Lukcy Basartd

Brewery: Stone Brewing Company
Style: American Strong Ale
ABV: 8.5%
Country: USA, California

Lukcy Basartd is Stone's ale to commemorate the brewer' s 13 years of existence. It is actually a blend of three of their beers, Arrogant Bastard Ale, Oaked Arrogant Bastard Ale, and Double Bastard Ale. If you noticed something funny about the name of the beer, it is not a typo. Not only is the title spelled funny, but the entire description on the back of the bottle is spelled in a similar fashion. Since the first and lest letter of each word is in the proper location, my brain was reading the words correctly in my head. It took me a paragraph or two of reading before I noticed something was funny when I ran across a word that didn't get "fixed" in my head. I actually thought that the bottle read "Lucky Bastard" until I tried to go to www.lukcybasartd.com and it didn't work as expected. Had I read this label after drinking the beer, I would have been in serious trouble.

Pour showed a dark copper color with ruby highlights. It had a thick tan head that sat on top for a good period of time and left plenty of lacing. Sharp citrus and pine with hints of roasted malts and oak. Tasted similar to the aroma with hops dominating the flavor. Malts are plenty hefty and provided a rich sweetness that was balanced with plenty of bitterness. Hiding behind the hops and bitterness, oak flavors are noticeable. Alcohol was certainly present in both the aroma and the taste. An astringency and a sharp warmth were both present because of the alcohol. While it was a good beer, it didn't knock me off my feet. It tasted too much like the Double Bastard so giving this its own rating is tricky. The oak was an interesting addition. I've had other oaked beers and am turned off by them if the oak flavor is over done. The oak in this beer was a bit more subtle so it worked out pretty well. B+

Bell's 25th Anniversary Ale

Brewery: Bell's Brewing Company
Style: American Strong Ale
ABV: 8.5%
Country: USA, Michigan

Bell's has had several beers appear on this blog so far. The best by a mile, of course, was the incredible Hopslam. I found this at the Reston Wine Cellar. It was the last one left and seeing as it is an anniversary beer and wont be brewed again, I counted it as quite the find. Poured a reddish, caramel, brown color with a thin head that dissipated quickly. Mild sweet aroma with some apple notes. Plenty of sweet malts dominated the taste. Apples were prevalent as well as apricots and caramel. Some darker flavors were present as well with some raisins and some yeast notes. Finish was dry and bitter with some bready malts that show up near the end. The body was creamy with almost no carbonation. Overall this was a yummy beer. It was little bit too sweet for my preference but I enjoyed it nonetheless. It was a good way to celebrate a fine brewery. B+

Lagunitas Brown Shugga' Ale

Brewery: Lagunias Brewing Company
Style: American Strong Ale
ABV: 9.99%
Country: USA, California

From the bottle: "We believe this special ale is something unique. Feeding brown cans sugar to otherwise cultured brewery yeast is a'kin to feeding raw shark to your gerbil. It is unlikely to ever occur in nature without human intervention. And it looks weird besides. But it has happened and now it's too late."

Pored a brown, reddish copper color with a bubbly tan head. Had a nice crystal clear body. It had a strong, sweet aroma. Brown sugar, some toasted toffee dominated the nose with a bit of hopiness. Taste had plenty of different sugar flavors. True to the name, brown sugar was the most dominant. Both molasses and caramelized sugar were present while toasted toffee shined through. A surprising amount of bitterness does a good job of bringing some balance to the picture. Some alcohol flavors and spiciness show up as well. Overall, it was a bit to sweet for my liking. B-

Double Bastard Ale

Brewer: Stone Brewing Company
Style: American Strong Ale
ABV 11.2%
Country: USA, California

"Ye Shall Know the Bastard, and the Bastard Shall Set You Free." Another proclamation from the bottle of another Stone beer. As I said in my review of the Ruination IPA, Stone beers are not for the faint of heart. This bottle even claims that it "is not to be wasted on the tentative and weak. Only the worthy are invited and only at your own risk." Between the warnings on the bottle and the 11% ABV, I knew this was going to be a powerhouse of a brew.

I poured the 220z bomber into my sturdy stein. It poured a dark, rich brown with a thick, fluffy, white head. The glass was cloudy and hazy giving off a foreboding vibe. Cautiously sticking my nose into the glass, I was greeted with a wave full of alcohol mixed with caramel and a bit of chocolate thrown in.

My hand was shaking as I took my first sip. I was greeted with a rush of flavor from every direction. The first flavor that hit me was a smooth caramel maltiness joined with a load of smooth bitterness. Partially subsiding, the bitterness gave way to a blast of fruity hops mixed with a wave of alcohol. Behind the alcohol were hints of spices such as cinnamon and cloves. This is quite a complex beer. The body was full and thick with the right amount of carbonation allowing me to savor the beer as long as I had the strength of will to tame this beast. A deep warming flowed from my toes to my ears as it went down.

Another strong showing from the fellas at Stone. This had many more flavors swirling around than the Ruination and was more balanced as well. Plenty of nuances to discover with each sip of this monster. This is an excellent beer for those that can tolerate the power. I welcome all that think they are worthy to partake in this liquid excellence. I'd drink this Bastard, SOB again in a heartbeat. A+


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