Founders Backwoods Bastard

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

Amazing beer! vanilla, oak, toffee, caramel. Smooth and a superb bourbon nose. With just a little more carbonation and this thing would be the top beer ever. Very well constructed. Like an easy-drinking bourbon or a nice cold port wine. Outstanding complexity.

12oz. bottle served in a snifter. Poured a dark amber with a finger of off white head. Amazing aroma of vanilla, bourbon, chocolate, and a little alcohol. Big, rich and smooth body. Toffee and more vanilla in the flavor. A fair amount of hop bitterness, but just to balance the malt. I wouldn’t call this a hoppy beer though. Very long finish of vanilla, oak and bourbon. Might be a bit over the top with the bourbon, but in a good way! One of the best beers I have had this year.

Thanks for dropping this off, bro. Pours a cloudy caramel color with a thin off-white ring which leaves rainy streaks on the glass. Aroma is vanilla, nutmeg, oak, and dark fruit. Taste is much the same but way too brash and harsh.

Pours a hazy ruby red with a white head. Aroma is lots of wood, bourbon, dark fruits, and a bit of smoke. Flavor is oak,bourbon, toast, and a bit of alcohol shows through.

Pours a dark ruby-amber with a small beige head. The aroma is huge, lots of very woody, with more bourbon than scotch. Some alcohol to go with the whiskey, a little more wood, roast, vanilla, faint chocolate and dark fruit. The flavor is AMAZING!!!! Whiskey and wood bleed into chocolate, thick caramel, tart cherries, and finally, a bit of alcohol. Finish is slightly bitter, and quite woody. Huge body, comparable to a high gravity imperial stout. Light carbonation and a long, sweet, woody finish. Wish I had more of this.

THOUGHTS: Tons of whiskey, The alcohol was noticeable, but not too much for the high ABV. I didn’t like the first bottle of this I had very much, but after having this second one at a very nice temperature, I love it. Had another bottle of this on thanksgiving night. A perfect nightcap. TECHNICAL: Bottle Poured a dark red with bright red highlights and a huge, off-white head that mostly diminished, but kept a thick sheet and left excellent lacing. The aroma was heavy, caramel malt, lighter cereal; cherry, cask wood, vanilla and whiskey. The initial flavor was sweet and ever so slightly sour; while the finish was rather sweet, a little acidic and slightly bitter with a long duration. There was caramel malt, cherry, lots of vanilla, a little fruit, whiskey and wood. The light to medium body was slightly syrupy, but oily and then a little dry with soft carbonation and a dry and lightly alcoholic finish.

12oz bottle, 2009 edition, from grape & gourmet. pours a dark, hazy, caramel brown with a thin, whispy tan head and solid lacing. aroma is excellent with a strong, oakey wood, and bourbon notes up front that are tamed by slightly sweet notes of vanilla, caramel malts, and dark fruit notes of cherry and plum and a hint of smokey peat. flavor is wonderfully complex with sweet, lightly roasted malts and butterscotch up front blending with notes of dark cherry, licorice, vanilla, and ash with the smooth, oakey bourbon notes finishing out the sip and leaving a nice hit of warming alcohol. palate is on the full side of medium bodied with light carbonation and velvelty mouthfeel. overall, another great bourbon barrel brew from founders.

I’m trying to be objective in my rating, as I’m not a huge fan of Scotch Ales....this one has a monster flavor and aroma of Alcohol. Pretty much hits the mark for that it should be....just not my bag baby! Paid $15 for a 4 pack of bottles....if your a fan of the style then well worth it...will be a pass on the next set for me though...