While April 1st is a day of fools the release of Stone Brewing Co. beers for sale in Illinois was no joke. A week long event was made of it and coupled with the Craft Brewers Conference here in Chicago this city as got quite a buzz. For those of us in the Midwest, Stone’s arrival has been a much anticipated occurrence due to quality (hyped or not) of brews and lack of distribution in this region.
For some reason April Fools day came and went and I failed realize the significance. It might have been because I was looking forward to having Friday off and all else seemed secondary to planning out my brewing session. I popped in the store Saturday afternoon and noticed a shelf stocked with Stone which was at that point half gone. “How could I have forgotten?” I thought to myself. Without a second thought, I quickly snatched up three bombers and made my way to the checkout.
Arrogant Bastard Ale won the honors of being my first Stone brew to sample. This beer is brewed in rebuttal to every cheap American Lager ever made. The back of the bottle hurls sarcastic comments towards those who enjoy such beer and refuse to venture out into the craft beer world. To be honest, it was a little over the top and condescending in my opinion. If I enjoyed tasteless beer I would hold craft beer in contempt after reading this bottle. However, Stone is trying to make a point so the satirical name Arrogant Bastard fits well.
The beer! It lived up to the hype. I would have been fine just looking at the glass the color was wonderful. It was a deep ruby red with copper accents and a substantial head that had a reddish tint. At first sniff there were simply three smells; HOPS, malt, and a slight alcoholic presence. The hops were fresh, fruity, and carried a citrus profile. With regards to the malts they provided an easy loving caramel, toasted grain, biscuit-like backbone. It was almost like drinking an American (very hoppy) English Bitter or light Brown Ale. Smooth on the palate while laying down a bitterness that lasts the entire sip, this beer is very drinkable. The ABV is a little high at 7.2% offering a little character and tingle new craft beer drinkers might find aggressive. Overall, the beer has depth and is well-balanced. I would recommend this to everyone, but not in an arrogant way.
ABV: 7.2%
Grade: A-
My boss texted me from Ohio a few months back when he first tried A.B., saying it reminded him of me. Funny guy. I had it at the Stone Release Party at Barley House and found it to be well-balanced, dry, complex and excellent. So my boss was right on the money!
Um…random, yet interesting story Paul. I’d take it as a compliment if someone compared me to a beer. Thankfully, he was not calling you an A.B. which probably would have resulted in an awkward conversation. Thanks for the comment, happy drinking, and stay well-balanced!