Arrogant Bastard Ale

Brewed by Stone Brewing Co.
Style: American Strong Ale
Escondido, California USA

For all the build up and warnings, this is a very well made, balanced beer. No taste bud jihad here, lots of malty flavor with intense hop and a lingering finish. Woods, earthy with deep maltiness. I love this beer.

What an insanely unique bitter beer. Herbal hoppiness combines with burnt wood, fruit skins, and malty goodness in a way that lingers on the palate for hours. My maximum intake is two pints.

Pours a very dark brown with a thick, creamy, tan head. Smells very malty for a strong ale. Taste is out of this world good - very complex, strong malt character, but with a crisp refreshing hoppiness as well. Absolutely delicious.

A strong aroma of caramel, hops, and alcohol. Flavor is initially of smooth bitter hops (with a small hint of caramel); a secondary malty character emerges later. The two predominant flavors are well balanced. An enjoyable brew.

Bottle. Pour is dark golden brown with a short lasting light tan head. Aroma is of aggressive caramel malt, light bitter hops, and alcohol. Flavor is well balanced with a nice malt bill balanced with a medium smooth bitter hop character. Very nice brew.

(br-btl rd//wt-painted-lbl, 22oz a few times, $4.59, "you’re not worthy")

lct-mhgy, ^eff, lasting-creamy-tan-head, patches of lace, low-med-co2, sticky-med-full-body.

aroma: deep earthy fruity(sweet-grapefruit, §pineapple) §sweet-bready-malt fresh-citrus-hops ^hop-resin.

flavor: fruity bready-malt leafy-hops fresh-dark-citrus(like grapefruit peel soaked in molases) T1, creamy dark-malty-sweet sour-grapefruit tobacco-leaf-^hops §smokey-yeast T2, grapefruit-§wine creamy-hops hop-§bitter filmy T3, malty hop-bitter grapefruit-seed Tf.

i like to drink it rather quickly, maybe it helps to blend the flavors better on the palate, or keeps the palate from getting stressed out, or maybe just because it’s so darn good.

Pours with a great copper color and clear. Head is big and beige, lasting long. This is a well balanced beer with malts and bitter hops on the nose. Taste is full mouthfeel and has a strong bitter bite on the front. While the hops are pronounced, there is still nice balance and the malts throughout the taste.

Bomber. Pours a dark reddish brown with a nice thick beige head with thick lacing. Nose is heavy on the hops, pine, and caramel touch. Taste is also heavy on the hops to start, gives way to a nice pine and citrus middle, followed by a slightly sweet but dry finish. Very bitter all the way through. Brutal on the palate, the hop bitterness really packs a wallop, alcohol is well hidden. Always one of my favs, can’t believe I haven’t rated this yet.