First Posted: 11/10/2014
Description – Double Bastard Ale pours a murky brown-rust color with foamy off white head that disperses slowly leaving behind a wonderful lacing on the glass. The aroma is full of sweet notes of caramel, toffee, fig, and red fruits up front and backed by citrus and pine hops. The sweet malts also hit the palate up front again dominated by caramel notes first followed by hints of toffee before the strong punch of bitterness cuts through from the hops with strong flavors of citrus and pine being the most dominant. While the hops are certainly present there is a lot more to this beer and the hop presence does not overly dominate and instead adds a layer of depth to this fairly complicated beer. The final notes from the malts cleanse the palate perfectly and leave you wanting more. The moderate carbonation ad full body imparts a very creamy mouthfeel to this fantastic beer. It should be noted that the 11.2% ABV should always be kept in mind with this beer and it should be savored over a period of time. Double Bastard is yet another world class beer from a world class brewery!
Food Pairing – The sweet malts flavors and aromas make Double Bastard a fantastic beer to pair with desserts and meat dishes, however the strong flavors make this a beer that needs to be paired with equally firm dishes. For a perfect dinner pairing try Double Bastard with a juicy venison and bacon burger. The gaminess of the venison has met its match with this beer and the fat from the bacon will find perfect balance against the sweet caramel malts taking this beer and burger pairing to another level of flavor. However if you are looking for more of a pairing to end the night with then desserts are the best choice with Double Bastard. Try pairing with a decadent crème brûlée, the malts will match perfectly with this caramelized topping while the crème stands to only enhance the full mouthfeel from the beer and the carbonation will cleanse the palate perfectly in between each bite. The pairings for this beer are unlimited in many ways, but the key with a beer such as Double Bastard is to find a dish that has strong and assertive flavors as to not become dominated by the beer. This is most certainly a beer to experiment with to find your favorite food pairing!
The Final Word – Double Bastard Ale is certainly a beer that is not for the timid or for those who are new to craft beer. The high ABV and aggressive flavor profile make this a beer that is for those who are ready, it is a beer that does not wait for you instead you must catch up to it. Once you are ready though, the profile of this beer will absolutely blow you away. If you are familiar with Arrogant Bastard than you have a mild idea of what you are in for, but be ready for something even more aggressive. If this subtle description has peaked your interest even slightly than you are certainly ready to try it. Double Bastard is a beer that is an absolute must try for craft beer aficionados but grab it while you can this is a beer that when made available each year tends to go fast!
Where can I get it? – Currently available in 22 oz. bottles at: Backyard Ale House- Scranton; Cooper’s Seafood- Scranton; J & H Beer- Plains Twp; and Exit 190 Beer Deli- Dickson City.
Remember, enjoy responsibly!
