Hello craft beer brethren.  For today’s review I’m going to be trying the OAKED Arrogant Bastard Ale produced by the Stone Brewing Company located in Escondido, California. 

I really like the “regular” Arrogant Bastard Ale, so I figured this brew must be pretty good.

Let’s see if we can gather some information on this brew from the website, stonebrew.com.

This is an aggressive beer. You probably won’t like it. It is quite doubtful that you have the taste or sophistication to be able to appreciate an ale of this quality and depth. We would suggest that you stick to safer and more familiar territory — maybe something with a multi-million dollar ad campaign aimed at convincing you it’s made in a little brewery, or one that implies that their tasteless fizzy yellow beer will give you more sex appeal. Perhaps you think multi-million dollar ad campaigns make a beer taste better. Perhaps you’re mouthing your words as you read this.

Too many strive towards complacency as a goal. We grow up thinking that the ability to become complacent is the equivalence of success in life. True Arrogant Bastards know that this could not be further from the truth. The real beauty, richness and depth in life can only be found if the journey through life itself is looked upon as a constant chance to learn, live and find life’s passion. Passion threatens the complacent, and fills them with fear. Fear of the new, the deep and the different. We, on the other hand, seek it out. Endlessly, joyously…and aggressively. To this end we bring you the “OAKED Arrogant Bastard Ale.” Another reward for those seeking new sources of passion, and another point of dissension for those who are not.

Another breathtaking description from Stone, huh?

This brew comes in a 12 oz. bottle and has an ABV of 7.2%.

The beer poured a dark copper to burgundy color with an off white to light tan colored head that was both smooth and creamy.  It was built to a wonderful size, plus the retention time was top notch.  The lacing really hung around on the glass after each sip.  This beer looked great standing in my wine glass.

The nose brought forth tremendous bursts of citrus.  Grapefruit splashes.  Additional hop additives of the piny and earthy variety were found too.  Gentle malts of sweet and sugary caramel helped create a very pleasant and suitable aroma.  I didn’t find a whole lot of the “oak” or alcohol though.  Hmm.  Oh well, it still smelled nice.

The taste revealed more of the grapefruit citrus along with a slight minty hint.  The piny and earthy hops were noticed again and this time I was undoubtedly gathering some of the “oak” flavors as the brew washed over the palate.  Distinctions of a sweet caramel malt were noticed, however much like the smell, they seemed a touch relaxed and only played a supporting role in the overall flavor.  A somewhat subdued bitterness was tasted also, which I’m guessing is because the “woodiness” is pulling some of the citrus down.  It just didn’t seem to have the punch that the regular Arrogant Bastard possess’.     

The mouthfeel was medium, dry and smooth.  A little bit of warmth was left behind on the throat as well as plenty of additional flavors once the beer headed toward my belly. 

This is a very nice beer I must say.  Personally, I don’t think I like it quite as well as the traditional Arrogant Bastard, but that’s no matter.  It’s still a great brew.  The ease of drinkability was top notch and it would be easy to down a couple of these during one setting.  I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend this beer to a friend because it could be enjoyed year round and it packs plenty of flavor to satisfy most anyone.

Which do you guys prefer?  The “traditional” Arrogant Bastard or the OAKED Arrogant Bastard?

Be sure to leave a comment and let me know.

Thanks for reading everyone.  Until next time.

Cheers.

Score:  4.15 out of 5
Grade:  A-