Oaked Arrogant Bastard Ale

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

Poured dark orange/amber. Smells of hops, fruits, woody oak, sweet/nutty malts, burnt caramel, and black licorice. Taste dominated by dry wood chips. Also some dry hops, with a slight alcohol hint and smokey bitter finish. Slight carbonation but mostly smooth. I prefer the unoaked version, however this is a very interesting variation. One was great....two may be too much.

Beautiful mahogany amber adorned with rich, thick, hop-pocked amber crown. Reflective of the appearance, is a richly hoppy and malty aroma with some apparent oak notes and grapefruit. Over-ripe grapefruit flavor, oakiness, almost overpowering citrusy bite. Certainly not subtle.

Dark brown with a decent sized, off-white head with great lacing. The aroma is of hops and dark fruits with notes of oak and berries. The flavor is fruity and hoppy with notes of oak and berries. Overall i’d say its a great, aggressive beer: not for beginners.

Growler filled at Stone. Creamy, thick, sticky head. Staining the rim of the glass. Smell coffee and nuts. Hints of plum as time goes by. Dark brown color, deep blood color when held to light. Drinks thick, but the taste is very creamy. Not a lot of carbonation either. It doesn’t have the bite people generally expect from a brew this dark.

Bottle thanks to IrishBoy! Pours a deep ruby red colour with hints of brown. Thick beige head. Nose is citrusy hops and dark fruit. Flavour is very much the same. Intense citrusy hops, with hints of oak. Much nicer as it warms up, it smooths out a bunch. Carbonation is sort of medium low, and it’s fairly creamy. Nice beer.

Pour is red amber in color. Average head which reduces to a small ring, off white colored. Oak forward, caramel malts, cookie, and resiny hops. Nice flavor, quite complex with a woody finish. Nice beer although I don’t think I could drink a lot of these. I prefer the non oaked version, but this puts an interesting twist on the style.

Nice dark amber in color. Nice lace on the glass, aroma is of nice malt and behind that hops. Taste is Hoppy,malt y,with a slight vanilla caramel also. Overall well balanced and a must try!!!

A slightly translucent dark color with a nice, frothy head. The aroma is quite something. Some citrus notes there, grapfruit, and certainly plenty of sweet caramel. Flavor is hoppy and sweet. Very well balanced. There’s of course the nominal oak elements popping up, but they’re not as evident as they could be. Definitely some alcohol burn going on too. Nice and smooth body. All right beer, but I think a stronger oak presence could make it better.