what

[Trail]

i am relaxing with an Arrogant Bastard (bomber.) When I say "relaxing" what I really mean is "I have more than six hours more work to do today but I no longer care because I am dead inside." But that isn't the point. FWIW this is not my first beer of the night either, so please forgive typos.

No, this is the point: Arrogant Bastard is no longer the most interesting beer I buy.

Yeah, what? I remember when I got into beer, like, for real. Prior to August I bought a twelve-pack of Smithwick's every six months or so and that was fine. In August, I happened to have several awesome beers that turned me into a snob, and then in September I discovered Arrogant Bastard. Now it is March and, uh, AB is not the most exciting thing around anymore.

Yeah, it's delicious. I like it a lot. But if I had a choice between a second AB right now, or something else, maybe a Rock Art The Vermonster or a Spaten Octoberfest or a Sierra Nevada Torpedo, I'd pick one of those other onses. Because holy crap, there is more beer than I have sources of crippling anxiety.

When I first tried AB it was like nothing I'd ever tried. Coarse, brutal hops that I could barely tolerate, but a seductively sexy maltiness behind them that drew me through the glass inexorably. Now it's like, yeah, this is great? but I kind of wish there were more IBUs.

As an aside, I've had Double Bastard and I was unimpressed. Way too much malt, which is too bad, and the excessive pineapple-ey fruit esters were too forward in my opinion.

What the hell happened to me?

 

[Airborneguy]

Oaked Arrogant Bastard almost made me throw up after a fishing trip in Alaska 3 years ago. I'll never touch any of them again. I have a Vermonster in the fridge and now you're making me want it! Unfortunately, I leave for work in an hour so that's out of the question.

 

[Trail]

Whoa, why did that make you nearly hurl? I've never had an Oaked AB but I've only heard good things. And re: the Vermonster, well, there's always after you get in. As an aside, though, watch out for the Rock Art Ridge Runner - The Vermonster may be "Ridge Runner's Big Brother," but the littler beer really isn't anything like Big Brother and in fact is really disappointing.

 

[maffewl]

You sir need to move on to a Ruination. (If you haven't already ).

 

[Airborneguy]

I describe it as I would describe how it feels to smoke an extremely robust cigar. I smoke cigars regularly, but robust, strongly sliced cigars can sometimes make me queasy. That's what AB did.

 

[jonmohno]

My vote is for Avery Majaraja when fresh-. I didnt like the double bastard really either but i love the bastard and the oaked bastard.

 

[Trail]

You sir need to move on to a Ruination. (If you haven't already ).

I apologize in advance, but: Actually kind of hated the Ruination. I couldn't tell you why, other than that the citrusyness of the hops somehow curdled upon my tongue. I usually LOVE citrusy hops, and I literally cannot explain why the flavor agreed so poorly with me.

robust, strongly sliced cigars can sometimes make me queasy.

Ah, gotcha. Well, I still gots ta' trys it.

 

[Weizer]

Ah man, double bastard is my favorite stone beer. I will always choose DB over AB. I actually enjoy it more than AB..oddly enough.

 

[raabs]

Ah man, double bastard is my favorite stone beer. I will always choose DB over AB. I actually enjoy it more than AB..oddly enough.

Same here, I still need to bust open my massive 2010 bottle