While watching the new Marvel/Netflix show Jessica Jones, because it deals with bastards both good and evil, it was appropriate to have a Stone Bastards tasting too.
First up was the original Bastard. This one defies style categorization to me. It is a big heavy beer with a ton of hoppy bitterness. It is the type of beer that is too muddled for my taste. It just packs a wallop without subtlety. As my palate has changed, this ale has become one dimensional to me.
And that is proven by the variants tasted next. Bastard on Rye is Templeton barrel-ed and it shows. The beer has an added richness of caramel and coconut. The hops have been pushed into a minor player role and the beer becomes tastier. Same with Southern Charred which takes 2nd place in this tasting. There is a wood note and chocolate tones that are subtle compared to the Rye but all the combo works. I would pair these with shortbread to add a certain buttery note that would contrast against these big beers.
(To take the Stone tasting a step further, the next night I watched a couple more episodes of Jessica and Kilgrave and cracked open and Enjoy AFTER 10/31/15 Brett IPA to see if it was worth the price. And if you are a fan of brett beers and that serious farmhouse-barnyard thing, then it is. If you are looking for hops, well, after over a year. Gone. Gone Girl.)