At some point you’ve told someone: You know, I’ve been meaning to try that. For me, one of my I’ve-been-meaning-to-try-that beers is Arrogant Bastard Ale. Not only because I am an occasionally-arrogant bastard who likes ales, but because I’ve seen it so many times in so many places but just never ordered or bought it. I’m glad I finally did.
I may not be worthy, but I'm drinking it nonetheless.
At a respectable 7.2% ABV, I’m excited to crack this big boy open. First, you have to acknowledge the badass artwork on the bottle. I particularly like the two tone printing right on the bottle – no labels. There’s a detailed narrative on the backside of the bottle aimed at belittling the drinker into passing up on the beer, followed by a colorful history of the Stone Brewing Company. Even the website has moxie. I like this brewer’s style.
Let’s see if the beer holds up all it’s talk once it goes from bottle to glass to mouth to belly.
Arrogance... bottled
I love how this looks in a glass. Note the rich brownish-amber color. None of this Bud Light clear-as-a-window translucency crap. This is a real beer. Here’s a better look:
You magnificent bastard!
When did we as a society begin to settle for thin watery clear beers? When your beer looks like Zima with a 1/2 drop of yellow food dye in it, you made a poor beer decision.
Back to the Bastard. Lots of head when you pour, but it’s not particularly effervescent. These are common among English-style ales.
After all of the IPAs that I have been crushing lately, this is a refreshing change of pace. This beer has a nice note of hops, not a hops beatdown. Great, rich ale flavor. I’m not picking up on any side fruit flavors or anything goofy. Straight non-IPA hoppy ale, but they do it so well. It’s a very smooth beer with a robust aftertaste. I would buy this again in a heartbeat.
You may not be worthy, but my recommendation for Stone Brewing Company’s Arrogant Bastard Ale: Drink This Beer
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