Double Bastard Ale

Tongue, ouch, tastebuds, ouch... a powerful ale. I’ve had this at a Stone tasting in DC on tap, just had it on bottle. Too much of a hop wallop. I’m trying to get a feel for Stone’s beer. They are good, but just a bit overpowering. Poured a little darker than regular Arrogant Bastard, more sticky, less sweet. Thin head (maybe it was just the pour). I drank it VERY slowly... just because it’s a beer to treat with some level of respect. Malts can be detected, but the hop bitters it out too much. I remember the tap version being a bit more mellow. Bought it with a few other Stone brews, may try those a bit later today. (Bottle Pour 5/10/2008)

Compliments of DrBayern (Thanks Matt!), pours from bomber, forming small to medium off white head of foam. Aroma is of mossy wood malted hops with wet forrest hints, caramel burnt oats and plums hint too. Flavour is of complete smoothness, caramel malts with a hint of hop bite towards the very end. Jeez, what an incredible beer people, plums and raisins swrill among this lovely beer. Truly a lovely example of American beer. Thanks Matt! Hope to try it on tap.

i drank this beer out of a tremens tulip. this beer poured a cloudy (perhaps sediment from cooling it in the rapid beverage chiller) orange-ish brown with very little and and little lacing. carbonation abounds. i should add that the beer cleared up and i didn’t see any sediment in the glass, so i am not sure what that was all about, but it was inconsequential. this beer smells of raisins and caramel. a bit of spice in the nose as well. i can detect the alcohol, which is not a bad thing. the taste is consistent with the smell, however it becomes much more complex as it warms. i can best describe the beginning of this beer as very agressive, starting sweet and finishing bitter, however superbly balanced. the mouthfeel is quite full with hella carbonation. makes me wonder where the head went? i shared this with barefootbrewer and another, but i think i could drink a whole bomber by myself. highly drinkable in my opinion. quite like a barleywine. actually closer to a barleywine than the last barleywine i had, avery hog heaven.

Not really good at the psudo wine comparisons. However, The Best Stone I’ve ever had...

Clear red pour with a big head that leaves a nice lacing behind as it settles. Complex aroma with a sweet malty smell with some pear notes and caramel. Taste explodes with alcohol and carbonation, really coats the mouth