Founders Backwoods Bastard

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

Pours a deep brown with no visible head. Aromas of chocolate, malt, bourbon, as well as some oak. Taste is swayed more towards the bourbon, but the malt, caramel, and chocolate flavors are also present. This didn’t feel like a 10.2% beer, but it was a damn good beer! Nice balance of ABV

Bottle. Bottled: 11/16/09. Different label than that in the picture. A murky mahogany pour with a thin khaki head on top. An oaky aroma of scotch, sweet caramel maltiness, vanilla extract, prunes, and a touch of smokiness. Full-bodied and kinda syrupy. Almost creamy. The flavor starts off with plenty of sweet caramel, Raisinets, prunes, and vanilla extract. A roasted oaky/smokiness follows. Earthy. Quite boozy and warming throughout. Not necessarily my taste, but I can’t deny the quality.

I think very similar to New Holland Dragon’s Milk. Delicious, oaky bourbon barrels, smoke, sweet caramel, vanilla and roasted malts. A bit of earthy. Pour a snifter, sit back and enjoy. Great beer.

Sampled from 12 oz bottle. The beer pours a reddish amber color with a very small head. Aroma of oak, sweet fruit, caramel, malts. Flavor is sweet, with notes of oak, vanilla, malts, and touches of alcohol.

Pretty deep clear mahogany with an eggshell colored head. Caramel, toastiness and bourbon/oak in the nose – not too intense or alcohol-y. Flavor starts with brown sugar/molasses, toffee and then a prominent yet not over powering bourbon woodiness. Next comes earthy hop character for balance and some pipe tobacco. Pleasant sweetness level, which is very much appreciated. Not too boozy – nicely balanced. Medium bodied with a smooth texture and soft carbonation. Overall, very good stuff.

Location: 12 oz bottle from Wine and Beer Westpark, 12/14/09

Aroma: The nose has a lot of bourbon and scotch, along with vanilla, oak, smoke, and caramel
Appearance: It pours a dark reddish-brown color with a creamy tan head, and some drippy lace on the glass
Flavor: Taste is somewhat sweet and boozy, it has a distinct sweet bourbon feel to it, and a slight touch of fruit
Palate: This one has a long duration, sticky mouthfeel, and soft carbonation, with almost no burn
Overall Impression: Overall, this beer is pretty good. Definitely a top choice for anyone who likes to sip on a nice bourbon. This is basically the beer equivalent of a wonderful scotch, a great sipper brew. It has a wonderfully smooth flavor, this is the best scotch ale I can ever recall drinking. Anyway, great beer, enjoy this one, I know I did.

Bottle. Pours a deep reddish brown color with a small head. Flavor is initially sweet and malty, followed by flavors of deep ripe fruit, chocolate cherries, bready yeast, caramel, earthy oak malts. Sweet and syrupy on the palate, medium bodied. Alcohol is amazingly well hidden. Finish is lingering and sweet. Well done and solid.

Dark amber color with a thin tan head. Aromas of bourbon, caramel, oak, brown sugar and cherries. Bourbon and brown sugar up front with a very complex fruity acohol finish. One of the most perfectly balanced bourbon barrel aged beers I’ve ever tried.