A PAO lubricant base stock having a KV100 of at least 200 cSt and comprising multiple PAO molecules comprising at least 200 carbon atoms per molecule, wherein each of the PAO molecules comprises multiple pendant groups; and the average pendant group length of all the pendant groups excluding one methyl on each of the PAO molecules among at least 90 mol % of all of the PAO molecules, if one or more methyl is present, is at least 6.0. The PAO base stock exhibits high EHL thicknesses at 40° C., 80° C., and 120° C., rendering it particularly useful in lubricant compositions experiencing high-stress events such as gear oils, automotive transmission oils, and the like.