Stone - Double Bastard 2011

Dear readers, first of all, HAPPY STOUT DAY!!!  Well, for most of you who will be reading this, International Stout Day was yesterday.  Our bad for posting in the evening!  Also, my bad for not realizing International Stout Day was today and not preparing a stout review in advance.  In the absence of a magnificent stout review, I have provided links to a number of delicious stout reviews we have done in the past.  Here they are, in the order that I found them: Darkness 2011, Darkness 2010, Avery - The Czar, Bell's - Expedition Stout,  Founders - KBS, Great Divide - Belgian Yeti, North Coast - Old Rasputin and Victory - Storm King.  Enjoy!

Tonights review is of Stone Double Bastard.  This is another new brew to MN from Stone.  Duns just reviewed their 15th Anniversary Imperial Black IPA and absolutely loved it.  I have high hopes for Double Bastard since I have only heard good things about this ominous bottle of hoppy, malty and alcoholic destruction.

First impressions... DAYUM!  I opted not to go through my normal routine of looking-sniffing-tasting and just decided to dive right in.  This bastard caught me off guard.  Bigger, bolder and hoppier than expected.  The appearance is almost soothing.  Perhaps a mechanism to lure you in much like the gentle glowing light of a deep see angler fish?  Clear, with a burnt orange color and a very minimal head.  Smooth pour.  Lots of dark fruit with hints of vaporous vodka in the aroma lets you know this sucker won't go down without a fight, or at least without some rosy cheeks and fuzzy memories.  Can definitely smell some strong caramel and vanilla as it warms as well.  The taste is very similar to a bold American Barley Wine.  Nice and thick, almost syrupy, with strong hop bitterness at its core surrounded by dark cherries, toffee, caramel, toasted bread.  Anything else?  Oh yeah, booze!  And plenty of it. But not a harsh biting booze.  More of a warming, numbing of the tongue sensation.  Perfectly acceptable in a beer of this size.

Overall - This is my first experience with the Double Bastard.  If I were in a cage fighting match with this beer, I'd be knocked out in the first round by a round-house kick square to the nose.  But I'd love every second of it.  This beer puts forth no subliminal messaging or subtleties about its intended purpose on this planet.  It's a straight-forward all-you-can-eat buffet of awesome.  Bold and full of hoppy and malty flavors, this brew is for the adventurous beer lovers out there.  I'll be finding another bottle of this Double Bastard and giving it some age.

Mechanical Angler Fish... way scarier than normal Angler Fish.