Saturday Night Special: Stone Brewing Company's Sublimely Self-Righteous Ale

I had noble intentions on Saturday: repeat the previous weekend's event of pairing a beer with good cuisine. But the weather really got in the way of things. Because of other events that day (my son's baseball games) I wasn't going to have time to cook. So we had resigned ourselves to eating out. My intention was to go to a pretty good restaurant and make sure I had a good beer. Unfortunately, the terrible weather cancelled the games and it was so bad out that we didn't want to travel far for dinner. So we left it up to my son to pick (which can sometimes be a bit dangerous, but he had earned it with a good report card). He picked a Japanese steakhouse near our home. Out went the beer pairing idea!

Not that the food was bad--it wasn't, just your typical teppanyaki--but a good beer selection they do not have. For some reason, I got a Leinenkugel Summer Shandy, which I instantly regretted. Just not a good beer. Did not go with my meal (filet mignon and shrimp, teppanyaki-style) at all. It really just tasted like hard lemonade, and not particularly good one. 

After leaving the restaurant, I wasn't particularly satisfied with my beer choice, so I stopped by a liquor store on the way home (not my usual liquor store). I picked up Stone's Sublimely Self-Righteous Ale, which was served in a bomber.

Now, it has been awhile since my last glass of Arrogant Bastard, but the Sublimely reminded me a of that brew: pours with a thick beige head, strong hop presence apparent on first pour, and a dark mahogany color. There was some malt presence at first, but the hops (I don't know what variety: not Cascade or Chinook, something earthier but not noble) are what really come through. Rather than fade out, the hops really come through in the finish, and leave a somewhat strong aftertaste. Not unpleasant, just strong.

I couldn't really decide what grade to give the beer. I think it would be great with BBQ or another grilled meat (though not chicken)--something smokey which I think could stand-up to the hops. Another idea: perhaps something Indian or Thai, where the spiciness and bright flavors of those cuisines would contrast with the dark flavors of this beer.

Over the course of this week, I'll try to plan a meal and pair it with an appropriate beer. Any suggestions?