Founders Backwoods Bastard

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

Serve in Thistle

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Bottle. Dangerously tasty with solid hints of bourbon, vanilla, and oak. Great twist on a Scottish Ale. I LOVE this stuff!

Fan-freakin-tastic! Of the Scotch Ales (a.k.a. Wee Heavy) that I have tasted, this one is one of the best!! My thanks to Larry for the gift of this fine brew as I can’t find it in my area and we need to start carrying it! Wonderful scents of robust bourbon, dark fruits and vanilla. Gimme a case of these and leave me alone! Go easy on this brew as the alcohol is so well hidden. Some smoked venison or wild boar fajitas would pair oh so well!

12 oz. Bottle to glass. Bourbon on the nose, start and finish. Great malt flavor that shines through in the middle. I bought one bottle to try, then went back the next day to buy the remaining 3 the store had. I’m planning on sharing 2 with my beer loving family members, and aging the last bottle for next year. I already can’t wait till next year!

UPDATED: DEC 23, 2011 Poured from a 12 ounce bottle into a tulip glass.

A: Deep red, almost opaque, with a thin light caramel colored head. Head retains through the beer as a small coating and nice lacing leaving traces down the side as I drink.

S: A beautiful intriguing mix of vanilla mixed with a fruity aroma, perhaps pear? Hints of caramel and toffee, very sweet smelling with a slight alcohol hint. I’m very much enjoying the scent of this.

T: As a bourbon drinker the first sip was incredibly familiar. A spicy/vanilla bourbon forefront with a thick creamy toffee finish with fruits thrown in the mix. This beer tastes a lot like a world class bourbon, leaving a similar burning down the throat, in a good way.

As I drink more I notice it’s a bit sugary, but in a good way that balances out some of the burn.

M: Thick and creamy while rolling easy down with medium carbonation to ease it’s thickness up.

O: This beer is absolutely blowing my mind now. It’s very complex with a fruity vanilla bourbon character. As a bourbon drinker this is very familiar to me and this is the best scotch ale I’ve ever had making me warm and tingly with each sip.

UPDATED: DEC 28, 2011 La description faite par Founders ne pourrait pas être plus exacte. D’ici à 2 ou 3 ans de maturation, j’ai l’impression que la perfection sera atteinte.

UPDATED: OCT 28, 2010 09, courtesy of badnewsbeers, thanks! tried next to dirty bastard and this one takes the the cake. the bourbon adds a faint candy like caramel and cotton candy flavor to the aroma and taste. i’ve had this one several times, but waqs waiting to try it next to the regular to rate it. this is a well rounded maltinator, and the ba’ing adds very nicely. founders proves to know what they are doing, yet again. re-rate, one of my favorites. not a five, but just so damned reliable and so fuggin tasty.

pours a dark reddish caramel color with a one fibger tan like creamy head. aroma is strong scotch and bourbon with vanilla, cherry, and caramel. flavor is the same as aroma but stronger. leaves some nice lacing and probably one of the best barrel aged beers I have had. very nice and I wish this was as readily available like dragon’s milk.

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.

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.

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.