7.9/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 8
Flavor 7
Texture 8
Overall 8.5
2002 I had this one from a cellar and found it to be a good cellaring beer. AB fresh has a somewhat coarse hoppiness that puts many people off. The hops in this one were subdued allowing the malty richness to come to the front. It still poured a deep clear chestnut brown with deep red highlights. Thick head that laced the glass with each sip. Rich complex aromas and a smooth, rich flavor that rememinded me of a better Barleywine. If you found this beer to be a little much, try putting one away to mellow for a year or so.
Tried
on 18 Apr 2004
at 06:53
8.8/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 8
Flavor 9
Texture 10
Overall 9
2003 release, bomber. Been lettin this one sit for about 2-3 months. Pours a deep orange-amber, with some lighter red tinges. Medium off-white, thick creamy head. Lots of lacing. Aroma of strongly bitter hops, sweet caramel malt and, some lovely oak wood and earthy flavors. Reminds me much of Batch 6000 and as I sip it, the flavor is very similar as well. Big hops bitterness up front, fairly young, with a strong, velvety soft caramel malt quickly asserting balance. Finish is like a whole new beer, quite distinct from the body. Woody notes mix in with a leafy, earthy hops and a dry butter-toffee flavor mixes with strong citric oranges. Very creamy, low carbonation, much more balanced than Arrogant bastard. Alcohol only slightly present in the nose. Very Very good stuff, and tastes more like a barleywine. Huge aging potential.
Tried
on 20 Feb 2004
at 09:43
8/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 8
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 8
BEAUTIFUL color, almost blood red, with a huge MFing head, that's tan and fluffy... and lots and lots of lacing. OOOH that smell... citrusy, grapefruits, oranges, with only a hint of something roasted. This is gonna be a good one! OOOH thick! and bitter bite, pretty damn strong! Not for the light beer drinkers (but light beer drinkers aren't beer drinkers anyway). Nice fruity taste up front, followed by an EXTREME bitterness that seems to slap your face, saying "You stupid idiot, did you really think I'd be tame?" One of the best mouthfeels I have ever had... just purely magical in a beer world. EXTREMELY drinkable... but one a night (too thick and heavy for more than that!)
Tried
on 02 Feb 2004
at 18:12
8.8/10
—
Appearance 10
Aroma 10
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 8
2003; paid $4.99 for a 650ml bomber Cherry colored; nice inch head; lots of carbonation! Without a doubt, one of the best smelling beers I've had. Sweet citrus, pine, slightly IPA- very very appetizing! Very smooth, deep citrusy. MMM very nice beer. Sweet, tangy alcohol- not well masked- but not over the top either, mixed in with what reminds me of caribbean fruits- mangoes, etc. A little thin in the mouth (carbonation wise- which I don't get because I see it all over the place)- but nothing I can't live with. This and heavy feel. A nice beer!
Tried
from Can
on 29 Jan 2004
at 20:04
7.5/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 6
Flavor 7
Texture 8
Overall 9
Attractive bright garnet-red color, medium pitted head. Lots of bubbles cling to the glass. Strong carbonation, heavy crackling sound. Curiously weak aroma - earthy, somewhat peppery but its all a stretch. Thick, caramelized malts paired with a resiny mouthfeel and an earthy, somewhat blood-like metallic flavor. Flavor is nearly as muted as the aroma - I can't understand this...why is this beer so mild? Is it some sort of illusion? Melanoidins develop more as it warms, along with a vegetal component like cooked corn. Alcohol is very well masked, although the strength is apparent once you've had a bomber of this stuff.
Tried
from Can
on 28 Jan 2004
at 13:28
8.1/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 8
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 8.5
Right off the bat, this is a beautiful beer to look at. Deep clear amber beer supporting a thick head of off white. Richly malty aroma balanced by an equally hoppy aroma and taste bite. Just the right amount of body and a finish that is a long reprisal of the taste and aroma. The alcohol can be felt but is perfectly diguised in the beer itself. Very well crafted.
Tried
from Can
on 20 Jan 2004
at 14:53
8.9/10
—
Appearance 10
Aroma 8
Flavor 9
Texture 10
Overall 8.5
Cloudy amber color, creamy head. From the aroma to the flavor and palate, it's another hop-killer; very well malty. Thanks Philippe (Bov) for sharing this bottle.
Tried
from Bottle
on 13 Jan 2004
at 03:14
7.1/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 6
Overall 7.5
This beer isn't joking, most people will not like it because its very bitter. Very nice shade of brown with a regular head. If you like something that will kick you in the balls then this is the beer for you.
Tried
on 20 Dec 2003
at 14:17
7.4/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 8
Overall 7.5
[man, I can’t believe I used to love this stuff so much - it’s so incredibly alcoholic/boozy - of course, it will always hold a special place in my heart anyway] This tastes very much like its little brother, arrogant bastard, which, of course, is a really good thing - looks and smells just like it - the most immediately noticable traight that sets this beer apart is the sweet, strawberry-like flavor that manifests itself midway through the sip, swirling somewhere is the hop bitterness, creating a bitter/sweet dichotomy that begs you to take another sip - caramel, toastiness, biscuit - very well-balanced, but, for what it’s worth, it’s almost not different enough from arrogant bastard to even be considered a different beer (aside from the alcohol content) - of course, who really cares? it rocks anyway.
Tried
from Can
on 13 Dec 2003
at 21:59
6.6/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 8
Flavor 6
Texture 4
Overall 6.5
Ruby coloured amber body with a dense tan head. Aroma of nice hops, very strong with showing of rye, caramel and potent malt. Heavy-bodied; Powerful hop taste-large rye flavours with caramel and a bit of spices. Aftertaste actually fairly clean compared to the taste-strong hop bitterness dominates the palate. Overall, just what I was expecting from Stone. A super-hopped-not-well-balanced beer. If you want hype and hops go with Stone-you won't be dissapointed! This one doesn't do it for me, it needs a lot more! I shared this bottle with Haddon90 (Thanks Phil) on 27-November-2003 from which he purchased from Norm's in Vienna, Virginia.
Tried
from Bottle
on 03 Dec 2003
at 21:12