February 3, 2006
Well, Aren't You An Arrogant Bastard?
It's Super Bowl weekend, which means that sometime shortly after the coin toss we who actually want to- you know, watch the game- will be subjected to a series of mind-numbing commercials featuring farting horses; women with pneumatic breasticles; middle-aged men casually strolling through the Rockies; comic dating situations; and referees penalizing ordinary people; all for the purpose of promoting cheap beer.
The adage "life is too short to drink cheap beer" gets repeated so often that it passes the realm of cliche straight to "say it one more time and I'll sew your lips shut" territory. Everyone knows that a multimillion dollar ad campaign doesn't make a beer taste better; doesn't convince people that drinking Bud Light gives you rhythm; that adding fruit flavors to malt liquor doesn't suddenly make it classy.
A friend of Chicagoist (yes, we have friends) recently came across a beer during yet another visit to Lush Wine and Spirits that demanded our attention, and we're glad that it did. If you have the balls to name your beer "Arrogant Bastard Ale" you better live up to the name. Fortunately this beer from the Stone Brewing Company in San Marcos, California, does. Chicagoist is looking forward to the release of Fat Tire Ale for (legal) public consumption in Chicago in two weeks. Frankly, Arrogant Bastard Ale would puncture those fat tires, wreck the bicycle they're attached to, melt the whole mess down and re-forge it into an ashtray. Following the jump: our review of Arrogant Bastard Ale.
When you first pick up a bottle of Arrogant Bastard Ale and start reading the label, you realize that if ever there was truth in advertising, this beer is the epitome of such. The back of the bottle reads, "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." Reading that Chicagoist was damned if a bottle of beer was gonna scare us off. But everything about this beer screams arrogance, right down to the bottle artwork- some of the best we've seen this side of Three Floyd's.
We decanted Arrogant Bastard into a trappist glass to open up the flavor. We were promptly assaulted (not hyperbole) by faint malt, citrus, and floral bouquets on the nose. The beer is deep amber in color; it almost resembles mead in its color. On our first sip our taste buds were assaulted by bitter, toasted hops and an intense flavor. As the beer warmed up that flavor became even more intense, with the malt flavor we picked up on the nose announcing itself on our palate. The finish of Arrogant Bastard is bitter and lingering. It's almost as if the beer wants to pull our tongue down into our throat.
This is one of the best beers we've tasted in a months. If you're looking for an excuse to head down to the near south side and check out Lush, this provides you with the perfect opportunity.
Posted by Chuck Sudo in Eating In , Food , Miscellaneous | Recommend this! |
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Are you serious about the release of Fat Tire? Where can I find out more info?? God yes! I went to college at Wyoming and that stuff was like bud light to us hippies!!
[1] Posted by: Jason Wooten | February 3, 2006 11:29 AM
life is too short to drink a beer that has to be decanted first and then poured into a Very Special glass and then dissected and evaluated using the most flowery language possible. aside from those elitest snobs who like to comment on the "almost mead" color of their beers (mead?!), pretty much everyone thinks the super bowl has entertaining commercials, as far as commercials go anyway. i mean, isn't that what half the country tunes into the game for in the first place?
[2] Posted by: jd | February 3, 2006 12:14 PM
to hijack, or attempt to hijack, this thread: was anyone else let down in regards to the lack of hype about the superbowl?
do you remember last week? (it was approximately seven days ago.) i was watching cltv before heading off to work and one story in heavy rotation was, "get ready, the superbowl hype is coming. all next week you will be assaulted by superbowl hype."
but you know what? i really wasn't. in fact, i was more inundated by hype about the forthcoming hype. but the hype itself never materialized. (materialised, for our uk friends.)
i admit, i'm not sure where i'd get hype, other than on cltv. (they don't allow hype on the food network, fine living, or the bastard channel.) were the major networks hyping? and if so, can you tell me how it felt to get hyped? and if you have any hype just lying around, could I borrow some?
[3] Posted by: sb | February 3, 2006 12:53 PM
Chuck, if you can, get your hands on the Double Bastard Ale. They release it only once a year (this year is supposed to be October 30th). You should still be able to find some bottles here and there of the 2005 (original and OAKED). Talk about a punch in the mouth!! Also, Stone Ruination IPA & Stone Smoked Porter (buy 2 bottles now - drink one and put the other away until next year. Mellows like a fine wine) are excellent Stone Brewing products. Glad to see someone else enjoys the Bastard.
[4] Posted by: DaveH | February 3, 2006 1:11 PM
show some midwest pride and drink New Holland beer.
[5] Posted by: randall | February 3, 2006 1:16 PM
Sorry, I made an error. Stone Smoked Porter should be Stone Imperial Russian Stout. The Porter is very good, however, the Russian Stout after a year is excellent!
[6] Posted by: DaveH | February 3, 2006 1:17 PM
Chuck, my friend-love for you has diminished with that complete turnabout on the Fat Tire. You just sold them down the river, like yesterday's Tom Sawyer. I'm in tears over here! For SHAME! (I tested out the Arrogant Bastard and did think it was good, but I refuse to give up my first love of Fat Tire).
[7] Posted by: Michelle | February 3, 2006 1:23 PM
Excellent article! I have been enjoying Arrogant Bastard for years, but ONLY on my trips to San Diego. This is great news! I had no idea that Stone Brewing Co. beers were available in Chicago. Does anyone know why they are at just this one store in University Village? I was just at Sam's and they dont have any Stone...you would think they would if anyplace did.
[8] Posted by: beer geek | February 3, 2006 3:03 PM
I found mine at Binny's, but I honestly don't remember which location. I was working in the 'burbs at the time and can't remember if I bought it out there or in the city.
[9] Posted by: Michelle | February 3, 2006 4:16 PM
Good to hear Stone Breweries are available in Chicago. I drank the Ruination IPA when I lived in Boston. The Arrogant Bastard Ale was always a favorite.
However...for teh superbowl, the beer of choice is STEEL CITY!!!
[10] Posted by: Zak | February 3, 2006 4:50 PM
IRON CITY
[11] Posted by: Geebs | February 3, 2006 5:25 PM
found your article on Stone Brewing while surfing for articles on great beers. Stone Brewings fantastic beers are available here in The Big Apple too. Check out their website, some of the best pieces of beer paraphenalia I have seen to date, especially the bicycle jersey. Loud and obnoxious just like the beer.
[12] Posted by: mcap | February 3, 2006 7:29 PM
found your article on Stone Brewing while surfing for articles on great beers. Stone Brewings fantastic beers are available here in The Big Apple too. Check out their website, some of the best pieces of beer paraphenalia I have seen to date, especially the bicycle jersey. Loud and obnoxious just like the beer.
[13] Posted by: mcap | February 3, 2006 7:31 PM
India Pale Ale tastes like ink.
The difference between a $6/6 pack ale and one of these $9/6 pack is minimal and anyone who says otherwise is just a pretentious postering fuck.
Save yourself $3. I'm not saying you should drink Budweiser or Coors, but geez. These $9 beers are just not worth it. Next thing you know, you have people talking about the oak feeling of the beer and the pepper aftertaste, like those other prententious fucks, those oenophiles weenies.
It's BEER, for God's sake!!
[14] Posted by: Moon | February 3, 2006 8:53 PM
Moon...I'm sorry. You're wrong. That's all. Don't get me wrong...there are times to drink Old Style tall boys, there are times to drink Sierra Nevada, and once in a while there are times to drink Duvel...but...there IS a difference.
[15] Posted by: Zak | February 3, 2006 9:17 PM
It's NOT that big of a difference. It's so subtle that it's the beer equivalent to hypochondria.
Geez, just drink Sam Adams.
OOOOH, I just found a little pretentious fuck brewery in the Yukon territory that only brews their beer once every summer solstice when the Aurora Borealis is blooming. The slightly prune-y foretaste matches the date middle-taste which leads to a figgy aftertaste and there is an imaginary, 3 days later raisin taste that you can't believe. And when you finally pee it out (it takes a week to pee out this ambrosia!), it smells like cherries!!! OMFG!!!
/Oenophile weenie pretenders.
[16] Posted by: Moon | February 3, 2006 9:36 PM
Oh, wait, the whole time I was drinking "Laser", a "specialty malt liquor"!!
My bad! :D
[17] Posted by: Moon | February 3, 2006 9:43 PM
Very cool review. Thanks for helping to spread the Arrogance!
Now here's the bad news...note that Arrogant Bastard Ale is not officially available in the great state of IL (nor are any other beers from the Stone Brewing Co.). As such, the freshness and quality of any of our beers cannot be assured if they are found in IL.
We appreciate the great taste that leads people to our beers (and chuckle at the Numbskulls whose culinary tastes find their sweet spot with Cheetos and tallboy malt liquors), however I'd encourage folks to wait until our beers are legitimately imported into the state to make sure they're getting our beers in the best shape.
Hail to our Chicagoland area brothers in arms at Two Brothers and Three Floyds!
Cheers,
Greg Koch
CEO & Co-Founder
Stone Brewing Co.
[18] Posted by: Greg Koch | February 4, 2006 5:43 PM
If you don't use Yukon River water in your beer, it's crap!!
/another idiot trying to turn beer into a religion.
/let's all hold hands and praise this beer, brothers
/YECCHHH
[19] Posted by: Moon | February 4, 2006 9:47 PM
I've heard on pretty good authority that Matilda will have Fat Tire on Draught this weekend...
[20] Posted by: e | July 27, 2006 1:02 PM