The name pretty much explains it all. AB kicks some serious ass and doesn’t bother taking names. Stone lets you know right on the bottle that “It is quite doubtful that you have the taste or sophistication to be able to appreciate an ale of this quality or depth.” Well the one thing that Stone didn’t count on is that I was raised on hops and barley. When your father is an abusive drunk, you grow up with the taste and sophistication that allows you to appreciate and ale with the quality and depth that Arrogant Bastard possesses. That’s one thing MADD won’t teach you. Now let me break it down for you. I’ve heard people call it a brown ale; most commonly AB is considered an american strong ale; but to my bruised and battered lips, AB is a smoked pale ale. The traditional hoppy feel is replaced by a darker smoked hop flavor that lingers longer than expected. Stone has finally made a beer that simulates the effect of smoking and drinking, so you can save your lungs for more important things like…. maybe…. oxygen. I try to only destroy one major organ at a time. Arrogant Bastard is not for everyone. So remember, maybe you should “stick to a 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” in the Rockies. Arrogant Bastard is a beer best enjoyed by it’s own kind.