Double Bastard Ale

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

Bottle from dkachur, thanks Dan! Reddish brown color. Raisin and some flowery hops in the aroma. Malty sweet flavor with raisin, pepper, nutmeg, blackcurrant, banana, plums and flowery and oily hops. Good complexity, full bodied, heavy on the tongue, well hidden alcohol. Satisfyingly balanced. Oily hopbitter aftertaste, almost vinous. Syrupy mouthfeel. A huge beer!

A nice sweet hoppy nose.Lots of hoppiness in this beer.Hops and caramel sweetness with a bitter swwet finish.The alcohol was hidden well.

nose of sweet malt and alcohol. color is dark red with a slight white head and mild carbonation. very full mouthfeel. flavor is huge with hints of plum, raisons, toffee with a nice alcohol-induced complexity at the end. where does a barley wine begin and an american strong ale end? this definitely is reminiscent of a barley wine and a very good one. this beer could probably age forever, but the malt wasn’t overpowering here and allowed for some subtle flavors to arise

one of a kind beer pour a nice very dark amber color with a small head oaky taste and smelll i can taste and feel the 10% alcohol in the bottom of you stomach but still enjoyed it

Pours a dark reddish brown color with a lingering head and decent lacing. Smelled of malt and citrus hops. Flavor was a nice malty character, brown sugar and dried fruits. Thick body with a lingering dryness and a l could barely taste the alcohol. It was super smooth and quite scary that it was that drinkable. Awesome brew! *****Update***** Just had a fresh 08. More bitter hops then I remember, the alcohol is noticable but still easy to drink. Another good brew by stone!

Unbelievable beer.... Stone is incapable of making a bad beer. Bottle courtesy of Overlord. Poured a nice reddish brown with a small head but some impressive lacing. Smells hoppy and malty, fruity and dark as well. Definite presence of alcohol as well. Loads of sweet malt on the taste with a wonderful hoppiness in the background. I love Arrogant Bastard and Oaked Arrogant Bastard but this is a different animal altogether. Loved everything about this brew. Probably my favorite American Strong.

Side by side vertical of the 05, 06 and 07 releases done on 11/26/07. The 05 was in a growler poured at the brewery that day, and the 06 and 07 were in 22oz. bottles. I drank all three out of the same exact style of glasses, beginning with the youngest release.
Appearance: All three years pour almost exactly the same color, the 05 may be a touch lighter in color. Vibrant brown/red color with a thin off-white head. The head on the 06 lasts the longest by far, followed second by the 05.
Aroma: 07: Hoppy and spicy, not much maltiness, and there’s a touch of alcohol in the background. 06: Smells much sweeter, hops are much more subdued and sweet smelling rather than spicy. Still some alcohol but not as much. 05: Even more sweet and subdued than the previous two.
Flavor: 07: Hoppy, almost like a dark IPA, but not. Hops are spicy up front and finish sweet. The malts in there also contribute a bit to the sweetness but the hops are the star of this show. 06: My first impression is earthy. Still hoppy of course, but the hops have mellowed (sorry for the cliche’). A little citrus in there as well, grapefruit. To me, the alcohol bite on the finish is much more than on the 07. 05: Mellow, and the most mellow part is the booze, just a hint in the aftertaste, smooth otherwise. Hops are faint and sweet up front and spicy towards the finish.
Palate: I refilled my glasses for the mouthfeel portion and again the head on the 06 totally showed up the head on the other two years. 07: It’s actually thick, but it’s crisp enough that it feels much thinner. Nice carbonation. 06: Thicker, not quite as crisp. Smooth though, the carbonation has mellowed. 05: The thickest, not by a ton of course, but it is the thickest. Carbonation has smoothed out some, still nice, but not as crisp.
Overall: Of course, all of these releases are still drinking nicely. I’ll be honest, I like the hops in the fresh stuff an

1-27-08 bottle shared thanks to Mike on BA
Caramel amber in color with a decent off white head. So much better than the other two Bastards I’ve had! One of the first American Strong Ales that I have really enjoyed. Caramel alcohol flavor. Hot, heavy finish. Smooth on the palate and warming as well. Very impressed overall - I didn’t expect to enjoy this at all.