Review: Stone Brewing Co.’s Oaked Arrogant Bastard Ale

Stone Brewing Co.’s Oaked Arrogant Bastard Ale

The Verdict: 9.7

My confession is that I like Stone Brewing Co. I like the brand they’ve developed and I like their no-apologies approach to brewing. They brew the good stuff, and they don’t care who knows it. Here was my battle with a bottle of Oaked Arrogant Bastard Ale, an American ale aged with oak wood chips:

Smell (2): It smells a bit like caramel and hops at first. Lemon and grass are also present, but not overwhelming

Color (2): A dark amber, slightly cloudy. It didn’t have a very strong head, but the flavor remained consistent even after a bit of oxidizing.

Drink (5): The oak flavor is embedded in the hoppy flavor of the beer. They advertise on the bottle that “you probably won’t like” this beer, but I would be surprised if you didn’t. There’s a strong malty flavor that feels almost  prickly going down. It’s a drink that stays with you. The lingering aftertaste is a bit toasty. This beer tastes like most other craft ales at first sip, but yields deeper and more roasted flavors the longer you drink it. By the bottom of the glass, you know why they call it “oaked.”

Incidentals (.7):This beer cost me about $20 for a six-pack. Pricey? Yes. Worth it? Very. Yes.

Unfortunately, it’ll cost us Chicagoans more because it’s not sold in Illinois. It is worth the drive to  Michigan, Indiana, or Wisconsin, though.

Notes on rating: I use a 10 point system. 5 points for drink, 2 for smell and color, and 1 for “incidentals” which include  cost, packaging and my general mood after drinking it.