There’s nothing like a buddy showing up with two big bottles of beer you’ve never tried before. Friday night, my friend Frank arrived with two pricey corked beers that had a lot of promise. We eagerly popped open the first (a barleywine drenched with honey taste) and were terribly disappointed. Then the second, a Russian Imperial with a great pedigree and an awful, merlot-like finish. So who came to the rescue when these two $10+ beers failed to deliver? A Bastard of the first degree!
Arrogant Bastard: He may look devilish, but he's awesome in a pinch
I’m glad I had this guy and a few of his friends in the beer fridge, because he saved the night. After two swings and two terrible misses, this sub $5.00 brew (for the big bottle) got the job done like it always does, with a sweet hoppy aroma and deep citrusy, piney goodness. The boys and girls over at Stone sure know how to make a great beer that doesn’t cost a lot, and Arrogant Bastard Ale might be the best they brew. Is this the best beer for under $5.00 sold today? Quite possibly. It might be worth having a bargain beer shootout to find out.
In the meantime, the two expensive clunkers this Arrogant Bastard bested aren’t going to be let off the hook that easily. Look for a scathing review of each in the coming days. Meanwhile, always remember to have a backup, kids. There’s a lot of bad beer out there.
Beer & Whiskey Brothers 
I just had my second bottle of this last week and couldn’t agree more about Stone. I just wish they’d distribute in Minnesota so I don’t have to run over to Hudson for it.
Mikey, welcome to BW&B! Stone is awesome because they make really superior beers that are a great value. It worth the trip as long as you load up. I just wasted a Stone Vertical Epic 9.9.09 by drinking it right away instead of storing it for three years like your supposed to (always read the label), and it was still pretty good.