Founders Backwoods Bastard

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

Malty caramel and alcoholic raisins dominate the smell. This is a cloudy beer. It’s a bit drier than I expected. The good thing is the bourbon aroma and flavor from the barrel aging is not overwhelming.

Apperance: A dark auburn that lets almost no light through. Atop is a 1/2 inch tight knit head. Aroma: Bourbon, vanilla, and chocolate. Taste: Vanilla, chocolate, and a nice bit of oak. Mouthfeel: A bit on the thin side and perfectly carbonated. Overall: A wonderful beer, that may go down too quick because of how easy it is to drink.

Bottle at Sunset Grill. Solid. Almost like a Christmas beer on steroids for its woody, piney, bright flavor that is super balanced. Very thick texture that is quite smooth at the same time. Oak notes, light bourbon. The smoothest peat flavor I have ever contacted, with light earth notes as well.

Beautiful appearance, dark mahogany reddish color; this wispy head. Bourbonish nose, wood. Bourbonish flavor, rubber, barrel, medium sweetness, actually reminds me of some sherried single malt scotches. A lot of body without feeling too thick, slight alcohol warmth, perfectly carbonated. Just rough enough around the edges to keep me interested. Actually it’s this semi-bitter earthy core that holds this beer together. Not terribly complex but tasty, well made, and interesting. It’s official, Founders is my favorite American brewery. I wish I was a better writer / beer drinker so that I could do this beer justice. I say that to myself after every great beer that I can’t describe. Damn, this really hit the spot. I would totally drink another one if I didn’t know this is (likely) my only 4 pack for the rest of the year and that it’s $4 a bottle.
Edit: Okay I ended up drinking a second bottle. This is such an easy drinker I could have gone for a third, but that would be my last bottle for the year, so I’m saving it for another time. A few hours later, no headache, no stomachache, this beer just made me doze off to sleep for an evening nap and I woke up feeling great. What a great beer. I can’t wait to get some more next year.

Bottle. Pours red/brown with rimming white head. Nose of bourbon, oak, caramel and brown sugar. Taste is bourbon and caramel with brown sugar and a good dose of alcohol. Burning and lingering a bit, but tasty nonetheless. Tasty tasty.

Pours very dark brown burnt sugar color. Has a small frothy beige head. Aroma smells like caramel covered smoked oak. Huge caramel bourbon character. A bit of sweetness and a decent alcohol flavor. Nice vanilla character as well. Thick and rich body. Thanks for this, Juart.

Murky reddish-brown with no head. Very whiskeyish aroma with chewy earthiness underneath. Lots of vanilla and bourbon. Light caramel notes as well. It’s burly, but I’m not sure what they are trying to do. The base beer and the barrel don’t really ever find common ground here and it comes across the palate a muddled mess.

Muddy copper-brown and totally opaque. Hot aroma. Then, loads of pears and apples after the alcohol burns off. Retains a lot of the apple and pear pits and the cores throughout the aroma and body. Low carbonation. Flavors also include vanilla as if it were added. Unimpressive.