Review – Double Bastard Ale (2006 two years later)

I enjoy saving my strong beers to see how they change over time. Last year, I reviewed Double Bastard Ale, Vintage 2006 to see what one year did to it. Here were are again, in 2008 with another bottle of 2006.

Stone Brewing Co. – Double Bastard Ale, Vintage 2006. Poured into a Chimay chalice. 10.0% abv.

Appearance: Dark, cloudy red that lets in a minute amount of light through. Starts with a big fluffy head, that subsides in to a 1/8 inch layer of tan suds.

Aroma: Scents of sugar and cinnamon, that reminds me of Red Hot Dollars or Hot Tamales.

Taste: A mild amount of sweetness that gets bombarded with serious bitterness. It took me about 4 more sips to get past it. Then I found caramel, toffee, and a wee bit of maple sugar tucked in there.  I put the second half of the bottle in the fridge for 20 minutes.  Going about 10 degrees cooler knocked off the bitterness I wasn’t digging.

Mouthfeel: Puckering and tongue curling. That bitterness blast stayed on the back of my tongue.

Overall: My interested is now more piqued for the journey this beer is taking, as well as the science behind aging strong ale.  I was ready for a syrupy, sugary, not so hoppy version of this beer, and was shocked at not getting that. Still very tasty and warming.