Founders Dirty Bastard Scotch Ale

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

Serve in Thistle

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A definitively complex malty beer. There is actually so much going in with the malts here that I don't quite know what to think. There is a lot of red Scottish character here... A depth of ruby character so ingrained that I wonder what I used to call a red before meeting the bastard. ---Rated via Beer Buddy for iPhone

The aroma is fresh baked bread with toffee cookies baking. It pours a deep rich red amber. Starts off a sweet, candy like flavor. It has a nice balance of hops and malts to keep its well balanced. It has a sharp coffee/bitter finish. Its very complex and a great beer. I would have liked it more if it did not have as bitter of a finish.

Bottle. Another of my Founders haul I managed to get in Scotland! This is a lovely beer, very much brewed in the Scottish ’wee heavy’ style but with an interesting and smooth style. Dark ruby red body, little to no head, warm syrupy malt aroma, quite a thick tasting beer, classic Scotch rough taste with a sweet highlight, interesting clean malt/hop finish, leaving a sugary taste at the back of the tongue. If this beer is bringing back the Scotch style with a twist, then tonight in Scotland its like being visited by a much welcomed lost cousin! Very good!

Deep ruby red. Aroma: Caramel, malt, alcohol, raisins and chocolate. Taste: Very noticable spicy alcohol notes, raisins, caramel, chocolate, rye, coffee and a slight hoppy bitterness. Smooth palate. This is an amazing scotch ale, really delicious and dangerously drinkable.

Pours an absolutely wonderful shade of red, it’s a shame it’s not a better food-accompanying ale because aesthetically it would look great with a nice meal. It tastes somewhat tamer than you might be expecting, with a very silky mouth-feel. It starts out quite boozy, but the complex profile grows as you drink more while still maintaining a very nice ’warming’ sensation from the high ABV. There are hints of chocolate and coffee (the aroma really makes you brace for harsh coffee) but they’re actually quite subtle and work extremely well with the wonderful yeast/malt aftertaste that is slightly reminiscent of a Belgian strong ale. Given the alcohol content and rich flavours involved, this is very drinkable.

A: smells of spice and malt greet the nose. A: pours a dark maroon with an off white head. T: rather malty with a small spice note. Small hint of alcohol also detected. P: good medium bodied beer. O: this is a great beer to enjoy a pint every once in awhile.

Bottle. Aroma has plums, dates, roasted malts and oak with a hint of smoke. Taste has the dark fruits, blackberries and smooth maltiness. Aftertaste is peated and somewhat bitter. A bit too much alcohol after the aftertaste. After the alcohol fades a nice plum and date fruity flavor remains. A bit off yeasty flavor while swallowing. A mouthwatering brew, surprisingly good and multilayered! After drinking more the dark malts make a bull and bland flavor that I somewhat dislike. Otherwise nice.

Wonderful ale! Strong, unique, well balanced, still quite "easy" to drink. Some porter-like roastiness in the aftertaste.

When I hear "scotch ale", my mouth doesn’t usually water. Until now. I’m so pleased that I decided to pick up a six-pack of this from the deli tonight. Yeasty, bitter, sweet, balanced, smooth. Founders is an excellent brewery.

Malt, fruit and yeast aroma. Pours a dark amber with moderate off white head. Burnt sugar, spice. Dark fruit sweetness. Medium bodied with a hop hit on the finish and a lingering warmth.