Had Arrogant Bastard for the first time

You're one of the few overlapping members between BeerAdvocate and WittgensteinAdvocate.

 

Try more IPAs and other hoppy things, get used to hops, and you'll have no problem with it in the future.

 

It's been a while (although it's not like I don't see it at the store all the time).

 

Keep after it. The palate will come. It is ever changing and you will grow to like new things all the time. Just finally got my girlfriend into IPAs, only took 6 years haha.

 

Shopping Cart, I don't know if anyone else has suggested this yet ('cause I skipped a lot of this thread) but at this stage of exploring craft beer I'd suggest doing just that. Don't pay too much attention to the ratings and what not here, I'd say just explore, try anything that sounds/looks interesting to you. You might miss out on something you'd really like because others on this site might not have liked it. I don't know what part of SD you're in, but if you make your way up to Esco hit up Holiday Wine Cellar. Ask for Mark, he'll be down to answer any questions you might have and give you some recommendations based on what you've liked thus far.

 

What did you not like about the taste? While you may not have the answer, it's good to keep the question in mind. This will help as you try more and more (and more?) beers. And then the other question; what did you like about it?

 

I had it for the first 2 weeks after I got into craft. Before I thought I couldn't take bitter(honestly thought orval was a little too bitter) and didn't know anything about arogant bastard except that it was supposed to be good. First sip was a bit much, but after that it was damn tasty, since then I've yet to meet a beer that is too bitter.

 

i'd nominate charles travis as the head of this rare sub-group. also has a great affinity for frege, as do i. i could provide some kierkegaardian word salad quotes from his terribly written--but very insightful--publications (bad writing + good thinking = a trait he shares with wittgenstein), but i could also provide quotes like,

travis: (on the way to dinner after phil of mind seminar) "so, where are we drinking?"
other prof: "aren't we going to dinner?"
travis: "let's get a drink first."
other prof: "why don't we get drinks at the restaurant?"
travis: "no good beer there. let's stop at [such-and-such] bar."
other prof: "i need to drive to dinner..."
travis: "we'll stop at the bar after dinner."

 

First time I had it, it was a week past its freshness date and it was delicious. Second time it was fresher and it was a bit too hoppy for my liking. Second time I had it was July 2011, over one year and a half after getting into craft beer. Super hoppy beers are not for everyone. Twas better the first time because the hops died down a bit.

 

Luckily, I can get it on tap here all the time. The trick is with there big beers is to watch what you drink before it,, for my palate I stay less hoppy and drink lighter offering first. Or stay with flights and 4 oz pours before you take on a pint glass.

 

AB was one of the first craft beers i ever had. I didn't like it. Now they're easy to drink. Double bastard isn't too bad for me anymore either. Keep at it, you'll get there. You'll love this beer in a year or so.

 

Eventually you will have beaten your tongue into submission and be drinking all kinds of crazy beers. It's basically your taste buds version of hitting puberty and then growing into an adult.

 

And an Arrogant Bastard is usually the hymen breaker.

 

I thought it was terrible (possibly the worst craft beer I've ever had), I'm not new to craft beers and I love hops. For some reason it had a Jagermeister taste to it, maybe it was the glass I was given at the restuarant? old bottle? as I assume it's not supposed to taste like that. Haven't given it a second chance, maybe one day I will.

 

You sure they gave you the right beer?

 

About four years ago, before I was drinking craft beer, I tried AB with two other friends and thought it was the worst imitation of asphalt and browned Christmas trees to come out of a bottle and touch my tongue. Their reactions were less severe, but they couldn't finish the bottle. Fast forward to today, AB is one of my favorite beers. Eventually you will reach a point where you palate doesn't just tolerate AB--it enjoys it, and opens a whole new dimension of craft beer for you.

 

I love AB but the one time I had Double Bastard (couple of years ago now) I thought it was like drinking hoppy whiskey and I couldn't finish my glass. I need to give it another shot.

 

I'd encourage you to come back to it after some time. That is an in-your-face brew.

I don't like it because I think it's bitter for bitter's sake and not very complex but I'm certainly in the minority.

There are a lot of beers I didn't like the first time. Enjoy the journey, I wish I could go back to a time when I'd only tried 6 beers.

 

If you're new to craft beer give Anchor Steam a try, in my opinion it's the best intro-to-craft-beer that is widely available.