Would you like that kick to the head with or without hobnails?
Arrogant Bastard is the kind of beer that punches you in the face, laughs, and takes your lunch money. It's not that it's the jock of beers. Hell, most jocks don't have the cajones to handle Arrogant Bastard. No. It's more like the guy who just doesn't give a fuck. He's the one who likes to pretend to punch you in the face, and see how close he can get without actually hitting you, but doesn't apologize if he doesn't stop in time.
If it weren't for the blow-the-top-out-of-your-skull hops, this beer would be sweet as syrup. It has a deep malty flavor hidden behind the concertina wire fence of the hops. Sure, you can see it peek through once in a while, but really it's just there to give the hops a solid foundation from which to kick your ass.
This is a beer that proudly declares, "You probably won't like it." And chances are, you won't. This is not the kind of beer that apologizes for having a bit of flavor. Instead, it waves its assertiveness around like it were trying to prove how manly it can be. In a dick-waving contest of beers, there is an excellent chance this beer would win. There is no subtlety here. There's no nuanced overtones of crisp autumn mornings, no rich chocolaty base with hints of coffee and caramel. Instead, you get a no-holds-barred full-frontal assault of hops.
Yes, I could perhaps mention the hints of pine, perhaps from a 930E-2 load of Chinook hops. There are perhaps some overtones of caramel, but it's caramel that's been wrapped in a steel spike. It's not there to be coy. It's more like a solid white backdrop so you can't avoid noticing the intense hop bitterness.
This is a beer that says, "I have a jackhammer here that says 'Fuck you' all over it."
It's worth noting the closing remarks on the bottle: "Questions or comments? If you don't like this beer, keep it to yourself -- we don't want to hear from any sniveling yellow-beer-drinkin' wimps, 'cause this beer wasn't made for you."
Indeed. It truly wasn't.
