Founders Backwoods Bastard

Brewed by Founders Brewing Company
Style: Scotch Ale
Grand Rapids, Michigan USA

Draught. I was told this was a barrel aged version but I surmise from the description that that’s the norm. The body was dark brown almost ash colored with a decent tan head that produced nice lacing. Aroma was initially mellifluous, some vanilla, strong bourbon oak, caramel, a little dark chocolate or coffee roast, and a sweet spicy perhaps even slightly peaty finish alongside alcohol. The flavor was even better; chocolate syrup, caramel, bourbon oak, light vanilla, lightly rooty and spicy, and the wood and alcohol finished out strong. Palate was thick and smooth and slightly numbing.

’08 sample thanks to Ben @ crown #6. Pours dark golden, scotch-like. Nose is slight roasted malt, bourbon, some vanilla. Taste is an excellent complexion, very good bourbon component that doesn’t overpower, slightly sweet, smooth and a little caramel/nut. Finish is a bit sticky, and aftertaste is wonderful bourbon with a touch of alcohol, not too much in any way. Wonderful beer, glad I got to try!

11/15/2007: Founder’s Backwoods Bastard has sweet caramel and chocolate in the arom with faint bourbon and quite a bit of vanilla in the aroma. The beer has a clear, dark brown color topped with a thin layer of dissipating foam. The flavor has heavily caramelized malt and chocolate, dry woody notes, bourbon, and plnty of vanilla. There are traces of chocolate in the finish and the alcohol is reserved. This beer is full-bodied, yet smooth and lightly creamy on the palate. It does look quite thick though! Overall this is a fantastic scotch ale and much better than the regular Dirty Bastard Scotch Ale.

12 fl. oz. bottle (Alc by Vol 8.&%) shared by. Rating #364 for this beer.

I had had the Dirty Bastard before trying this one. My thought was "Well, I loved Dirty Bastard, so that aged in Bourbon Barrels can only mean it’s better." Good thing I was totally right.

12 ounce bottle courtesy of daknole... I think. Pours a deep cranberry red color... thick and viscous looking with minute floating particles. Medium head with decent head retention and lacing. Big bourbony aroma with vanilla and toffee notes. Taste is bourbon, slight roast, caramel, toffee, vanilla, very light bitterness in the finish. Medium bodied. Overall a bit too much bourbon for me but still pretty good.

Bottle. Poors thin with minimal carbonation. Nice bourbon nose with a pleasant woodiness in the background. Taste of strong Bourbon, Oak, and dark fruit. Much more bourbon taste than I got from the nose. Overall a great BA beer.

12oz bottle. Was a gift from Nate. I’ve always been fascinated with the label on this bottle. The old man with his axe. Now on to the review! Pours a cloudy brown color with almost no head. Aroma of sweet and roasted malts, some hint to fruit as well, although i can’t determine which. Taste of bourbon, with some spice. The malt comes through roasted and quite nice. Slight bitter aftertaste but not bad in the least. I will be buying some of these the next time I get a chance.

bottle. Pours a dark brown with a thin tan head. Nose is of bourbon, vanilla and dark fruit. Taste is of bourbon, vanilla, spice and bready malt. Mouthfeel is medium with some alcohol.