Founders Backwoods Bastard

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

12 oz. bottle, 2009 edition, from Ludlow Wines. Pours a dark, cloudy brown color with a very thin beige head that leaves a little film on top and ring around the edge. Aroma of vanilla, bourbon, wood, caramel malts, butterscotch, roast, dark fruits, and just a little smoke. As I smell this more, I’m also picking up on the Scotch- amazing, because I never expected to be able to distinguish both whiskeys in here. Wow, I could smell this all day. Nice, smooth, well-balanced flavor of sweet roasted malts, vanilla, butterscotch, wood, tea, and dark fruits. A little warming alcohol shows up late, but overall well-hidden for a 10.2% ABV brew. Smooth, with minimal carbonation and a buttery mouthfeel. Great beer.

Tap. Pours to a deep rusted brown body with a thin off-white head. The aroma is lightly peated caramel toffees. Light vanilla and sweet barley. Touch of chocolate. The flavor is sweet but not sugary. Densely blended flavors of lightly peated barley, vanilla, chocolate ganache, oak, and a dash of bourbon. The barrel aging is so balanced and provides mere highlights instead of that constant overpowering booze like others. The palate is sweet but not sugary. Velvety and medium bodied. Very easy to drink this. Peated malt works well throughout. Chocolate provides balance and complexity.

Tap. Vinous prune, barley malt and alcohol aroma. Dark brown-red color with small head. Sweet, smooth bourbon and barley malt flavor with a hint of cherry. Superb blending.

Not my cup of tea (or bottle of beer). I could really taste the bourbon and it as a result I felt it similar to taking shots... Which is definitely not my thing. I can totally appreciate this beer for what it is. A dark, artistic oak aged piece of heaven for some. Not for me though, on the bright side, it pours dark brown with just a little bit of head, smells amazing... Just not my favorite on the palate. Gave it a 3 for its appearance and aroma.

Pours from the bottle a deep red-brown color, very viscous when poured from the bottle and small dense tan head that fades down very fast. Aroma has a strong oak, bourbon, vanilla, caramel, light smokey and very mild toasted malt note. Flavor starts off with a very smooth oak and bourbon note followed by a very rich caramel and toasted malt with a very late cherry, vanilla presence and a mild alcohol bite. Moderate body (looks heavier than it is), very low carbonation with a slightly oily but smooth texture. Overall a complex brew that incorporates some of the better scotch ale properties with a bit of an American twist with the bourbon flavor present.

Thanks to alexsdad for this beer. This dark brown pour is a really nice combination of malt flavor, barrel aging and smoothness. It’s very tasty.

Has an opaque dark brown almost black color with a lighter brown head. Aroma is of bourbon, oak, vanilla, coconut, and malts. Palate is between medium and full bodied. Flavor consists bourbon, oak, slight coconut, spices, and some booze. Has a nice sweeter aftertaste full of oak. This is different. This is special.

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