kepano (239), Meudon, France Dec 3, 2005 For my first Stone brew Arrogant Bastard seemed like a natural choice especially as a base for the double and aged variants. The standard Stone bottles have a great personality and attention to detail, it was a joy to crack open and pour. The hue reminds me of a dark chestnut color that shines red-orange in the light. A frothy pale yellow head sits uncomfortably above the liquid and leaves sparse bubbly lacing on the glass. The aroma first strikes as powerful and very hoppy, with grapefruit dominating the first whiff. With closer inspection a blend of cherry, red apples and banana strike the nose while coffee, cream and a slight woody note provide a soft balance. Sweet fruity malts hit the tongue initially but soon the hops override the main flavor with a touch of smoky spices. I’m not a big hop nut myself but I enjoyed the change from my usual Belgian preference. The aftertaste leaves a long Sahara-dry hop flavor that sticks to the back of your tongue forever and encourages another sip. As far as hoppy beers go, I do appreciate the complexity but it is always hard for me to enjoy the overpowering bitterness.
altonbrownd (1866), Amsterdam, Netherlands Nov 11, 2009 Bottle in Massachusetts. Reddish body with big head. Malty nose, with citrus. Rich tastes of caramel, malts and vanilla. Smooth and full-bodied. Very nice. PJClarke (611), London, Greater London, England Nov 8, 2009 Tap @ The White Horse:
A big nicotine stained head. A lightly cheesy aroma and rich cheesy flavour. An excellent texture/carbonation ratio. Totally drinkable. arventresca (334), Greenville, North Carolina, USA Nov 4, 2009 Bottle. Pours amberish with white head. Taste of a typical American Ale. It was good but I don’t see what all the hype is. I guess you ddon’t have the sophistication to appreciate my palate, you fucking puke, hahaha. ultracake (32), salem, Oregon, USA Nov 3, 2009 12 oz bottle, university market, 2.79. i have had regular bastard and i don’t remember it being this good. the first thing i taste is vanilla, good malt taste nice bitter, very well balanced. very good stuff and i didn’t mouth the words as i read it. dekeq (35), New Jersey, USA Nov 2, 2009 This is a pretty good looking ale. It pours out nice and transparent with a golden/reddish color. The golden head was very full as well - even in my glass. One good whiff and you get a nice hint of hops. There was also a slight bit of fruit in it as well. I couldn’t really detect what fruit it was but it seemed like a neutral fruit like apples. When you taste it, the frothy head is the first flavor to hit you with a followup of hops. In the middle, you get a hint of barley and it finishes off with the hops again. I didn’t get the taste of fruit like I initially smelled. The aftertaste of the brew is pretty alcoholic, though. I did not perceive the texture as very smooth. The flow of the textures and tastes didn’t really transition that well and I thought it was a pretty generic beer. Dfonorow (31), New Jersey, USA Oct 31, 2009 This American strong ale pours a reddish brown hue with a small golden head. Upon inspection it gives off a noticeable aroma of hops, different kinds of malt, and a hint of sour fruit (possibly green apples?). The taste is quite strong and is exactly what i would expect from a beer made by an arrogant bastard; its bitter, dry, and hops-filled. It leaves a nice bitter aftertaste as well, the whole experience is not very smooth, but still quite enjoyable... if your not a yellow-fizz drikin’ wuss like the bottle says. bsp77 (199), Minnesota, USA Oct 31, 2009 Poured from bottle into Nonic Imperial Pint.
Slightly hazy burnt red with lasting head and layers of lacing down the glass. Very pretty.
Aroma of mostly dry malts and pine, some citrus and fruit.
Semi-sweet fruity malts upfront, which quickly turns to a very flavorful pine and citrus hop middle, before ending with waves of bitterness. Detect some spiciness from the hops at the end as well.
Low carbonation with a full, very smooth body. Finishes quite dry.
My first American Strong Ale, but I really like this and want more. Good thing it’s a bomber and I am only half done.
I know American Strong Ale is a catch-all, but this one seems halfway between an IPA and an American Barleywine. Also somewhat reminds me of Furious.
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