Double Bastard in the Rye
Arrogant Consortia in Escondido, California, United States 🇺🇸
Brewed at/by: Stone BrewingStrong Ale Rotating Out of Production
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Score
7.67
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Much like the lacerative muther of a beer that is Double Bastard Ale, rye whiskey is not for everyone. Most are not emotionally or otherwise equipped to appreciate its unbridled intensity. So to sequester Double Bastard Ale in rye whiskey barrels is to conceive an experience that no doubt will be treasured by only a select few. It takes a special breed of exceptional depth to thrive under such demanding conditions and emerge with such stunning vibrancy. Namely, Double Bastard Ale. Something this sublime should never be squandered, however. Those plagued by even a smidge of self-doubt should look elsewhere. This rare treasure is strictly for those possessing the capacity to appreciate what many will shun. Just like I do.
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Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 7.5
Refrigerated 0.5 L brown bottle corked and capped poured into a glass. Copper with small off-white head. Aroma is caramel, medium body, low carbonation, and little lacing. Taste is caramel malt, whiskey, wood, and a little alcohol.
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 9 | Flavor - 9 | Texture - 10 | Overall - 9
500 ml bottle into tulip glass; 2016 vintage bottling, listed at 13.5%. Pours slightly hazy deep reddish orange/copper color with a 1-2 finger dense and rocky light khaki head with great retention, that reduces to a small cap that lingers. Nice spotty soapy lacing clings around the glass, with a fair amount of streaming carnation. Aromas of huge caramel, brown sugar, toffee, vanilla, coconut, spicy rye whiskey, toasted oak, and brown bread; with lighter notes of molasses, raisin, cherry, grapefruit, orange peel, pine, cocoa, chocolate, floral, grass, and oak/toasted earthiness. Incredible aromas with fantastic complexity and balance of dark/bready/light roasted malt, rye whiskey barrel, and light-moderate citrus/pine hop notes; with great strength. Taste of huge caramel, brown sugar, toffee, vanilla, coconut, spicy rye whiskey, toasted oak, and brown bread; with lighter notes of molasses, raisin, cherry, grapefruit, orange peel, pine, cocoa, chocolate, floral, grass, and oak/toasted earthiness. Light-moderate pine/citrus peel bitterness and whiskey/oak spiciness on the finish. Lingering notes of caramel, brown sugar, toffee, vanilla, coconut, spicy rye whiskey, toasted oak, brown bread, grapefruit, orange peel, pine, light cocoa/chocolate, floral, grass, and oak/toasted earthiness on the finish for a while. Incredible complexity, robustness, and balance of dark/bready/light roasted malt, rye whiskey barrel, and light-moderate citrus/pine hop flavors; with an awesome malt/bitter/spiciness balance, and zero astringent flavors after the finish. Light dryness from lingering bitterness and whiskey/oak spiciness, lightly increasing through the glass. Light-medium carbonation and fairly full body; with a very smooth, creamy/silky, fairly sticky/tannic/resinous, and slightly chalky balanced mouthfeel that is awesome. Alcohol is extremely well hidden; a very mild warmth with zero barrel booziness lingering after the finish. Overall this is an insane barrel aged American strong ale! All around incredible complexity, robustness, and balance of dark/bready/light roasted malt, rye whiskey barrel, and light-moderate citrus/pine hop flavors; very smooth and dangerously easy to sip on for the huge ABV. Absolutely perfect balance of rye barrels. Amazing levels of added complexity to an already awesome base beer. A highly amazing offering.
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 10 | Overall - 8.5
2015 bottle. Age turns this beast into a gentle yet massive malt bomb, overflowing with sticky caramel decadence on top of a spicy, oak-laden rye back. Starts sweet, stays sweet, yet finishes with an easygoing booziness belying the huge ABV. Probably wouldn’t want to let it sit much longer, but 12-18 months is just about right.
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 8
Bottle. Pours a clear amber brown with a tan head that dissipates to the edges. Aroma has a good amount of rye whiskey supported by toffee, sweet grains and pine. Flavor is similar with grass and rye whiskey supported by sweet grains and toffee.
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 8.5
Amber with off white head - Malt, vanilla and some wood in the aroma - mlat body with some herbal notes, sweet vanilla, and wood flavours - The malt, wood and vanilla with hints of herbs goes into the finish - This was real good
tiong (21414) reviewed Double Bastard in the Rye from Arrogant Consortia 9 years ago
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 9 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 8
500ml bottle, huge thanks to Jan! Pours dark reddish brown with a smooth head. Aroma of whisky, caramely malty, syrup, vanilla, oak, wood, toffee, hops, rye and hints of ripe fruits. Taste is heavy, sweetish and malty with loads of whisky, oak, toffee, some nuts, syrup, wood, rye and caramel. Finish is hoppy, malty and caramely with some resin, whisky, oak, wood, vanilla, rye and hints of syrup, long lasting bitterness. Heavy and complex, quite tasty.
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 9 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 8
Bottle, 2015 vintage. Pours a deep ruby/amber pour with a creamy finger of beige head. Sweet aroma of bourbon whiskey, vanilla, and malt. Tastes sweet, lots of bourbon and malt. Faint floral bitters and lightly woody. Overall sweet, but smooth and rich. Lingering bourbon and wood, some florals.
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 7.5
500ml corked and caged bottle pours with a murky amber colored body that supports a tan head of foam. The aroma offers up pine hop nuanced vanilla and whiskey notes with a mild fruity ester sensation in the background. As it warms the whiskey odor starts to dominate. The taste delivers a big malt sweetened hit of whiskey and vanilla oak notes followed quickly by resiny pine hop bitterness. Into the finish a pleasing earthy tea note is noticed in spite of the roaring whiskey and pine hops. This attains some balance although a bit of a softer barrel character would help.