Nothing more. Otherwise, it is very strong on the alpha hops, for a strong ale.

Feels a lot oily when pouring. However, it is not that much oily. Resinous effect is certainly there. Body is a lot fuller and makes a punch along with bitterness. Medium carbonation helps a lot. Drink-ability is medium. A bomber is enough for a session.

Excellent brew. Reminds you of red and strong ales until it goes in. And once it enters the mouth, it gives more of a mild IPA feel.

Serving type: bottle

10-24-2012 23:35:52 | More by AmitC

Toddzillamz

3.6/5  rDev -14.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Strip off your clothes, wrap yourself in an american flag, and listen to me you beer swillin' fools. Let me take you back to a time when this great country of ours was feared. When we kicked ass and took names. When we shot first and asked questions later. We created something great and nobody could take that away from us. No brits, no commies, no nobody. Well, it's been re-created in liquid form. It's legal, it's readily available, and it's bangin' good! It's called Arrogant Bastard. This brew should be sitting on every table in the good 'ol U.S. of A., and should be the beer of choice for any redblooded American from the east, west, north or south. Stone Cold Steve Austin should be entering the ring with a bottle of Arrogant Bastard in his hand, a good buzz on, and smash the bottle right over the face of his opponent. We need more scars. He should then shank the ref, and then drop the Stone Cold Stunner to the ghost of Randy Savage as he misses his mark from the top turnbuckle.

Do your duty to god and your country. Fight hard. Stay strong. Be true. Be just. But always be a bastard.

Serving type: bottle

10-24-2012 00:43:31 | More by Toddzillamz

boxvic

Kentucky

2.35/5  rDev -44%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 1.5 | overall: 2

I like a few ales, so I went into this expecting to like it (or at least tolerate it). It has a nice dark caramel color; and has a good hoppy smell. It poured with a creamy head. From there it went south for me. I don't want to totally dog the beer like most people do with the macro beers (which aren't all that bad); but I just cannot rate the taste for this very highly.

I'm sure most people will disagree with me, but I had to pour out most of this pint. The head hadn't even dissipated before my stomach started to hurt. I'm not sure if my stomach just didn't like one of the ingredients, or if the hops were just too strong for my stomach. All I know is I couldn't finish it.

Serving type: bottle

10-20-2012 23:14:44 | More by boxvic

micromaniac129

Pennsylvania

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

A handsome looking beer with it's ruby copper glow, tall beige head and it's gentile carbonation.
On my intial pour the head was quite tall, dense and frothy leaving a good amount of lacing.
The head lingered deep into the glass as well.

Aroma finds a fresh hop bouquet of citrus and resinous pine. Malts are present

A rich and inviting taste. Plenty of sweet malts and hints of hops. Malts are sweet grainy and with a hint of yeast. Hops taste along the line of pine but is quite sutle. Taste leans more towards the malts with hops doing the backing up.

A way to easy beer to drink. I could guzzle it down without batting an eye. Smooth on the palette and no aftertaste. Well hidden alcohol.

A pleasure to drink. I don't know why I waited so long to try it.
Drink it with Love and rockets's American dream. (be patient).

Serving type: bottle

10-20-2012 12:05:48 | More by micromaniac129

Mavigo

Michigan

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

The description on the bottle is hilarious, love the bashing of the big breweries, referring to the all so popular adjunct beers as "tasteless fizzy yellow beverages".

A: It pours a clear amber-ruby red with a little bit of off white head with not much lacing

S: Smells smoky, hoppy, yeasty, and like barley

T: has a very smokey flavor, extremely hoppy, can also pick up on the yeast and barley is also sweet at the same time, bitter aftertaste

M: Its a very rich, thick beer, very complex, has a warm finish with an intense after taste

O: This is a terrific beer, I really enjoyed it, im not really a fan of over hopping but this was still extremely good, has a nice balance of sweet and bitter.

Serving type: bottle

10-19-2012 15:20:48 | More by Mavigo

gcamparone

Rhode Island

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

Poured from a 22 oz bomber into a Samuel Adams pint glass.

A- pours a amber-cherry clear body with a thick, cream colored head with ultra high retention and thick heavy lacing. Beautiful.

S- heavy, sweet malty backbone with pine and citrus hop aroma

T- big hoppy pine, citrus and resin notes upfront, finishes with a warming smoked malt flavor. Good balance.

M- pretty heavy, medium carbonation. Smooth

This is an excellent example of the American strong ale, and borders on an IPA in my opinion. Complex, tasty, and balanced. Must try

Serving type: bottle

10-18-2012 00:18:13 | More by gcamparone

Goblinmunkey7

Massachusetts

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

Appearance: Deep, slightly hazed, copper. Big hues of red and brown. Head is light khaki, creamy, thick, and rocky. Drops to a small cap and collar. Sheets of sticky lacing.

Smell: Biscuit dough, cooked malts. Caramel malts. Big sweetness. Punches of citrus and some pine resin. Big hops masked by a bigger, chewier malt presence. Some hints of deeper sugars, like toffee. Malts are deeply bready. Grapefruit rind, faintly herbal and spicy. Lots going on, but not in an aggressive way.

Taste: Big push of earthy/herbal hop leaf. Citrus rounds out the hop profile, hitting grapefruit zest more than anything else. Some orange and leafy floral. Caramel, cooked malts. Bread crust and biscuit dough. Huge malts tempered by the hops. Some toasted edges. Pithy bitterness builds with each sip.

Mouthfeel: Moderately full body with a moderate carbonation. Dry on the back of each sip. Smooth.

Overall: This is when you take the training wheels off.

This was one of the first six beers I purchased when I turned 21. I liked it then, I like it now. Stone has always been there for me and I'm glad they helped me on my path. Two-wheels for life!

Serving type: bottle

10-18-2012 00:01:34 | More by Goblinmunkey7

StoutishDan

Georgia

4.68/5  rDev +11.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

Picked this brew up at Trader Joe's for only $4.50. Elsewhere I had seen it for much more than my wife would prefer me spending.

22 oz bottle poured into one of my Brooklyn Brewery Pint glass.

A - Holy mother of the beer gods, this one is beautiful! Darker than I expected. Deep, rich mahogany color. Decent head, but very sticky lacing. It's leaving nice rings after each sip just how I like it. Looks beautiful!

S - Piney and spicy hops. Very complex. Sweet and spicy maltiness. Carmel-brown sugar smell going on. Can't pend too much time simply sniffing this beer. It begs to be tasted.

T - Bitter hops. So nice, though! Very hoppy Strong Ale. It has all the right qualities you'd expect from Stone. Bold hoppiness up front and through the mid pallet 'experience' followed up with a sweet roasty carmel malt at the end, right before a flood of that sam bitterness - the roastiness sticks around.

O - Has to be one of my new favorite beers. I like the roasty flavors at the finish. My ranking out of 100 is a solid 99. Do they have six packs of this beer? Please! The 22 oz are too small.

I'm not sure if this is the case with other reviewers - and I mean no disrespect by comparing such a phenomenal beer with another brewery, but I found Arrogant Bastard to be a bolder version of New Belgium's Fall Seasonal Red Hoptober. I know I know, "it's nothing like it," I get it, but the bouquet is similar (less hoppy, of course) and the roasted barley is almost right at Hoptober's.

Maybe I'm the only one.

Serving type: bottle

10-13-2012 01:42:39 | More by StoutishDan

ElSid

California

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

The Beers of California

#13

Freshness Date: None

A: A finger of off white head tops off this mahogany brown brew. Ample lacing as the head dissipates.

S: Earthy and bready with toffee, caramel, and mocha sweetness. There is an underlying pine tree aroma which comes through the malt sweetness at times but the nose is full of complex sugary sweetness

T: Round malt notes, heralded by the nose, of toffee, brown sugar, caramel and mocha espresso. The sweetness quickly transitions to a leafy, piney bitterness with intertwining citrus zest. Good warming alcohol which is well balanced between the malt and hops.

M: Chewy, smooth, and oily linger all topped off with a moderate amount of zesty carbonation.

O: The Arrogant Bastard of the Stone Brewery line really does everything from sweet, complex malt to aggressive hopping. One of the Stone brews that really showcases both strength and depth of flavor.

Serving type: bottle

10-10-2012 03:20:42 | More by ElSid

TwelveOunces

Kentucky

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

Served on tap in a pint glass

It has been to long since my last go at the classic Bastard. This beer is a deep amber color and is extremely hazy. The head is slightly off white and really doesnt stick around too long. The nose is mostly pine, herbal and floral hops. The taste of this beer starts out with a high bitterness and an intense hop profile. There is a ton of grassy, herbal, spicy notes and a lot of pine and some lemon zest. The beer has a ton of mouth feel and helps to deliver the beers flavors. The other flavors of the beer are toffee, caramel and bread yeast. This is a classic go to beer, best fresh in my opinion.

Serving type: on-tap

10-07-2012 15:34:03 | More by TwelveOunces

WastingFreetime

Wisconsin

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

Reviewed from notes.

Pours out a hazy brownish amber with three fingers of sand colored head that lasts for about four minutes and leaves behind some pretty nice lacing patterns on the glass. Medium body and carbonation levels, somewhat crisp texture in the finish.

Smells of piney / citrus hopping combined with toasted / caramel malts in aggressive quantities. Gains a touch of cherry aroma as it warms up. Flavor follows suit, but also has a woody and brash herbal hopping aspect that creeps up on you. It is slightly out of balance in favor of the hops (on purpose) but that's sort of the target they were aiming for. For me, this feels like a nice return to aggressive beers that comforts me whenever I'm in the mood for something 'aggressive yet not completely over the top crazy".

Serving type: bottle

10-04-2012 18:21:27 | More by WastingFreetime