Oaked Arrogant Bastard Ale

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

Deep reddish copper with a big foaming beige head. Aroma is a really great mix of oak, piney hops and big caramelized malts. Palate is full but rounded and soft. Resiny hopped but mellow and nearly balanced. Fully bitter finish.

On draft at Hollingshead, Orange CA. A bit more complexity than the parent, the familiar aggresive hops strength and distinctive malt character. Better balance as it warms, very enjoyable if you are a fan.

Reddish copper, thin tan head. Aroma had smoke, caramel, vanilla, whiskey, and prune. All of these elements were in the taste, as well. Familiar Arrogant Bastard hop profile, too - pine and earthy resin. Nicely understated Oak flavor that differentiates from the regular AB. Nicely done.

12oz bottle poured into an English pint glass. OABA pours amber-colored with a medium-sized head that leaves the thickest, meatiest lacing I have ever seen. It smells like hops, oak and cherry medicine. This version of Arrogant Bastard is better balanced than the original. It is still an extremely large beer, being thick and hoppy but it is smoother and much more drinkable. The taste includes heavy hops, mellowing oak and sweet malts. This is an excellent beer that finishes with truckloads of flavor and alcohol tingle.

3 ltr bottle - DC/MD/VA gathering. Reds and coppers, small off white head. Loads of complex aromas circulating with notes of pine, grapefruit, candied lemon, wood, vanilla, with a backdrop of light chocolate. Hops and sweet malt hit you up front, but it has a nice soft mellowness rounding it out. Balanced all the way to the last sip. Medium to full bodied, soft carbonation, dry woodsy finish. Dangerously drinkable...

This brew pours with a deep amber body topped by a rather thin head with some lacing left behind. The aroma is sweet and malty with strong hop notes and a touch of grapefruit as well as other tropical fruits. The flavor is sweet and malty with fruity notes at first, but then the hops take over with bitter piney notes. The oak aged is sweet and fruitier than the original Bastard. Medium to full bodied, tingly from the carbonation and warming.

Tasted on Tap at 2005 OBF. Dark brown color. Medium sized white foamy head. Aroma is hops, malts and a touch of oak. AB with an Oak tude… Big bold and bitter, than add some oak tannins. Serious bitterness in this one, lots of malts, lots of hops, touch of oak and smoke. Yet seems to be smoother in taste than the regular AB. All that malt hop and oak assault and its still a smooth beer. Amazing… Mouthfeel is full and round. Finish is clean and smooth. Aftertaste is slightly bitter, yet there is a touch of sweetness in the mix.

Well, theres an investment, but if there is one brewery I trust it would be those crazies at stone. Fortunately, its quite a nice payoff. The aroma is a strong sweet leafy strong ale bitterness with a hint of wood hiding behind them making it more enjoyable. The flavor is just heavenly. At first it you get a hint of oak, charcoal and hops. The aftertaste is where the smoothed qualities of the oak really carry this through.