Arrogant Bastard Ale - Stone Brewing Co.

Arrogant Bastard AleArrogant Bastard Ale

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BA SCORE
94
exceptional
-
5,793 Ratings
THE BROS
98
world-class
-
read more »
rAvg: 4.2
pDev: 12.62%
Reviews: 2626
Hads: 3167

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Brewed by:
Stone Brewing Co. visit their website
California, United States

Style | ABV
American Strong Ale |  7.20% ABV

Availability: Year-round. bottle (2232), on-tap (377), growler (8), cask (8), nitro-tap (1)

Notes:
No notes at this time.
View:  Beers  (85) |  Reviews  (242) |  Events  (2)

Reviews

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Photo of Premo88
Premo88

Texas

4.81/5  rDev +14.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.75

1 pint, 6 oz. bottle poured into pub glass

L: 3/4- 1-inch head really holds on, perfect tan head to offset murky dark caramel red. lacing is intense, especially for a head that doesn't start off as gargantuan. this beer is the definition of OPAQUE ... can't see through it; can't even see the carbonation inside it as it rises (but it's there).

S: flowers, sweet, citrusy ... and i think i smell malt, but i'm not good enough with the nose to say what I'm smelling -- i just know it's f-ing awesome. glade or febreeze should can this smell and sell it.

T: so damn bitter it makes me weepy ... goddamn is this beer good; like an English pale ale but with a very distinctive something different (grain, grass, ?what?) that is sharp the first time you drink one. but i'm drinking a second one right now, and all i taste is damn good ale. sharp bitter up front, smoother malt on the back end with everything hitting you all at once.

F: a perfect beer here. great carbonation, drinks light enough to trick you into thinking you could slam a 6-pack (and more!!!) of this. hell, i don't even know what "feel" means other than i want this in my mouth.

O: i've been stingy with my numbers so far, but damn is this about as good as it gets. it's placed in the American strong ale category, but if you handed this to me and told me it's a bitter, English pale ale or English IPA, I wouldn't be able to call you a liar (might say more about me than the beer).

Samuel Smith's Old Brewery Pale Ale has long been my favorite ale. Arrogant Bastard may have surpassed it ... can't say that just yet, but I can say as long as Stone BC keeps making this, I'll keep buying and drinking. Bravo!

Serving type: bottle

02-05-2013 02:17:42 | More by Premo88
Photo of Joshpu
Joshpu

California

4.23/5  rDev +0.7%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Poured from a bottle into a duvel glass.

A: Poured a transparent amber color. Two finger tan creamy head. Quite a bit of carbonation.

S: Smells like a citrus hop smell. Im also getting the sweet caramel malt notes. Also has the spicy smell to it.

T: Definitely getting the hop presence, malty caramel, earthy spice.

M: Medium bodied. The hops linger for a while, more of a slow sipper for me. Feels like alot of carbonation on the mouth.

Overall its a great beer. Unfortunately this bottle wasn't as good as I remember it, although I just noticed that the enjoy by date is only 3 days away, so I should probably get a more fresh bottle to review, which I will eventually do. Reminds me of an amber ale.

Serving type: bottle

01-29-2013 08:01:27 | More by Joshpu
Photo of fireman10
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
Photo of TheCondor
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
Photo of MCain04
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
Photo of djjacobsen
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
Photo of ironchefmiyagi13
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
Photo of ChapaTX
ChapaTX


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
Photo of Svendozen
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
Photo of Kelpius
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
Photo of barnzy78
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
Photo of jrenihan
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
Photo of obrike
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
Photo of abeerwiseguy
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
Photo of lordofstarside
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
Photo of arfenhouse
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
Photo of ubenumber2
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
Photo of mfnmbvp
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
Photo of Tucquan
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
Photo of jucifer1818
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
Photo of Danny1217
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
Photo of KKB
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
Photo of BeerDocT
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
Photo of BigBarley
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
Photo of nUgZ
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
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Arrogant Bastard Ale from Stone Brewing Co.
94 out of 100 based on 5,793 user ratings.