OAKED Arrogant Bastard Ale
Not to be confused with Stone oaked arrogant bastard ale, or STONE Oaked Arrogant Bastard, this is “OAKED Arrogant Bastard Ale”. This beer used to be hard to find, as it was only sold once a year. Sometime in 2007, Stone began selling six packs all year long.
Stone Brewing – OAKED Arrogant Bastard Ale – 12 oz bottle poured in a New Belgium beer glass. 7.2% abv.
Appearance: A very dark red, with a dense, sudsy tan head, around 1/2 inch thick.
Aroma: My imagination led me to smelling a furniture shop or a lumber yard in the first whiff. After the wood scents, I found dark fruit and caramel. After that, I got a great whiff of a hop that reminds me of Amarillo hops. After doing some detective work, I believe it is actually Chinook.
Taste: Hop bitterness followed by a mouthful of oak. The oak actually absorbs the blow of Arrogant Bastard Ale and makes the ale take a slight right at the fork in the road. After the blast, flavors of black cherry are found in the finish.
Mouthfeel: Thick and full.
Overall: Way better than Arrogant Bastard Ale. If someone held a gun to my head and forced me to eliminate one or the other, I’d have Arrogant Bastard Ale eliminated and replaced with OAKED Arrogant Bastard. With that said, I definately would not enjoy OAKED Arrogant Bastard Ale battered onion rings.
April 27, 2009 @ 5:16 pm
I am a columnist writing for the Lompoc Record in Lompoc, CA. There is an empty Arrogant Bastard Ale bottle in Winston’s Matador Barber Shop in Lompoc. He has a rather wonderful bottle collection in his shop, and the Arrogant Bastard Ale label caught my attention. I have mentioned it in two of my columns. It’s getting to be something of a legend.
Can you please tell me the origin of the name? Here’s a guess: since the beer originated in or near San Diego, does the name refer to an arrogant naval officer? Sorry if this offends any naval officers, but I’m grasping at straws here. Allie Kay