Punishment
Arrogant Consortia

PunishmentPunishment
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From:
Arrogant Consortia
 
California, United States
Style:
Chile Beer
Ranked #42
ABV:
12%
Score:
69
Ranked #28,106
Avg:
2.95 | pDev: 32.54%
Reviews:
90
Ratings:
399
Status:
Active
Rated:
Nov 22, 2022
Added:
Feb 06, 2011
Wants:
  30
Gots:
  99
A palate-punishing ale unlike any other
Never intended for the timid, Punishment is the capsaicin-throttled spawn of a beer behemoth, Double Bastard Ale. In this year’s brew, the flavors of Double Bastard Ale have been further enhanced by the bourbon barrel aging. The addition of chile peppers to the beer adds lingering flavors in the finish of subtle tropical fruit and some layers of heat along with the toffee, caramel malt and hop flavors.
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Rated: 3.68 by not2quick from Missouri

Nov 22, 2022
Photo of Rogerlb
Reviewed by Rogerlb from California

3.84/5  rDev +30.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
I scored bottles of Crime as well as Punishment (both 2018) from Stone's May 2022 rare bottle drop online. These have been presumably well-cellared by Stone for 4 years and strong ales age well don't they?

I reviewed Crime for the record (this isn't being made anymore) at 3.84 and a couple months later I tried Punishment. Again for the record:

Poured into small tulip taster glasses (everyone gets a taste around here). Aroma is sweet malt, not as astringent as regular Double Bastard which is the base here (an amped-up Arrogant up to 11%). DB is a hoppy nasty ale but this has all kinds of peppers added and is aged in bourbon barrels.

No pepper in the aroma. Low to no carb on this (at this point) and no apparent lacing in spite of a declared 11.8% ABV. Look of a slightly opaque red amber ale. Looks good in the sunlight coming in through the window.

The taste is sweet thick malt and then the heat from peppers. The bourbon and vanilla driftwood undercuts the normal Arrogant "fu" vibe, base beer elements are hidden (overpowered) by the heat, which to be clear is not overpowering. (4 years must have mellowed what was reportedly overpowering when this was new Punishment was not an accidental name). Heavy oak notes, toffee hints, with the heat on back of throat reminding you you purchased a novelty ale. Doesn't come off as a regular hoppy Stone joint. Heat simply prevalent and insistent.

Any nuance of the base beer is lost but still probably aggressive enough to balance the heat without tasting like DB.

As it warms we get the familiar AB astringency. Not wonderful, not real complex, a little too blunt and "of course," famous and in the long run not remarkable enough to look for again. If I stumbled on another I'd get it but wouldn't go looking. There are better pepper beers, hotter and less hot, that don't feel like a bit of a 2-dimensional trick.

I prefer Crime, probably because the base beer is a mix of Arrogant, Double, and Oaked Arrogant (a more complex understructure).
Sep 08, 2022
 
Rated: 3.14 by TMoney2591 from Illinois

Jan 27, 2022
 
Rated: 3 by TallGuyCM from California

Jun 26, 2020
Photo of ovaltine
Reviewed by ovaltine from Indiana

4.38/5  rDev +48.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
2015 vintage, this is similar to Crime, but the heat is a little more pronounced, and the mouthfeel is fuller. The base beer is a perfect foil for the head, and provides a perfect platform for the heat.

The reviews say this and Crime are painfully hot, but the 4 years of age this bottle is wearing have probably mellowed it a bit. Love it.
Dec 19, 2019
 
Rated: 4.25 by archero from Texas

Dec 03, 2019
 
Rated: 3.5 by Hayley_86 from Netherlands

Jul 01, 2019
 
Rated: 3.75 by Griffith from Connecticut

Apr 05, 2019
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Reviewed by MonDak_Joe1953 from Minnesota

3.41/5  rDev +15.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.25
500ml bottle, caged and corked. 2016 vintage.
Cloudy, amber brown colored body, with a hint of copper. Off white colored head is minimal in height and fades away quickly. No lacing.
Aroma of caramel/toffee and bourbon oak barrel.
Taste of dark malts, caramel and toffee. Has some floral hops too. The pepper heat comes and goes with each sip but is not overwhelming.
Medium mouth feel, rather flat carbonation.
The bottle age has taken away a lot of the pepper heat. The bourbon barrel is still there, which I think emphasizes the higher ABV%.
Mar 21, 2019
 
Rated: 2.58 by bigred89 from Maryland

Jan 27, 2019
 
Rated: 3.86 by onewayboogie from California

Oct 26, 2018
Photo of superspak
Reviewed by superspak from North Carolina

4/5  rDev +35.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
500 ml bottle into tulip glass, 2015 vintage bottling. Had to use a wine key to remove the cork as usual. Pours moderately hazy/cloudy dark ruby red, light copper/brown color with a 1-2 finger dense and rocky cream colored head with great retention, that reduces to a small cap that lingers. Nice spotty soapy lacing clings on the glass, with a fair amount of streaming carbonation retaining the cap. Aromas of big caramel, brown sugar, toffee, chile/jalapeno peppers, pepper skins, raisin, orange, citrus peel, vanilla, bourbon, toasted oak, and brown bread; with light notes of molasses, smoke, and herbal/toast/oaky earthiness. Damn nice aromas with great balance and complexity of dark/bready malt, peppers, bourbon barrels, and light citrus/earthy hop notes; with great strength. Taste of big caramel, brown sugar, toffee, chile/jalapeno peppers, pepper skins, raisin, orange, citrus peel, vanilla, bourbon, toasted oak, and brown bread; with light notes of molasses, smoke, and herbal/toast/oaky earthiness. Light-moderate pepper spiciness, and light pine/citrus peel bitterness on the finish. Lingering notes of caramel, brown sugar, toffee, chile/jalapeno peppers, pepper skins, raisin, orange, citrus peel, vanilla, bourbon, toasted oak, brown bread, light molasses/smoke, and herbal/toast/oaky earthiness on the finish for a while. Great complexity, robustness, and balance of dark/bready malt, peppers, bourbon barrels, and light citrus/earthy hop flavors; with a nice malt/spiciness balance; and zero cloying/astringent flavors after the finish. Light-moderate increasing dryness from lingering pepper spiciness. Light-medium carbonation and medium-full body; with a very smooth, creamy/bready, fairly sticky, and lightly slick/tannic balanced mouthfeel that is great. Light-moderate increasing pepper heat after the finish, but not too overwhelming. Not much alcohol warmth or barrel booze for 12%. Overall this is an excellent barrel aged spiced American strong ale. All around great complexity, robustness, and balance of dark/bready malt, peppers, bourbon barrels, and light citrus/earthy hop flavors; very smooth and easy to drink for the big ABV; despite the increasingly spicy/heated pepper finish. Not too overly spicy from the sizable malt backbone. Age probably mellowed it out though. Nicely balanced between the base beer, bourbon barrels, and mix of pepper varieties. Wish I could have tried it fresh, to get more hop character; but still very enjoyable all around. I have a high tolerance for heat though, so definitely not for everyone.
Jun 16, 2018
 
Rated: 1.5 by JohneHoodlum from Pennsylvania

May 25, 2018
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Reviewed by rodbeermunch from Nevada

3.45/5  rDev +16.9%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Pours the usual dark copper and amber color for Arrogant Bastard Ale with 2/7" off white head at the top of the glass. Aroma has all those Chinook hops, a small amount of barrel, larger amount of pepper. I like the aroma, I could smell this all day. Probably the best thing about the beer.

Taste, hey this brings the chili pepper heat, but not so much that it obscures everything else, you can still pull plenty of hoppiness and bitterness out of this one. The barrel notes are slightly timid, but when you're bringing the habanero and whatnot, that is going to provide some cover.

The toffee and caramel flavors from the malt and adequate carbonation help keep this beer from lingering too hot and heavy. I definitely seem to like it more than your average person. I dig it though, you might break a sweat drinking it. And yeah, the next day is a little hot, but you gotta live man, live for today.
Dec 26, 2017
 
Rated: 2.16 by Texasfan549 from Texas

Dec 22, 2017
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Reviewed by EMV from Pennsylvania

3.39/5  rDev +14.9%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Poured from a bomber into a Dogfish Head tulip

L: Cloudy thick brown pour. Thin head... modest lacing.

S: Spice and heat... bourbon, caramel, and typical Arrogant hops.

T/F: Mostly... painful. Spicy as hell up front, lots of heat but somewhat balanced by the booze and sweet caramel of the underlying brew. A slight smoky and vegetable presence... thick and chewy. Carbonation relatively light. Warm and tingly on the back of your throat and warming on the inside as it goes down.

O: Not pleasant really... but not horrible either. Interesting flavors... lots of heat... and a truly well named beer. I think I enjoyed this a little more than 'Crime' but it's not one I'd seek out again. I'm glad I tried it once... and even more glad that I shared the bomber with a friend. No way I could down one of these on my own.
Sep 24, 2017
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Reviewed by GoffmanvsDuffman from Arizona

4.05/5  rDev +37.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
I like chili beers and this has been the hottest. Hot pepper flavors followed by sweet oak and a lingering burn. Nice color and body. Great hot spice flavor.
Jun 23, 2017
 
Rated: 3.34 by Mebuzzard from Colorado

May 01, 2017
Photo of Wasatch
Reviewed by Wasatch from Colorado

4.25/5  rDev +44.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
750ml

Pours a very nice dark brown color, with some very nice carbonation, with a nice small/quick/fizzy light tan head, which leaves a nice medium size island and some sticky lacing. The nose is malty, with some very nice hoppyness, some licorice, chilies. The taste is very nice malty, very nice hop note, licorice notes, chilie. Full Body, ABV hidden pretty well, with a very nice bitter/dry finish. Overall, a very nice brew.
Apr 02, 2017
Photo of jzeilinger
Reviewed by jzeilinger from Pennsylvania

2.69/5  rDev -8.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
In review is a 2013 bottle.

A - Deep burgundy color, no carbonation, no foam, no lacing, no nothin'!

S - Peppers, some paper-like oxidation, bourbon, sweet toasted malt aroma is extremely light.

T - Pepper, pepper, and pepper from start to finish. In fact, it's so obnoxious that is masks any other flavors that might be going on here. There's an oxidized malt presence that pokes through a little bit before the overwhelming burn takes over again.

M - Full bodied and coagulates all the spit in your mouth!

O - Good lord, get me some sour cream and a fire extinguisher!! Not recommended and not worth the $19 price tag.
Feb 25, 2017
Punishment from Arrogant Consortia
Beer rating: 69 out of 100 with 399 ratings