CS10 - Arrogant Barstard Clone

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Permalink Reply by Tom C on December 20, 2013 at 5:20pm

Appearance Coke!  Red-brown, well carbed, crystal clear but no head.

Aroma Treacle, burnt toffee, dried fruits, hints of vanilla & coffee.  Spicy hop.  Very rich and complex.

Flavour Full rounded malts (as per aroma - burnt toffee, molasses), slightly over-carbed.  Warming alcoholic, sticky and sweet finish, but well-balanced bitterness.  Tastes like it'll get you pissed quick!

Overall I'd guess a Scottish Heavy - Great xmasy malt bomb, lingers like a big cabernet - lovely sipping beer.

I know you said wait a month or more, so I did.  Now I see you want me to wait until next December, no chance!  I'll try bottle No2 in a couple of months.  I don't know Arrogant Bastard so can't comment on the closeness of the clone, but can you give more info on OG/FG?  It certainly seemed stronger than the malt bill suggests.

Permalink Reply by Peter Smith on December 20, 2013 at 7:05pm

At work will look up later this beer is about 7%  will check the OG  record and post, its def a sipper...

look at this first the original is 7.2%

http://www.arrogantbastard.com/

from the original brewers website

This is an aggressive ale. 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. We would suggest that you stick to safer and more familiar territory–maybe something with a multi-million dollar ad campaign aimed at convincing you it’s made in a little brewery, or one that implies that their tasteless fizzy yellow beverage will give you more sex appeal. Perhaps you think multi-million dollar ad campaigns make things taste better. Perhaps you’re mouthing your words as you read this. 

At Stone Brewing, we believe that pandering to the lowest common denominator represents the height of tyranny - a virtual form of keeping the consumer barefoot and stupid. Brought forth upon an unsuspecting public in 1997, Arrogant Bastard Ale openly challenged the tyrannical overlords who were brazenly attempting to keep Americans chained in the shackles of poor taste. As the progenitor of its style, Arrogant Bastard Ale has reveled in its unprecedented and uncompromising celebration of intensity. There have been many nods to Arrogant Bastard Ale…even outright attempts to copy it… but only one can ever embody the true nature of liquid Arrogance!

If I modify this I would back off a bit on the chinook late and possibly add a riwaka to it...   I know sounds nuts but I suspect It would work with chinook bittering and some more fruitiness later on...  possible change yeast to a ale one as well

I will admit that I split this batch and put a spare 6L into a better bottle and the main batch into a carboy,  the carboy went into fem temp control BUT the temp sensor was on another carboy and it got a little warmer then expected for 12hrs....    the better bottle sat on garage floor and tastes a bit fruiteir, not quite as alcohol dominant....   

I don't think this was ever intended as a session beer   8)

Permalink Reply by G S on December 26, 2013 at 8:05pm

Certainly no session beer is it...

Rich red/brown, cherry coke colour? Clear, but little head, bit of foam clinging to the glass.

Aroma, appropriate for its name, we're not messing around with this one! Big, malty, lots going on.

Taste very smooth, warm, we're not playing tiddlywinks here. Have a suspicion that relatively normal looking malt bill might have made 15 litres, not 23??. Not hop forward, was expecting more from 100g of straight up chinookiness, but well balanced.

Dash's comment, a sipping beer, in the same context as a sipping rum, one to linger over. Looking forward to the next one, thank you

Permalink Reply by Peter Smith on December 27, 2013 at 6:29pm

i need to get a bottle of the original....    so far no luck in akl.

Permalink Reply by Tom C on February 3, 2014 at 4:33pm

Second bottle:Very much like the first!  Big rich malty niceness.

Permalink Reply by Stu H on January 6, 2014 at 10:39pm

Appearance: Golden syrup, quite fizzy, a bit of protein haze, off-white head.

Aroma: Not a lot of hops for me, but some malt aromas in there. Definitely caramel.

Flavour: Big malt flavour, very bitter, my bottle was a little astringent. Alcoholic.

Overall: Amazing amount of malt complexity in this beer, given the simple grain bill. For my money, I'd want more aromatic hops in the nose, but what would I know! Thanks for sharing!

Permalink Reply by Richard Jack on January 16, 2014 at 9:44pm

Raffe and I still hard at work going through the swap in 250ml samples.

A - lovely colour, almost no head to speak of.

A - burnt toffee, with a real acetone / solvent sting. Maybe we got bad bottles but I think there's been some serious fermentation probs.

F - More or less same as aroma. Struggling with the hot alcohols.

O - The recipe looks good, think there's probably a process flaw in the ferment. 1084 has been really clean for me so I suspect it's been fermented very warm or substantially underpitched, or both. This is one of those reviews you hesitate to write, but I guess the point of CS is honest feedback.

Permalink Reply by Tilt on March 27, 2014 at 11:10pm

Last of the swap for me Peter.  Whata woppa ofa beer.  Beaut looking in the glass - dark chestnut and clear as a bell.  The head slowly subsided to a thin white layer, clinging to the glass.  Aroma was at  first hit solventy, with a deep malt smell behind  - no hops to speak of.  Flavour was more of the acetone, hot in the mouth that dominated everything else.  Sorry mate but I couldn't finish this one.  I have a recent thing for Chinook and love the hint of what (malti currant goodness) the recipe has to offer - but unfortunately there's been some serious ferment temp blowout to my taste.  I"d love to try another version of this though!

Permalink Reply by Peter Smith on March 28, 2014 at 8:13am

This was the first time I had put two carboys into ferment fridge, the temp sensor was not on this one.... its possible to have an 8 degree difference overnight this way  8(     lesson learnt,   for next swap I will swap something I have tasted before swapping !!!   and no more double fermenting 7% beers with 1084...

Speaking of which I think we need to arrange for a swap for end june...