Today, I’m going to be reviewing four beers. Yes, you read that correctly, 4 beers. F-O-U-R.

One of my Christmas gifts from Anna last month was a beer geek gift pack from Stone Brewing in San Diego, CA. Included were Stone IPA, Levitation Ale, Sublimely Self-righteous Ale and Arrogant Bastard Ale. I’ll begin by stating up front – these beers ARE NOT for average beer drinkers (i.e. Bud Light). Think of it this way: if the only drink you get at Starbucks is a Frappaccino or some other “espresso + milk + syrup” drink, how would you react if the barista handed you a cup of Sumatran blend? No sugar, no cream and no syrup. Just really strong, really black coffee. With that in mind, up first is Stone IPA.

IPA is short for “India Pale Ale”. Back in the days before pasteurization, the lifespan of a barrel of beer was rather short; very short if it wasn’t refrigerated. This was during the days when the British Empire ruled much of the eastern world (Africa, India, etc.), and British soldiers wanted some of the familiar comforts of home. Since shipping beer was much cheaper than building new breweries, brewmasters set out to create beers that would survive the long shipping voyage from England and Ireland to outposts in South Africa and India, and still be drinkable. By ramping up the amount of hops (the main flavoring agent in beer, as well as a natural preservative) and allowing the beers more time to ferment, thereby creating a higher alcohol content (also a natural preservative), brewers created a beer style that was close enough to the popular pale ales of the day, while also having a long shelf life. It wasn’t too long until this style of ale became popular in the mother country, and the rest is history. Clocking in at 6.7% alcohol and 77 IBU’s (International Bitterness Units), Stone IPA is a perfect example of this style. For comparative purposes, the average American pale lagers (Budweiser, MGD, Coors) clock in around 4-5% alcohol and 8-13 IBU’s. This beer reminds me of Sierra Nevada Pale Ale, but with a little extra kick. It has a golden amber color and is very clean and crisp. As hoppy as it is, it’s still an easy drinking ale.

Next up is the Levitation Ale. Stone isn’t kidding around when they call this stuff “Levitation Ale”. I’d only poured about 3 ounces into a glass when the head reached the top of the glass. I was better off drinking straight from the bottle. Levitation Ale is more in line with classic ales in color, alcohol and IBU’s. It has a dark brown, almost chocolate color, and clocks in at 4.4% alcohol and 45 IBU’s. This beer was definitely smoother than the Stone IPA, with a sweeter taste, although the hops were still present in the finish, but with a bit of fruit in there as well. You could almost call it citrusy. Definitely something I wouldn’t mind keeping in the fridge.

Up next is Stone’s Sublimely Self-righteous Ale. Originally brewed in 2007 as Stone’s 11th Anniversary ale, it was re-released in 2009 as Sublimely Self-righteous Ale. Probably the most “in your face” of the four beers I received, this ale clocks in at 8.7% alcohol and 90 IBU’s. When poured, it is almost black,with a dark brown head that lasted nearly ten minutes. It actually resembles Guinness Extra Stout, in color, smell and taste, but it still has a personality all its own. It has a caramel texture to it, in that it’s sweet, and yet also “chewy”, if that makes sense. With it having an IBU rating of 90, I expected it to taste hoppier, but the hops weren’t as present in this brew. Not necessarily a bad thing.

Last, but not least, is the beer I’d been waiting months to try. Arrogant Bastard Ale. From the product description on Stone’s website:

This is an aggressive ale. You probably won’t like it. It is quite doubtful that you have the taste or sophistication to be able to appreciate an ale of this quality and depth. We would suggest that you stick to 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, or one that implies that their tasteless fizzy yellow beverage will give you more sex appeal. Perhaps you think multi-million dollar ad campaigns make things taste better. Perhaps you’re mouthing your words as you read this.

While not the strongest of the four in terms of alcohol (only 7.2%), it was definitely the king of the IBU’s, or, at least tasted like it was, because the Stone website lists the IBU’s of Arrogant Bastard Ale as “classified”. This was definitely the strongest tasting beer I’ve ever tried. Dark amber/caramel in color, it has a very malty taste and has a mouthfeel similar to a good whiskey, with a bittersweet finish. One person who tried it with me stated, “It reminds me of Sam Adams, but stronger. A lot stronger.” Another friend was a bit more blunt in his reaction, simply stating, “This is a man’s beer!”. All joking aside, Stone isn’t kidding when they say Arrogant Bastard is an aggressive ale. It is not for everyone, and it isn’t an everyday kind of beer. This is a beer you have a glass at a time, after dinner, with a cigar, and only once or twice a week. Which might be why the smallest package for it is a 22oz. bottle.

So there you have it. If you get a chance to try any of these, go for it. There wasn’t a bad beer in this lot.