Beer – #299 – Stone – Oaked Arrogant Bastard Ale

Beer #299 then, the prequel ….. Oaked Arrogant Bastard Ale

Brewed by Stone Brewing Co. in the style of American Strong Ale and they are still on the road to Escondido, California USA

Small though, being a 355ml bottle of a 7.2% ABV beer, which is just about 2 standard drinks, and 216 calories.

This is an aggressive beer. You probably won’t like it. It is quite doubtful that you have

Arrogant Selfie

the taste or sophistication to be able to appreciate an ale of this quality and depth. We would suggest that you stick to safer and more familiar territory — maybe something with a multi-million dollar ad campaign aimed at convincing you it’s made in a little brewery, or one that implies that their tasteless fizzy yellow beer will give you more sex appeal. Perhaps you think multi-million dollar ad campaigns make a beer taste better. Perhaps you’re mouthing your words as you read this.

Too many strive towards complacency as a goal. We grow up thinking that the ability to become complacent is the equivalence of success in life. True Arrogant Bastards know that this could not be further from the truth. The real beauty, richness and depth in life can only be found if the journey through life itself is looked upon as a constant chance to learn, live and find life’s passion. Passion threatens the complacent, and fills them with fear. Fear of the new, the deep and the different. We, on the other hand, seek it out. Endlessly, joyously…and aggressively. To this end we bring you the “OAKED Arrogant Bastard Ale.” Another reward for those seeking new sources of passion, and another point of dissension for those who are not.

Opening aroma is more of bready yeast, in the English beer style, Missy says “oaken” but then she read the name first, bwahahaha.

Pours a lot lot darker than I was expecting, rich dark ruby read, and without a head, which I wasn’t. Aroma settles more to fruits.

This really is a very aggressive beer.

The intense bitterness and hops really wash the palate out, leaving you with an uncompromising taste sensation. You can pick grapefruits, or pine resin, they’re pretty close, and they’re intense.

We are all different though, and I don’t think this is balanced the way some people do, it is tilted fair square to hop bomb and overload. That said the bitterness don’t make you pucker, which is a good thing.

So, cut to the chase, because we’re near the bottom… the pdubyah-o-meter. Brought to you by the number 8 . 8 is very good. Not spectacular, sit back and light a cigar it’s all over rover though. It’s just too arrogant, too in your face, and it’s probably for that that it gains the popularity that it has — it is what it says it is.

Somehow the music became Bruce Springsteen, and album I’m trying to stick with “High Hopes” it might be paying off.

AMERICAN STRONG ALE

Not a style, per se, but the only logical category to incorporate the plethora of strong, stylistically vague beers coming from American micros these days. Some are related to English Strong Ales, but with more hop, while others are ultra-strong variants on the IPA theme. But no matter how varied their origins or characters might be, all are intense, potent, with generous quantities of hops and malt.