Depth-Charged Double Bastard
Arrogant Consortia

Depth-Charged Double BastardDepth-Charged Double Bastard
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From:
Arrogant Consortia
 
California, United States
Style:
American Strong Ale
ABV:
11%
Score:
92
Avg:
4.15 | pDev: 7.95%
Reviews:
102
Ratings:
315
Status:
Retired
Rated:
Nov 30, 2020
Added:
Aug 09, 2015
Wants:
  12
Gots:
  72
Double bastard brewed with espresso-roasted coffee beans.
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Ratings by bobhits:
Photo of bobhits
Reviewed by bobhits from Kentucky

4.3/5  rDev +3.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
Having just had the Whiskey Rye Double Bastard I'm surprisingly more excited about this one. I'll get to it later but the value here and given the crappy bomber format, this is impressive.

On the nose and full disclosure I did somewhat burn a pizza earlier so some of that is lingering. I'm getting some smoke and deep bitter espresso notes. Again I think some other smells are slightly throwing this one off. A second go after turning on a fan and airing out the room a bit more I'm getting a bit more depth on the malt and that espresso note. It still has a bit of a smoke or strong strong coffee roast so I think that's a real thing.

I tried to give this one a nice firm pour, the glass was cleaned and had a few drops of water still in it. The beer would not provide a head, just the lightest bit of fizz around the rim. The color is deep and ruby. Perhaps a bit light for a double bastard? Certainly it is clean and very clear for an 11% beer. I liked the merky depth of the rye barrel aged version but here we are.

Malt at the front much like a double bastard turns almost instantly into decadent coffee with chocolate and vanilla and even caramel notes coming in seemingly out of nowhere. There are hops at the end but they quickly leave way for deep dark espresso. Double Bastard as it's name sake mentions is a bastard and really generally doesn't give up when mixed. It failed to hold up to chillies but even the barrel aged versions seem to firmly stand their ground and scream (I'm still double bastard). The essresso seems to have been up for the challenge. It has infact added more flavor than the barrels did or at least more of their unique flavors (I think the rye whiskey made double bastard sweeter, but that was playing on a strength already there). The coffee seriously lingers, I had to use a pallet cleanser to even write the review.

Given the strength of this beer and the power of coffee in it, I expect this one will age amazingly well. I'm fully expect RAVE reviews of this from people's cellars. It's a shame I only see it available with the set. I'm not a HUGE oaked bastard fan and really can pass on the double. I love the single as an ever day beer.

OK on the price! 19.99 for 4 22 oz bottles. That works out to about 16.40 a six pack equivalent. That's about what oaked bastard used to be, a bit high for bastard (given they charge the same for stone ipa bombers, bastard should be about 11-12 bucks). Now double bastard is a premium beer and one would expect a sixer of it to be in the 20+ range and this espresso version likely could be a bit more premium. This makes this a fair priced bomber, something virtually never heard of by even stone. So thanks for this one guys!
Nov 08, 2015
More User Ratings:
Photo of EMV
Reviewed by EMV from Pennsylvania

4.06/5  rDev -2.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
2015 vintage. Poured from a bomber into a Dogfish Head tulip

L: Cloudy/sedimented amber pour with big foamy off-white head. Great lacing.

S: Mild coffee and hops. Burned sugars and caramel.

T.F: Semi-sweet up front. Caramel/toasted malts with a bit of espresso/coffee. Boozy... with floral and herbal hops. Bitter on the backswing... a bit of smoke and wood. Boozy. Medium bodied with lingering bitterness and hops.

O: An interesting and arrogant take on 'Double Bastard'. Some of the coffee has faded after 5 years in the cellar, but the main flavors are there and it's still a punch in the face of flavors. It has what you'd expect from 'Double Bastard' and then a bit more oomph. Enjoyable.
Nov 30, 2020
 
Rated: 4.15 by jmbeerdude91 from Arizona

Mar 27, 2020
 
Rated: 4.25 by MJSFS from Florida

Dec 07, 2019
 
Rated: 4.34 by sweetbrew82 from California

Feb 24, 2019
 
Rated: 4.09 by dsshuck from Delaware

Feb 13, 2019
Photo of Pegasus
Reviewed by Pegasus from Texas

4.23/5  rDev +1.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
Appearance: Slightly hazy dark orange, with a robust and persistent off-white head. Thick, glass-coating lacing adorns the glass walls. The carbonation is profuse and slow-rising.

Aroma: Dark roasted coffee beans dipped in burnt caramel, with an intense wave of barrel-aged alcohol. Moderate floral and herbal hops present as well.

Taste: Opens with strong notes of burnt caramel and cold coffee, underlying this is a strong, vinous alcohol. As the taste progresses, prominent floral and herbal hops present, against an undercurrent of burnt sugar. Finishes with a lingering note of dark caramel and coffee.

Mouth feel: Full, soft and rich, quite gracious upon the palate.

Drinkability/notes: Simply excellent, very appropriate to a meal of roasted meats and robust cheeses, though better served on a day far colder than this Texas summer offers. Simply excellent, its a pity that this is a one-shot, presumably never to be offered, again.

Presentation: Packaged in a twenty-two ounce enameled brown glass bomber bottle, with a pry-off crown served in a South American-style Pilsener glass.
Jul 29, 2018
Photo of scotorum
Reviewed by scotorum from Massachusetts

4.15/5  rDev 0%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
STONE DEPTH CHARGED DOUBLE BASTARD (2015) 3/14/18

Cellared for three years.

Poured from the 22 oz. bottle into a Samuel Smith English tulip.

a; Clear copper with a huge four inch offwhite head which receded slowly to thick rocky surface foam and dense lacing.

s: Cold coffee.

t; Follows the nose with accompanying smokiness and moderate bitterness at the back of the throat. Dry somewhat bitter finish.

m; Very smooth medium, good body and some carbonation tingle.

o: A powerful brew which aging may have turned silky smooth. Other than the throat burn the alcohol level (11%) is well covered. Does remind of espresso because the dark coffee roastiness remains in the mouth all the way through.
Mar 15, 2018
 
Rated: 4 by 1971bernat from Virginia

Jan 03, 2018
 
Rated: 4.25 by Velivolus from Vermont

Dec 30, 2017
 
Rated: 4.19 by mike22ne from Massachusetts

Dec 16, 2017
Photo of billshmeinke
Reviewed by billshmeinke from California

3.33/5  rDev -19.8%
look: 4 | smell: 2.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
Poured into a wine glass. Murky and hazy rudy copper/brown/amber color. Big fluffy off white head. Lacing is decent, but I expected it to be a bit more intense. Ring of foam lingers almost indefinitely.

The nose is aggressive. Musty cellar and oxidation (cardboard) notes of an aged beer hit the nose immediately along with some pretty harsh alcohol notes. Candied plumbs and raisins, brown sugar, a hint of caramelized grapefruit. Woodsy pine notes are quite prevalent as well.

Taste is much more refined, thankfully. Up front it is caramelized candies/raisins/plumbs that are almost immediately swept away by well done toast, pine, and caramelized grapefruit with much less sweetness. The musty cellar and cardboard notes of an aged beer are less prevalent, but still quite noticeable, in the taste. The finish is dark chocolate and bitter tobacco with only the slightest suggestion of coffee.

Slightly syrupy, and surprisingly smooth on the palate. Carbonation is mild, and while the flavor is intense, there is some semblance of balance.

Let this one breathe for a bit. The alcohol and cellar notes tend to die down as it warms and breathes. The intensity of oxidation notes reinforces my theory that two years is often too long to age a beer. One year would likely have been more than sufficient to let the beer calm some without imparting so much cellar mustiness.
Dec 10, 2017
 
Rated: 4.25 by a77cj7 from South Dakota

Sep 16, 2017
 
Rated: 3.96 by Jonathan-Morgan from Florida

Jun 19, 2017
 
Rated: 4.18 by Taphouse_Traveler from Florida

Jun 19, 2017
 
Rated: 4.2 by TheElectricOne from Rhode Island

Apr 21, 2017
 
Rated: 3.82 by Gemini6 from Michigan

Apr 02, 2017
Photo of aronamerican
Reviewed by aronamerican from Ohio

4.62/5  rDev +11.3%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5
These bastards have done it once again. The conflation of Double Bastard with espresso-roasted coffee beans make for a remarkable amalgam of a drink. Concurrently sweet, bitter and powerful. What else would you expect?
Jan 28, 2017
Photo of Sabtos
Reviewed by Sabtos from Ohio

3.5/5  rDev -15.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5
Beautiful dark ruby with a large, off-white, uniform and dense foam head leaving coral lace, retaining for a good while.

Smell is similar to the coffee I get from Stone's Mocha IPA, with some piney hops and maybe even chocolate, and that signature coppery caramel.

Taste seems pretty harsh up front, piney and woody, but goes down smooth and frothy, rather drinkable for an intentionally hardcore barleywine. I know I've hated on these beers in the past, but this works and warms nicely in the winter.

There is a fruit element that is hard to put my finger on, sort of like reduced grapefruit syrup, with extremely toasted biscuit and toffee. The heat of this beer comes out through the nose, with a deep flavor of raisin far in the background. A little breadiness comes in as it warms.
Jan 27, 2017
 
Rated: 4.5 by DoubleSimcoe from Pennsylvania

Dec 29, 2016
Depth-Charged Double Bastard from Arrogant Consortia
Beer rating: 92 out of 100 with 315 ratings