Ölbeat 181: Stone (Berlin) Arrogant Bastard Ale

Brewery: Stone Brewing Berlin
Country: Germany (United States)
Style: American Strong Ale
Abv: 7,2 %
@RateBeer

What about the beer?

Colour is mahogany reddish brown with a large fluffy natural white head. Aroma has caramel malts, sweet citrus fruits and berries. Taste starts with sweet malty bitterness. Bitter citrus-pine liquid with caramel malts dominates. Herbal pine and bitter grapefruit grow towards the end. Aftertaste has piny dryness, citrus bitterness and warming alcohol.

Arrogant. Bastard. Yep, that's me alright. And I'm worthy. Aggressive showdown of nut-kicking strong malty base and face-slapping pine-grapefruit bitterness. Groovy. Love every drop.

Ölbeat

Finding a song to match the brew was hard. To be honest, it was actually very easy, since this was the obvious first choice. It was finding an option with an equal amount of bastardish arrogance in the song's name that was hard and in the end impossible. The mood of the song seems to have the same kind of neglecting aggressiveness as the beer does.

Green Day: American Idiot (YouTube)

From the 2004 album American Idiot, the song was written by Green Day.

Ölbeat 149: Anarchy Sublime Chaos

Brewery: Anarchy Brew Co.
Country: England 
Style: Stout

Abv: 7 %
@RateBeer

What about the beer?

Colour is black with a thin beige crown. Aroma has charred-roasted malts, black coffee and chocolate. Taste bites first with charred roast. Charred malts and strong dark-roasted coffee dominate the taste with a twist of cocoa. Some chocolate and malty sweetness come slowly through. Towards the end sweet spicy bitterness and warming alcohol show up. Aftertaste has bitter chocolate and alcohol.

They call this Breakfast Stout - this would really be an awakener. Where the hell do beer styles get named? And who the hell gives names to beers? No chaos present here, just smooth, harmonic and delicious taste. Charcoal in the beginning, followed by coffee, chocolate and bitterness. Damn beautiful this is.

Ölbeat

Sorry. Sex Pistols answered: "No. It's not anarchy in the UK when it's Anarchy from the UK." The chaos was so well hidden in the brew that we'll select a "nice" punk song here. I think that in the brewery they already know that their enemy is tasteless and uninspiring beer. At least they brew the other kind.

Green Day: Know Your Enemy (YouTube)

From the 2009 album 21st Century Breakdown, the song was written by Billie Joe Armstrong, Mike Dirnt and Tré Cool.

Ölbeat 008: Omnipollo Nebuchadnezzar

Brewery: Omnipollo
Country: Sweden (brewed at De Proefbrouwerij, Belgium)
Style: Imperial IPA
Abv: 8,5 %
@RateBeer

Losing sanity Swedish style

Omnipollo, having headquarters in Stockholm, Sweden, is a gypsy brewery that makes its brews around the world. Known for both experimental untraditional view on beer and artistic bottles, the brewery has become known worldwide in a relatively short period of time. Nebuchadnezzar, named after the Babylonian king known for massive construction projects and some later life mental issues, is made after an up-scaled home brew recipe and described economically idiotic by the brewery. But that just suits me, sir.

What about the beer?
Colour is cloudy orange with a medium whiteish head. Aroma is rich: filled with fruit salad - grapes, orange, mango - and accompanied by citrus and hoppy notes. Taste starts with medium sweet gentle hops dominating, citrus gets in the game a little after and is strongest on the palate. Mouthfeel is mostly acidic. Aftertaste has warming bitter characteristics.

Somewhat more fruity than hoppy IPA - very smooth experience. This is clearly not an IPA for butt-kicking hop lovers - definition that sometimes fits me. Instead it's brewed for those who want to get rich fruit and hop aromas in the same bottle. It doesn't quite hit the expection of insanity on hoppiness, but it clearly hit my taste buds.

Ölbeat

I have to disappoint people who expect something peachy Swedish like ABBA, Europe or Dr. Alban. I rather lean on to the fruity madness:

Green Day: Basket Case (YouTube)

From the 1994 album Dookie, the song starts fast and runs the first verse through with only vocals and guitar of Billie Joe Armstrong. During the first chorus drummer Tré Cool and bassist Mike Dirnt enter the scene. Basket Case is a "Green-Day-labeled" punk rock song with lyrics where the narrator wonders if his behaviour is result of paranoia or being stoned. Singer-guitarist Armstrong has told that he wrote the song about his battle with anxiety, which was caused by later-diagnosed panic disorder. The punk attitude with the intensity and presence of mindlessness in the song was probably the main reason for matching it with Omnipollo Nebuchadnezzar.