Arrogant Bastard Ale
Arrogant Consortia

3.69/5  rDev -11.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.75

Canned 10/3/19, enjoy 1/31/20

Pours an orangey-amber with 2 fingers of fluffy tan head

Aroma is akin to a classic west coast ipa, bold and citrusy hop notes with malt to match it

Wow, much more complex taste than the nose would suggest. The malt jumps out at me first, spicy and earthy, with the hops here being more bitter than anything. A nice toasted finish to the malt

Feels a little heavier than I was expecting, the carbonation is good but the body almost weighs it down

Overall something interesting, my experience went downhill from the pour to the finish, but it still kept me intrigued. I might get it again, who knows

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4.57/5  rDev +9.3%
look: 5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Look: It pours deep amber with reddish hues and a full tan head. Head retention is excellent.

Smell: It has a rich caramel aroma with some dried cherries and a bit of spice.

Taste: It has caramel flavors and is quite hoppy with floral and spice. There are some dark cherry flavors in the background and pipe tobacco elements.

Feel: It has a medium full body and a pleasant bitter finish to it.

Overall, a great combination of malt and hops. For me it just hits the various elements right.

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3.5/5  rDev -16.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Appearance: Pours a darkened ruby, browned color with a large yellow-tinged off-white head. SRM of 18. (4.25)

Aroma: Really difficult to get an aroma. Some dark aromas but can't put a handle on it. Maybe some bread crust, bread pudding, and alcohol. Maybe some deep sweet bread. Hints of pine and some sweetness. (3.50)

Flavor: Lacks flavor here too. I get some sweet dark malts that are hard to identify. Bread pudding? Not really though. Sweet bread? Maybe. Some molasses and caramel. Lots of alcohol for sure. Then a large, flavorless soapy bitterness on the finish that lingers. (3.25)

Feel: Heavier-bodied as expected. Moderate carbonation. Huge lingering soapy and non-distinct bitterness on the palate. (4.00)

Compared w/ Sierra Nevada's Celebration Fresh Hop IPA: This one pours a darker color. Nearly identical beers. Faint aromas on both, less pine here. Less flavor here. It's heavier and more resinous. A stronger bitterness, but less pine flavor.

Overall: An interesting beer. It completely lacks aroma and flavor. You'll notice the reviews don't mention much flavors. Just alcohol, dark, sweet malts. Then a giant soapy wave of bitterness courtesy of Stone. The bitterness is strong and lingers. It packs a punch, I'm just wondering why there's not more flavor here. (Final Rating: 3.50)

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4.56/5  rDev +9.1%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5

pours a beautiful mahogany with a thick, carmel colored head with major lasting power.
almost overwhelming on the nose. this brew gets your attention right off the bat. strong hops and toasted malt.
creamy and strong. the toasty malts are big on the front and pop back through pretty intensely bitter hops.
resinous without being sticky. creamy and on the medium/heavy side.
the kind of beer you sit down to savor. it gives you a lot to enjoy while you unwind.

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3.75/5  rDev -10.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5

Pours a dark red with a thin tan head. Intense hoppiness tempered by toasty malts that rush out just as you register them. Resinous and lingering. Super bitter hop aftertaste to align with this brew's macho marketing. Drinking this is a workout and the hop character can become somewhat burdensome. Good to drink while you are angry.

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3.82/5  rDev -8.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

Strong crisp taste with a lot of bite. Honestly cant really taste the alcohol that much in here but they must use some secret spices because it gives you a small kick of that throat burn like a shot of liquor, though that feeling is very toned down and I believe they made it this way on purpose.

I'm not sophisticated enough to smell anything special here and I can only compare the overall experience to drinking a 9%ish IPA though the feel here is a bit thinner. It's hard to find the right way to say it but, this is a slightly above average ABV% beer yet, it's purposefully manufactured to taste stronger than it really is. This entire drink is just a prank, though a good one.

I wouldn't want to drink more than one of these at a time. If you decided to have a "variety night" where you have a bit more than a few drinks, this isn't a bad choice to throw 1 into the line-up but, one and done on this one for me

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3.27/5  rDev -21.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25

The 16 oz can says "You will not like this beer" on the side. And I'll admit, I didn't like it. For something that's relatively average in ABV, this is a really aggresive brew. Has a dark red color with a pale pink and malty head. Smells of hops, and crazy malts. Very overwhelming taste and feels heavier than the numbers suggest. You need to be ready for seriousness when you pour a pint of the devil. Definitely wouldn't buy a six pack again. But you may still like it if you dare.

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3.41/5  rDev -18.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

I picked up a sixer of 16 oz cans because there is/was an Arrogant Bastard variant thread in the New Releases section and because it's been literally a decade since I last attempted one. Good looking pour into a Pine Island Brewery pint glass, a quarter inch of head on top of a nice mahoghany body. Nice.

Very unique nose on this beer. Spicy. I remember this one well but find it difficult to describe. I'm fairly certain I'm going to get a hop-bomb here but it's also extremely yeasty. Odd but nothing unpleasant or scary.

Not a great tasting beer. I would almost believe I was drinking an extremely watered-down barleywine on the front palate, but the hops explode mid and back palate to the degree that it becomes a chore to drink. I believe this may be as bitter as the old Ruination, but in a less pleasant way because Ruination was more a one-note beer. There is certainly complexity here but the yeastiness and the pronounced hop character clash violently, particularly considering this is a medium-sized beer at 7.2% abv.

Medium mouthfeel but heavily resinous. Pretty much perfectly carbonated. It's the weird bitterness that's really harsh here.

Some good points, some bad points. I definitely don't need 6 of these but I'm happy to have taken another look at an old classic. I don't really recommend this but have had far less interesting and flavorful beers that I repeat on without even thinking twice. An oddball.

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3.82/5  rDev -8.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 3.75

Canned 7/16/19, consumed 10/03/19. Hard pour into a tulip, Nut brown, two to three finger rocky head with lively bubbles, the head and carbonation settling down quickly and giving way to a dense, lingering lacing.

Smell is fruity and yeasty, brown sugar. Also pretty boozy for an ABV of 7.

Taste-wise, the initial blast is surprisingly malty with a fruity, bready, caramel character. But those flavors are quickly washed out and dominated by a blast of grapefruit bitter.

Light to medium feel in the mouth, creamy carbonation. Wish it were slightly less bitter. Enjoyable enough, though not a "must buy"

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3.97/5  rDev -5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

This is such a 2000s California beer. I’ve had it many times over the years and am finally reviewing. Purchased in can and poured into a tulip glass. Nice tan head that reduced to a slight foam. Beer is brown with lots of lacing. Smell is roast, spice, grapefruit. Taste is caramel intense spicy malt body that meshes with grapefruit, spice and Piney hops. This is still assertive by modern standards, but the flavor combination is old school west coast. Not my favorite combination of flavors, but it does what they intended. Well made American red ale.

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3.83/5  rDev -8.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

canned 7.10.19, opened 9.5.19

poured into a tulip, two finger big bubbled thick taupe foam cap over a ruby brown liquid, good solid retention, great lacings

aroma is spicy, grapefruit, pine,

bitter grapefruit taste, pine hops,

powerful, in yo FACE big bitter bite, slathers across the tongue , astringent

“if you dont like this beer, keep it to yourself— we dont want to hear from any sniveling yellow beer drinking wimps, ‘ cause this beer wasn’t made for you.”

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4.18/5  rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

(16 oz can, EJBY 10/24/19

L: polished-clear, deep garnet-colored liquid; solid, slow to crumble, slightly sepia/off-white foam - looks like a low-lying moon, with its craggy contours... foam pulls back to a thin collar, but laces crusty at the top

S: a red IPA (or imperial red); piney, earthy hops with a grapefruit undertone... sweetish, brown bread crust note soon emerges... vaguely doughy, vaguely (phenolic) spicy; no overt booze, though the piney hops color it medicinal... good intensity overall, especially the citrus-menthol hop/booze combo

T: layers of hops - almost oniony, aggressively-bitter grapefruit charge shoots to the fore, while the background is awash in citrusy hop resins and near fruit-cakey, mid-dark crusty, caramelly malts... everything brash and bold, but balanced in its own way... perfumy, sort of Earl Grey tea aftertaste, peppery as well... halfway through, and this basically tastes like an ultra-bitter, slightly less boozy West-Coast barleywine

F: frothy, resinous, plush-satiny flow... its bitter bite smacks the tongue with a lasting sting - that with the creeping ethanol heat keeps the palate humming... sipper-ific; lip-smacking

O: I may have first tried this circa '01-02... for the longest time, I never liked this, notably the pungent green-onion hop character, which I also found in some of their other beers, but maybe more so I cringed at the goofy b.s. on the(ir) label(s) - turned me off to them for awhile, but I did eventually enjoy some of their brands, such as Ruination and Enjoy By; softened my stance a bit... I hesitate to admit it, but I'm glad this is still around - not too many American beers these days maintain this level of intense bitterness and rich red maltiness (outside of said barleywines with the latter)... loud, lummox-y, and obnoxious, lacking subtle complexities, but ultimately undeniably enjoyable... throwback American craft at its finest - has its place (1475)

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4.13/5  rDev -1.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

Can dated 7/10/19, bb 11/7/19.

A: pours an extremely dark red with two fingers of thick, fluffy, foamy, sandy head. Some tiny bubble carbonation. The froth lasts and lasts, leaving thick sheets of lacing on my glass.

S: fresh out of the fridge displays some piney, sweet, mildly floral, mildly grapefruit pith aroma.

T: arrives fully malty with a mild sweetness, then a big hit of aggressive hoppiness. Bitter, green, herbaceous hops. Mildly floral. Lingering medicinal quality. Like an amber ale, with the hop bill turned up to 11.

M: really spectacular feel; hefty on the tongue, but clean and with a perfect level of carbonation.

O: I had this beer ten years ago with dinner at a hotel in Charlottesville. I found it ruined an otherwise perfect meal. It was too bold, too hoppy, did not play nice with the flavors of the food. That was at the height of the IBU wars. Today, this is a really hoppy beer that still does not pair well with food, but it has found its place in my heart. Expertly crafted to bring hoppy bitterness to this who love dark, malty beers. Like Seventh Son’s ASA, or Brown Shugga, this is best enjoyed when there is snow on the ground and you’re tired of stouts. Drink an amber ale with dinner, then have one of these for a bittersweet dessert.

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3.81/5  rDev -8.9%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pretty tasty,

Was uninterested in the look of the beer, mostly-opaque brownish red.

Doesn't really have much of a smell other than maybe a little citrus-ey.

Deep, bold, strong beer that isnt as offensive as advertised.
Very good tasting and the citrusy-roasted flavor suits a quiet, cynical evening at home.

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4.18/5  rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Pint can with a canned on date of 06/06/19. Enjoyed on 07/10/19.
Look is a dark reddish brown with a small tan head.
Nose is caramel, hops, yeasty, dark fruits, toffee, roasted malts, and I'm also getting a bit of smoke and leather. Not too much.
Taste is complex. Dark fruits, hoppy, yeast, caramel, faint traces of funk and horse blanket. Very bitter from start to finish. Very dry on the back end.
This is a full bodied beer. Good level of carbonation. Very bold and in your face. It almost reminds me of OB's Dale's Pale ale, only a bigger version. Almost no alcohol. As the beer warms the flavors intensify.
I will definitely pick up some more of this, especially if I see it this fresh. This one's a winner.

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3.9/5  rDev -6.7%
look: 4.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

Finally got to try this brew, and it was actually well worth it...

Got this from a can and what struck me were two things: First, how beautifully reddish-dark or copperish color it poured, foamy head and good lacing - it was truly a site to behold. The smell was malty but nothing else I could really pull out and it was well carbonated but not so that it was distracting. The second thing that struck me was how much this reminded me of a Boston Lager - though with more flavor and bitterness to boot. At first I didn't know what to do with it, but the more I sipped the more I wanted to guzzle.

Great beer, another one of those that actually lives up the hype...

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4.16/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

Serving: 1 pt 3.2 fl oz can (“canned on 04/03/19; enjoy by 08/01/19”) poured into a shaker pint.

Appearance: Clear, deep reddish brown with a terrific rolling head of tan foam. Sticky lacing coats the glass on the way down.

Smell: Toasted sourdough rye, pine sap, earthy hops and roasted grains.

Taste: A bold blast of hop bitterness opens up to grapefruit rind, pine needles, caramel sweetness and a hint of char.

Mouthfeel: Medium body, slightly oily and moderately carbonation.

Overall: A big, bold brew, packing a good dose of bitter hops, but plenty of toasty malt to keep balance.

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4.1/5  rDev -1.9%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Appearance: Poured from can, clear ruby in color, carbonation slowly creeping towards the top, three fingers of dense and crackly off white head with chunky lacing. Gorgeous.

Aroma: Rye toast, pine sap, sourdough, lots of yeast.

Taste: Sharp hop bitterness up front. A one two punch of pine and bitter grapefruit rind. Oily, earthy and bitter notes all over the palate. Malt creeps up halfway with some much needed sweetness. Notes of singed caramel, toast and a suggestion of roasted malt though very faint. Aftertaste is an aggressive mix and match of bitter, dry, earthy and wood flavors.

Feel: On the heavier side of medium, carbonation is perfect. Oily and relatively chewy with a bone dry finish.

Overall: Not a beer I could have every day. But when I want something strong and need to have my taste buds thoroughly dissolved in hop acid, it's one of my go-to's

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3.29/5  rDev -21.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5

Paid 3 euros for a 0.5L can, when pouring out it had a deep dark color and formed a nice stable head, the smell was very hoppy and malty with a taste that was overall very bitter. This ale was dark and full bodied and had an ABV of 7.2% but was still quite smooth. Not sure if i was worthy of this beer but it was still a pleasant drink although it might have been a bit too bitter for my personal taste.

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2.89/5  rDev -30.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 2.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Wow these are way more a boozy punch in the tongue and even roof of mouth than nearly all other brews of this ABV, and this is also why I prefer this one to its double counterpart.

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3.92/5  rDev -6.2%
look: 5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

Poured from a cold 19.2oz Can. It sure is dark, a deep amber almost like Guinness. Good head that sticks around for awhile. It's thick and I should have picked a larger than 20oz glass to accomodate it. Let's get to it.

I'm not picking much up on the nose, faint hops. I'm getting hops on the forward palate and this toasty caramel malt on the back palate. It's tasty. Glad I tried it. Nice breakaway from the double IPAs that seem so ubiquitous nowadays. I couldn't tell you much more, so let's ask the website.

"It is quite doubtful that you have the taste or sophistication to be able to appreciate an ale of this quality and depth."

Gee, you done called me out Stone.

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4.63/5  rDev +10.8%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.75

Bought two six-packs of this stuff on a whim... Tbh I didn't like it at first, I fought through the first pint breathing in through my nose out through my mouth, thinking why did I have to go and buy two cases of it. Then something happened as the week went buy and I had my daily masochistic ritual of torturing my tastebuds. I began to enjoy every beer and soon I began to enjoy every drink not just the outcome of finishing one of these bastards or two

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4.24/5  rDev +1.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

American strong ale, you damn right.
Reddish brown pour with substantial slow dissapating head.
Tastes like a strong burnt coffee. Full bodied feel with a bitterness on the back end. This one stays around. Not too familiar with this style. But I imagine this is what it is supposed to be. Excellent brew

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4.36/5  rDev +4.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.25

Aside from its amusing description on the back of the bottle claiming the drinker unworthy, the really cool art design of the bottle label, and the interesting, alluring name, this beer is so much more than good marketing. The aroma is enticing, smelling of grains, malts, hops, and something almost sweet hidden way underneath all the other scents. It pours a dark brown similar to black coffee with a tan head that looks a bit like a coffee milkshake. The taste at first is all malts, some roasted some not so much, but all flavorful with a slight biscuity undertone. Then it dissolves into hops, slightly earthy, and leaves a long bitterness lingering way longer than expected given the malt-forward beginning flavor. The flavor is full and intense from start to finish, yet it's delicate, full of nuances during the course of each sip, and smooth all at the same time. It's a complex but easily enjoyable ale. There isn't much carbonation and the mouthfeel is silky. It is definitely not a mild lager, so it is definitely not for every beer drinker. But if you're not opposed to hops and like some bitterness in your brew, then give this beer a try. Find out if you're worthy.

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4.16/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This one treats you right, even when you’ve done wrong. All kinds of hella wild and nasty fresh out of the gate. It looks maddening; just deep dark ruby and brownish like your great aunt’s hair who didn’t hesitate to beat you because you stole a bite from supper before prayer. On top of that is wild and rich caramel scents like eating a Milky Way on the moon. Then, as this player took a sip, he was rewarded like Ronaldo during a free kick - I’m talking a gd goal! Sip it while you can, cuz the gettin’ gets good!

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