you’re still not worthy, oaked.

If there’s something to be said about a beer named Arrogant Bastard Ale, it might be that it’s just not for everybody. Brewed by the Stone Brewing Company, the same people behind Stone IPA, drinking an Arrogant Bastard feels like taking Broc Lesnar’s left elbow to the face before he proceeds to ground and pound you to a pulp rather than a plain ol’ smack. As unappetizing as this may sound, you have to understand that there are people out there who would enjoy this, specially if they somehow end up winning the fight. Then again, there’s the chance that these people are just a bunch of masochists. Then again, there’s a chance that most other beer drinkers are too used to cheap, tasteless beer. (An Oaked Arrogant Bastard Ale six pack @ Whole Foods = $18.)

Arrogant Bastard Ale could have easily been named Aggressive Bastard Ale. You’ll get a sense of this as soon as you pop one open because of the strong hoppy, slightly citrusy aroma that emanates from the bottle. It tastes even stronger.  It’s one of those things to which you have to work your way up. Otherwise, like the Wikipedia entry on the back label implies, chances are that “you probably won’t like it.”

stone india pale ale

One of my buddies came down to Miami for the weekend and we decided to hit up Zeke’s on Lincoln for a few beers early in the afternoon. (It’s surprising how many people don’t know about the lovely joint that is Zeke’s Roadhouse -something around two hundred brands of beer available at $4 a piece, in the heart of South Beach, but I digress.) I went in there wanting a mugful of DogFishHead 60 min. IPA and ended up with a cold glass of Stone IPA instead. That’s what happens when you order your favorite beer on tap and you’re told it has been replaced with something that makes your friend’s eyes light up.

If you’re not familiar with India Pale Ale, it’s beer with a kick. The opposite of smooth. Rather bitter, and full of flavor. Something that will put your taste buds to work (and is nothing short of greatness IMO). Take a swig of an IPA and the flavor will linger in your buds and on your mind, whether you want it or not. From what I understand, it’s got to do with overabundance of hops in the brewing process, which is what makes it different from your standard, smoother lager and gives it its distinctive aroma.

As far as IPAs go, drinking a DogFishHead, as my friend would say, is like having someone smack you square in the face with a bunch hops. You’d recognize the hops as something that’s been hiding in the beers you drink but the flavor they bring would probably feel a lot like a sucker punch if you’re not used to it. I love it. Drinking a Stone IPA is more than just that. A Stone IPA has a lot more finesse and not as bitter. You don’t feel like you’re being assaulted, but rather surprised. Where a DogFishHead might have gone a hair or four over in bitterness, a Stone IPA got it just right. Plus a hint of citrus that’s inescapable. Simply crisp and delicious. If you’re not afraid of beer, I highly recommend it.

Now you can listen to Kutiman’s thru-you wherever you want, technically speaking. LINK.

thru-you

This has got to be one of the dopest/craziest things I’ve seen on the interwebs as of late. This guy Kutiman sampled several videos of people singing, playing instruments, or randomly banging on the drums on youtube and created 7 different music tracks along with the remixed videos. I can’t imagine how time intensive this must’ve been, but the results are simply amazing. By clicking on the links to the original videos through the credit tab (you can do this while the track is playing), you’ll get the idea the final product is, I’d say, definitely greater than the sum of its parts.

[LINK]

This should give you a feel of what I’m talking about, track 1 – The Mother of All Funk Chords:

via this guy’s twitter.