Seventeen years ago, Stone Brewing changed the world by releasing Arrogant Bastard Ale. Hyperbole? Absolutely. But it’s a damn good beer. Zesty, a bit of caramel sweetness, nutty. Stone has built a reputation around this big beer, using it to build even bigger, bolder iterations of the American strong ale. We told you about the sweet new box set of Arrogant Bastard creations last week—it comes with the original Arrogant Bastard, Double Bastard, Lukcy Basartd, and Bourbon Barrel-Aged Arrogant Bastard—but we were so smitten with the Lukcy Basartd that we decided it deserved its own review.
To create Lukcy Basartd, Stone blended Arrogant Bastard with Double Bastard, then put the new beer in oak before dry hopping it. The result is a beer so smooth, you may as well be sucking on velvet. Or so I imagine. I’ve never actually sucked on velvet before, but this is what it has to be like, right?
Lukcy Basartd pours a deep mahogany with a thick head and beautiful lacing. There’s so much going on in this beer, it’s ridiculous. There’s plenty of hopped up bitterness, with some pleasantly sweet citrus. It’s all underscored by a layer of caramel, which transitions into a wave of cherry sweetness as the beer moves through your mouth. An unexpected saltiness lingers on your lips after the sip is gone. And then you immediately want to start the process over again. Let it warm and both the hop bitterness and sugary sweetness are enhanced.
Sure, it would be fun to drink all four iterations of Arrogant Bastard one right after the other, but I think it’s important not to be too greedy. After all, Lukcy Basartd is technically two Bastards blended into one bottle, and isn’t that good enough?
Brewery: Stone Brewing Co.
Style: Strong ale
ABV: 8.5%
Availability: Limited