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Arrogant Bastard Ale
Arrogant Consortia
- From:
- Arrogant Consortia
- California, United States
- Style:
- American Strong Ale
Ranked #68 - ABV:
- 7.2%
- Score:
- 92
Ranked #4,577 - Avg:
- 4.14 | pDev: 12.56%
- Reviews:
- 3,251
- Ratings:
- Status:
- Active
- Rated:
- Today at 03:36 AM
- Added:
- Nov 15, 2000
- Wants:
- 487
- Gots:
- 2,885
At Arrogant Bastard Brewing Co., we believe that pandering to the lowest common denominator represents the height of tyranny—a virtual form of keeping the consumer barefoot and stupid. Brought forth upon an unsuspecting public in 1997, Arrogant Bastard Ale openly challenged the tyrannical overlords who were brazenly attempting to keep Americans chained in the shackles of poor taste. As the progenitor of its style, Arrogant Bastard Ale has reveled in its unprecedented and uncompromising celebration of intensity. There have been many nods to Arrogant Bastard Ale...even outright attempts to copy it...but only one can ever embody the true nature of Liquid Arrogance!
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Reviewed by burnstar from Pennsylvania
4.8/5 rDev +15.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.75
4.8/5 rDev +15.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.75
Pours a dark brownish red with a dense head. Smell is malty- caramel and roasted malts with some American hops. Taste is rich and malty with a fair bit of malt complexity. Some piney herbal citrus hops as well. A touch of warming booze. Strong and assertive and it doesn't really conform to a style (hence the American Strong Ale tag which seems like a catch-all) but somehow it's also balanced and just about perfect. Great full bodied rich but also nicely carbonated feel. One of the original beers that got me into beer and still an all-time great. I great one to have on hand. (I was surprised I had never reviewed it.) I even attempted to home brew a clone of this once.
Mar 22, 2024Reviewed by Cdriver0414 from Kentucky
4.37/5 rDev +5.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
4.37/5 rDev +5.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
One of my favorite go to beers. Big,bold, bitter, but balanced. It's definitely not for everyone. It's hard to beat $12 for a 6 pack of 16oz's in today's beer market
Mar 03, 2024Reviewed by Luscious_Malfoy from Illinois
4.28/5 rDev +3.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
4.28/5 rDev +3.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
draft pour into standard shaker pint glass. deep amber with a two finger off-white foam head. earthy hops and semi-sweet caramel malts on the nose and taste. more earthy with a little bit of damp cardboard flavor. full mouthfeel. pretty good stuff. not quite barleywine but not far from it. this means more sessionable for me but i dig it.
Feb 10, 2024Reviewed by UncleReemus78 from Texas
2.8/5 rDev -32.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.25
2.8/5 rDev -32.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.25
I think this would have been a great beer if they wouldn't have over hopped it. They missed the mark on the strong ale profile and landed on an overly bitter IPA. I can't rate this one very high. I'm gonna give it 2.5 out of 5 stars because the Brewers are confused on what a strong ale is and what it tastes like. My idea of a strong ale is St. Bernardus with an ABV of 10.2. When you compare the two and you will taste the difference. They should have named this beer Ignorant Bastard Ale.
Feb 06, 2024Reviewed by MichaelGrande
4.3/5 rDev +3.9%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
4.3/5 rDev +3.9%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
Surprisingly bracing/harsh initially, but in a good way. Slowly revealed layers of flavor - pine, caramel, citrus peel. Not feeling the alcohol burn that so many others described. Stood up straight, can take a punch, had some swagger. A substantial beer with a personality. We will meet again.
Feb 03, 2024Reviewed by mcgiants from New Jersey
4.04/5 rDev -2.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
4.04/5 rDev -2.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
16 oz can poured into an IPA Goblet type glass.
Really struggled at the store on what to get and settled on this. Got some Christmas stuff but wanted something else for today. I have had this before but it has been a while and I do not remember it being this dark. Really nice mix between a bronze ale and a black stout (color wise). Taste is definitely strong. Bitter... upfront as well as the aftertaste. Rye is prominent. Has a nice subtle smell which is boozier than the taste. Good beer. I am more IPA and/or Winter Warmer and/or Creamy Stout/Porter. This is different from all of that. Truly unique.
Dec 22, 2023Really struggled at the store on what to get and settled on this. Got some Christmas stuff but wanted something else for today. I have had this before but it has been a while and I do not remember it being this dark. Really nice mix between a bronze ale and a black stout (color wise). Taste is definitely strong. Bitter... upfront as well as the aftertaste. Rye is prominent. Has a nice subtle smell which is boozier than the taste. Good beer. I am more IPA and/or Winter Warmer and/or Creamy Stout/Porter. This is different from all of that. Truly unique.
Reviewed by QuietlyJudgingYou
4.5/5 rDev +8.7%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.75
4.5/5 rDev +8.7%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.75
Appearance: Pours a dark ruby color with a nice ring of some crackly tan foam. Sticky lacing.
Smell: Pine, bread, caramel, brown sugar. As it warms it has a really nice smell of honey.
Taste: Very bitter up front with some hefty notes of pine sap. Simple syrup, a little bit of caramel and a really nice rye bread/burnt toast flavor make up the body. I'm tasting something like almonds or pecan in here, not very strong but it reminds me of mixed nuts. A hint of something roasted towards the finish with a bitter and dry aftertaste. As the beer comes to room temp the flavors pop out a bit more.
Feel: Medium bodied, well carbonated, no alcohol warmth.
Overall: Unique. It's very bitter, complex and full of flavor. Pretty damn good.
Nov 08, 2023Smell: Pine, bread, caramel, brown sugar. As it warms it has a really nice smell of honey.
Taste: Very bitter up front with some hefty notes of pine sap. Simple syrup, a little bit of caramel and a really nice rye bread/burnt toast flavor make up the body. I'm tasting something like almonds or pecan in here, not very strong but it reminds me of mixed nuts. A hint of something roasted towards the finish with a bitter and dry aftertaste. As the beer comes to room temp the flavors pop out a bit more.
Feel: Medium bodied, well carbonated, no alcohol warmth.
Overall: Unique. It's very bitter, complex and full of flavor. Pretty damn good.
Reviewed by FreePal88
3.97/5 rDev -4.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
3.97/5 rDev -4.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Boozy, caramelish, a little chocolatey, and very bitter. Stout-like roasty warmth, IPA-like focus on hops. Good palate cleanser, but it draws attention to itself and somewhat overwhelms the flavor of anything you eat alongside it.
Oct 20, 2023Reviewed by brettsdailybeer from Utah
4.23/5 rDev +2.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
4.23/5 rDev +2.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
Arrogant Bastard Ale by Stone Brewing is more than just a beer; it's a standard-bearer in the craft beer scene and the flagship offering from the brewery. Its dark, almost mahogany hue is a visual treat, preparing you for the layered experience ahead. The aroma alone is a rich medley of malt sweetness intermingled with subtle hops, signaling that you're in for a balanced and complex sip. Take that sip, and your taste buds are met with a harmonious interplay of initial malt sweetness followed by a purposeful bitterness that adds depth without overpowering. In essence, it serves as a litmus test by which I measure the quality of all other ales.
In a beer landscape filled with mediocrity, Arrogant Bastard Ale breaks the mold by refusing to adhere to any one category. Its audacious character extends beyond its name, manifesting in a flavor profile that's robust, balanced, and deeply satisfying. It's a cornerstone in my ever-evolving understanding of what a truly great ale can be, elevating the standard to an all-new level. To say that it merely raises the bar would be an understatement; it is the bar.
Oct 08, 2023In a beer landscape filled with mediocrity, Arrogant Bastard Ale breaks the mold by refusing to adhere to any one category. Its audacious character extends beyond its name, manifesting in a flavor profile that's robust, balanced, and deeply satisfying. It's a cornerstone in my ever-evolving understanding of what a truly great ale can be, elevating the standard to an all-new level. To say that it merely raises the bar would be an understatement; it is the bar.
Reviewed by sjrider from California
4.09/5 rDev -1.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
4.09/5 rDev -1.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Can pour - clear dark amber/mahogany with thick foamy beige head leaving significant lacing. Nose is roasty malt with hints of citrus and resin. Taste follows bringing biscuit , caramel/toffee and a lingering bitterness on the finish. Haven't had one in years, brings back some foggy memories.
Sep 30, 2023Reviewed by farmerhank from Maryland
3.65/5 rDev -11.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
3.65/5 rDev -11.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Pours a nice dark amber red with a "bone" colored head. Smells of malt, tastes very malty, a muted bitterness at the start with an powerful rosin taste and dry feel, the bitterness begins to bite after the fact. No alcohol hidden here. Nice for what it is.
Aug 06, 2023Reviewed by Khocolate from Tennessee
2.56/5 rDev -38.2%
look: 2.75 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 2.25
2.56/5 rDev -38.2%
look: 2.75 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 2.25
I mistakenly pick this Ale up from a Pick- Six and realized that it wasn’t a IPA which I am use to drinking. Needless to say, not impressed at all, the ale is overpowering with alcohol.
Jun 15, 2023
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