Founders Backwoods Bastard

12-oz. bottle provided graciously by Secret Santa July 2008. Pours hazy brown with an average, rocky, light brown head, somewhat lasting with good lacing. Aroma is heavy malt (nutty, cookie, caramel, toffee), light hops (herbs), average yeast (leather, dough) with notes of alcohol, wood, and apples. Full bodied, alcoholic texture, average carbonation, and a bitter finish. Long duration, moderate sweetness, acidity, and bitterness.

On tap at the brewery: Pours brown with almost no head. Strong aroma of sugar, bourbon and caramel. Flavor of same. Very good.

Poured a rich mahogony from the bottle with a trim straw-colored head. Permeates brown sugar and bourbon with notes of caramel, vanilla, and apple that carry into the flavor. Medium bodied with a hot alcohol finish. It’s kind of like a liquid apple cobbler--amazing!

On tap at brewery. Aroma of caramel, bourbon, dark dried fruits, and a little alcohol. Very deep ruby almost black hue with a little off-white head that almost completely diminished and left little lace. Flavor is caramel, bourbon, and sherry tones with a little nutty vanilla. Palate is full bodied and oily flat. Much better than the regular bastard and the bourbon was fantastic. A very good sipper.

12oz bottle thanks to my Secret Santa. Pours a translucent copper color with a thin, beige head, a hazy cloud and some tight, small bubbles. Aroma is fairly mild, grain, grass, earthy with some biscuit. Flavor is really delicious, buttery, nutty, sweet with caramel, butterscotch, toast, buttery biscuits, vanilla and a little scotch whisky. Finish is sweet and slightly thick with almost no heat from the alcohol. Looks like a standard brown or scotch ale, but the flavor backs a wicked punch. Almost too drinkable, smooth enough to be a session beer even at 9% abv.