Smug Devil American Strong Ale by Hargreaves Hill
It’s been a little while, but the blog is back for 2026! We haven’t yet been to another Royal since Armidale last year (although we do have a trip coming up in 3 weeks so stay tuned for new Royals soon). And I’ve already written about the great alcoholic experiences on Tasmania’s Bass Strait islands with the Furneaux Distillery and King Island Brewhouse. So now, while we eagerly await that upcoming Royal trip, the blog will return to it’s roots with a couple of beer write-ups/recommendations. And the beer to kick that off is Smug Devil from Hargreaves Hill Brewing.
I had heard of Hargreaves Hill and had a few of their beers previously. I kind of considered them in the ‘good but not great’ category. But the can art on Smug Devil definitely caught my eye. It was clearly modelled after one of my favourite San Diego beer, Stone Brewing’s Arrogant Bastard Ale.
When I picked up the can, the slogan ‘You’re Not Deserving’ was clearly a very slightly altered spin on Arrogant Bastard’s ‘You’re Not Worthy’. Now I was definitely curious. Was a straight rip-off or what? I mean, Arrogant Bastard isn’t super well known in Australia (you can occasionally find it in a random craft beer bottle shop). And it’s got a very distinctive taste that I love but isn’t super common, even in the craft beer world (I did a write-up on Arrogant Bastard a couple of years back; if you are curious about a full description it’s here). So it would be an interesting choice of beer to risk straight plagiarism on.
On the back side of the can was a bit of an explanation though. This wasn’t a rip-off, this was an homage. So I was sold (although, let’s be honest, I was sold the minute I saw the can).
As I mentioned, while well known in the States, Arrogant Bastard is not really all that known here in Australia at all. And just the fact that a small brewery from the outer fringes of Melbourne was having a crack at replicating it was extremely exciting. And that’s before I even tasted the beer. But then, I did of course, taste the beer.
And they nailed it.
At first sip I was immediately transported back to a warehouse district in the San Diego suburb of San Marcos. It’s where Stone Brewing started and where I first tasted Arrogant Bastard.
Both Arrogant Bastard and Smug Devil are described as ‘American Strong Ales’. That’s a genre that I’m not sure I’ve seen another beer of anywhere. It’s a unique blend of a hoppy punch followed immediately with strong malt, caramel, and bitterness flooding your tastebuds. It’s only slightly dark but surprisingly not at all heavy for everything that they manage to pack into it taste-wise.
I’m not going to guarantee you would like it. But I very much do.
If I had one criticism, it’s that Hargreaves Hill didn’t manage to get the aftertaste 100% right. But really that’s just nitpicking. It’s not Arrogant Bastard. But holy crap is it close. And it’s fantastic regardless.
It’s currently a limited release but I am massively hoping that Hargreaves Hill adds this to their core range. If they do, I will be placing regular orders for years to come.