Double Bastard Ale - Red Wine Barrel-Aged
Arrogant Consortia

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From:
Arrogant Consortia
 
California, United States
Style:
American Strong Ale
ABV:
11.2%
Score:
88
Avg:
3.91 | pDev: 14.83%
Reviews:
5
Ratings:
51
Status:
Active
Rated:
Mar 03, 2016
Added:
Nov 18, 2013
Wants:
  2
Gots:
  2
No description / notes.
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Photo of retry4z
Rated by retry4z from California

3.75/5  rDev -4.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
A complex combination of fruit (cherries, grape must), bitterness, and tart. Some oak, but the original Double Bastard character is extremely subtle.
Mar 03, 2016
Photo of tedvr
Rated by tedvr from Ohio

4/5  rDev +2.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Pours dark amber with a thin head. Sweet malt taste with a molasses background. Nice balance.
Dec 27, 2015
Photo of corby112
Reviewed by corby112 from Pennsylvania

4.33/5  rDev +10.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
Pours a very hazy and dark golden copper/ruby red color with dark mahogany edges and a two finger frothy beige head that very slowly settles into a thick, lasting cap/ring. Surprisingly good retention for the style and high ABV. Takes a while to settle and the coats glass with large sheets of soapy lacing. Looks great.

Nice barrel presence in the aroma without overpowering the base beer. Sweet vinous fruit notes are prominent along with subtle charred oak/toothpick and vanilla bean. Just enough oak, red wine and vinous berries without taking away from the heavy malts and earthy, resinous hops of regular Double Bastard. Hints of grape, dark cherry, currant and blackberry along with piney hops and fresh cut grass. Subtle tropical fruit profile with grapefruit and citrus peel. Malts held up with lots of caramel, toffee, cocoa and subtle leather/tobacco. Really nice balance. Could use a bit more red wine character but it's nicely integrated while adding another dimension to the aroma of this classic strong ale.

Full body with a slightly creamy texture and some sweet, boozy heat. Prominent barrel character but again doesn't overpower the base beer. Dry with toast/charred oak and a touch of toothpick which is a little strong for my preference but isn't harsh or offensive. Lots of juicy red wine and sweet vinous dark fruit flavor with grape, sour cherry, blackberry and other dark fruit notes. Still, there is plenty of compex hop flavor balanced by a prominent malt backbone. Dry, earthy and resinous with grass, pine sap and spruce tip bitterness that lingers over subtle tropical fruits and dark leathery malt notes. Strong grapefruit flavor along with some pineapple and citrus rind. Malts are there providing excellent balance giving off notes of caramel, toffee, toast and leathery tobacco. Very complex with excellent balance. Red wine/vinous fruit, barrel, earthy and sweet hops and leathery malt notes bounce off of each other nicely. Very nice beer with great barrel integration that doesn't obliterate the base beer. Some boozy sweetness in the finish but the alcohol is well hidden making this flavorful and complex beer deceptively drinkable. I'm surprised that this beer isn't well received. One of the better barrel aged beers I've had from Stone.
Dec 12, 2015
Photo of Hopheadjeffery
Reviewed by Hopheadjeffery from Illinois

3.5/5  rDev -10.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
2012 version tasted in a 12 oz snifter from draught at Firkin on August 5, 2015. Look is hazy amber, medium head, and nice lingering lacing. Smell is alcohol, sweet malts, and wood barrel notes. Taste is alcohol, caramel, dark dried fruits, and subtle aged red wine notes. Feel is thick and rich. A quality, complex beer that is probably worth a try if you can find it. Nothing I'll be seeking out again though.
Aug 05, 2015
 
Rated: 4.5 by aussiebeer from Illinois

Jun 19, 2015
 
Rated: 3.94 by shredder83 from Illinois

Mar 12, 2015
 
Rated: 3.32 by Rothobinide from California

Nov 15, 2014
 
Rated: 4 by jscheuf from Illinois

Oct 13, 2014
 
Rated: 3.5 by vinny21bal from Illinois

Oct 10, 2014
 
Rated: 4.25 by kidzord from Illinois

Sep 24, 2014
 
Rated: 4 by mc4z from California

Jul 27, 2014
 
Rated: 4.75 by BigV from California

Jul 03, 2014
 
Rated: 4 by Joe_Mahma from California

Jun 19, 2014
 
Rated: 3 by TheBoog013 from California

Jun 17, 2014
 
Rated: 4.25 by saxclar123 from Pennsylvania

Jun 03, 2014
 
Rated: 3.75 by IMSPEAKNOENGLISH from Illinois

Jun 02, 2014
 
Rated: 4.75 by Walkerjgt from Ohio

Apr 14, 2014
 
Rated: 3.5 by kustard from Illinois

Apr 13, 2014
Photo of thagr81us
Reviewed by thagr81us from South Carolina

3.74/5  rDev -4.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Served from tap in to a flared pilsner. Poured a hazy red-orange with a one finger off-white head. Maintained phenomenal lacing throughout the glass. The aroma was comprised of sweet malt, earth, sweet alcohol, wood, red wine, and subtle funk. The flavor was of sweet malt, earth, nutty, earth hop, wood, sweet alcohol, oak, and fruit. It had a medium feel on the palate with medium carbonation. Overall this was a pretty decent brew. The barrel was a pretty dominant aspect of this brew. It overwhelmed almost all of the delicate flavors and aromas going on. While this was a let down, it still didn't destroy the brew as a whole. The red wine shined through as well as the hoppy aspect. Worth your time if you're a fan of either of these flavors.
Apr 13, 2014
 
Rated: 3 by FeDUBBELFIST from Pennsylvania

Mar 31, 2014
Double Bastard Ale - Red Wine Barrel-Aged from Arrogant Consortia
Beer rating: 88 out of 100 with 51 ratings