This post has been a couple weeks in the making. I meant to publish it earlier, but got caught up with Thanksgiving and whatnot. My apologies for the lack of activity, and now on to the beer.

The History
Stone Brewing Company started in 1996 in Southern California by Steve Wagner and Greg Koch (No relation?). Currently, they brew from Escondido, but the company was founded in San Marcos. They are known mostly for producing bold flavored and highly hopped ales - most notably their IPA and Arrogant Bastard, as well as the often colorful language that adorns their painted bottles (Arrogant Bastard, true to its name, seems to insult you rather than try to sell the beer).
Oaked Arrogant Bastard - an aged version of the original Stone Arrogant Bastard - was introduced in late 2004 as a limited release and sold only in 3-liter bottles once a year (and sporadically on tap). Luckily, it was expanded into a year-round product in August 2007 and has since been widely available in six-packs. A stronger third brother in the series, Double Bastard is currently only released once a year.
And, in case you were wondering, you’re still not worthy

The Style
Oaked Arrogant Bastard is an American Strong Ale aged on Oak chips (not in oak barrels). The Strong Ale is not a very clearly defined category, and is sort of used as a catch-all for American ales over 7% alcohol (Oaked A.B. is 7.2%), but don’t quite fit into a more specific category (Double IPA or Barleywine, for example). While not a rule, American strongs are usually dark and caramely, with a high hop flavor that distinguishes the style from an English Strong. As is the case with this beer, Strong Ales are often wood aged before release, and are great for bottle aging as well.

The Tasting
Pours a dark, burnt red, with about 1 finger of deep beige head that has a pretty good stick to it.
Smell is currant and oaky, with some citrus hop.
Taste up front is dark malt: coffee and chocolate, with a bit of raisiny sweetness. Big bitter grapefruit hop towards the end. A tad piney as well. The oak wood flavor shines in the aftertaste.
Caramel malt intensifies as the beer warms. Grapefruit takes over as it warms more (and flattens, the carbonation is not very lasting).
Strong. Full. Complex. Pungent. A great progression in every sip: from malty to sweet to hoppy, and finally a dry-woody bitterness. There is as much hop as a big Double IPA, but an equally bold dark malt backbone balances out the flavor.
Mouthfeel is not very heavy, but the flavor is bold enough to overcome it. Taste envelopes the mouth where the body falls short.

The Verdict
A fantastic spin on a fantastic ale. Plain old ordinary Arrogant Bastard is one of my favorite beers, and the oak aging really brings out a new (although subtle) character that works perfectly with this flavorful brew. Full flavored, well balanced, fairly drinkable, a high but not too high alcohol level, all make for a beer that will impress the most discerning beer-snob while remaining quite accessible to newbies.

9/10