foaming at the mouth

[ser-hops-a-lot]

Reinaert Flemish Wild Ale - De Proefbrouwerij - Belgium

9%

great foam

smells like puppies "Belgian funk"

overwhelming taste of hay

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Éphémère - Unibroue - Canada

5.5%

extremely difficult to open

sweet apple juice aroma

strong yeast taste with sour apple

a very beery version of cider

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Double Nut Brown - Mammoth Brewing Co. - California

6%

nutty, smoky, and a bit of mocha 

dry finish and no strong aftertastes

a light porter for not-so-light drinking

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Organic Chocolate Stout - Bison Brewing Co. - California

5%

fantastic foam

light coffee and chocolate taste

very mild and drinkable for a stout

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1881 - Ruhstaller - California

5.6%

not too bitter, mild sweetness

interesting grapefruit flavors

pleasing yet expensive ($8/22 oz)

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Framboise -  Brouwerij Lindemans - Belgium

2.5%

sweet & tanniny raspberry flavors

very little beer bitterness flavor

a lovely alternative to typical drinks

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Wells Bombardier - Wells & Young's Ltd - England

5.2%

foamy, mouth-filling

tongue-tingling aftertaste

recommended in large quantities

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Primátor Double Bock - Pivovar Náchod - Czech Republic

10.5%

sweet, fruity taste

very apparent ethanol flavor

a wine-like beer for small sips

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Edelstoff - Augustiner Bräu - Germany

5.7%

surprising lack of foam

thin, fizzy, reminiscent of a soft drink

light and drinkable

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Arrogant Bastard Ale

I've been very aware of this beer since before I was legal to drink because the company that brews it, Stone, is based in Escondido, California, not more than a 30 minute drive from my hometown. It's sort of the centerpiece beer popular in this delicious, small chain of pizza parlor in northern San Diego County (and Southern Orange county) called Pizza Port.

Hand and microwave for comparison. Some facts and figures:

7.2% alcohol by volume

first brewed in 1997

has a fucking gargoyle on it who will kill you

From the back of the bottle: "Comments or Questions? If you don't like this, keep it to yourself--we don't want to hear from any snivelling, yellow-swill drinking' wimps, 'cause Arrogant Bastard wasn't made for you."

So, I cracked it open, took a swig and let it sit on my tongue for a bit.  First thing I noticed was hops, but not very strong. Other attributes, in no particular order:

dark

heavy

the aftertaste lingers on the bitter part of my taste buds

moderate to below average level of carbonation

really fun to hold with one hand because the bottle is so thick (makes you feel manly)

honestly i'm not tasting the arrogance

wow i'm pretty tipsy now and still have a few chugs to go

Overall, pretty good, but it seems like something I will need to get in the mood for in the future. Not a "go-to" kind of taste. I guess I just really am not a big fan of hops. P.S. My boyfriend's verdict: "It's got a decent taste."

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Weihenstephaner Vitus - Weihenstephan - Germany

7.7%

intriguing bread & buttery introduction

lingering metallic aftertaste

confusing

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Koźlak - Browar Amber - Poland

6.5%

fairly malty

hint of caramel, though primarily bitter

not high drinkability

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Bräu Weisse - Ayinger - Germany

5.1%

fruity

fizzy

pleasantly sweet

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Celebrator - Ayinger - Germany

6.7%

not too strong

delightfully tangy quality

very, very good

[ser-hops-a-lot]

A pretty comprehensive, though somewhat overhwelming, chart of many varieties of beer.

I gather it takes many years of experience to fully comprehend the inner workings of this chart's organization, but I was quickly able to gather one very basic pieces of information--there are two superstrata of beer in the world:

ales

lagers

Any beer is basically one of these two. Everything else is just frill on top.

[ser-hops-a-lot]

Grand Imperial Porter - Browar Amber - Poland

8%

very rich, very strong

lingering mocha aftertaste

the true definition of a black beer