This Aint News

Arrogant Bastard

Stone Brewing Company

Escondido, CA

American Strong Ale

Pop the cap and take a whiff. Right away the scent of malty goodness assaults you quickly followed by the piny and floral scent of a healthy dose of hops. This should (and possibly does) set the bar for the American Strong Ale category of beer styles.

Home Brew Wiki says:

The term "American Strong Ale" is often used to describe any strong beer that does not fit into an existing style. However, many beers in this style share certain characteristics; they are generally dark brown to black in color, with strong hop flavor and bitterness that distinguish them from English Strong Ale, balanced by strong and often sweet or caramel malt flavors. Stone's Arrogant Bastard Ale and Legacy's Hedonism are well-known commercial examples.

Long story short – a pale ale on steroids. Lots and lots of steroids.

As you pour, it's a dark red/coppery color with a head that's kind of cream colored. The head dissolves into some pretty clingy lacing down the side of the glass as you drink it.

As you drink it, the first thing you taste is the sweet malt flavors. Kind of a toasted caramel taste. Then the bitterness from the hops hits you in the back of the throat. At 7.2% ABV, this is most enjoyed with a fine cigar after a manly meal of meat and potatoes. If you had to pair it with a meal, probably a hearty stew or anything featuring mushrooms would be a good bet.

All it took was one bottle of this to become one of my all-time favorites.

There is an Oaked version of this on the shelves, but at $18 a six pack I haven't been bothered to try it yet. Apparently I'm a Cheap Bastard as well.

From the bottle label:

This is an aggressive ale. You probably won’t like it. It is quite doubtful that you have 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 beverage will give you more sex appeal. Perhaps you think multi-million dollar ad campaigns make things taste better. Perhaps you’re mouthing your words as you read this.

At Stone Brewing, we believe that pandering to the lowest common denominator represents the height of tyranny - a virtual form of keeping the consumer barefoot and stupid. Brought forth upon an unsuspecting public in 1997, Arrogant Bastard Ale openly challenged the tyrannical overlords who were brazenly attempting to keep Americans chained in the shackles of poor taste. As the progenitor of its style, Arrogant Bastard Ale has reveled in its unprecedented and uncompromising celebration of intensity. There have been many nods to Arrogant Bastard Ale…even outright attempts to copy it… but only one can ever embody the true nature of liquid Arrogance!

“You're not worthy” indeed!