Founders Dirty Bastard Scotch Ale

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

Pours a murky brown with some burgundy hues under a thin tan head. Head quickly settles to a slick film which persists throughout the glass. The initial aroma is of assertive peat smoked malts, followed by faint notes of burnt caramel candy, dark wheat bread, raisins, black cherries and a touch of herbal hops. Carbonation is appropriately subtle resulting in a smooth, slightly oily and slick moutfeel. Just right for this style. Initial flavor leans toward the sweet side presenting burnt caramel, brown sugar, raisins and figs with a hint of chocolate. The hops and alcohol eventually emerge in the late palate and finish with a fairly crisp, dry bitterness and ethanol warmth. Kind of an "Amercanized" hoppy version of the style, reminiscent of old Bert Grants Scotch Ale, but a nice winter season beer.

Cloudy brown with a thin tan head, brown sugar with a tinge of smoke in the aroma, full bodied with lively carbonation, starts and ends sweet.

Nice! I really enjoyed this one, it gave a nice hoppy bite with the first sip to the last. Smooth and some toffee hints were noted. I look forward to trying more of the Founders products.

Pours a dark auburn with a medium light tan head that fades. Aroma of caramel, brown sugar, alcohol, slight smoke and leather. Flavor is of caramel, smoke, and a slight peat. Nice and rich but still very well balanced.

This ribbin' lit'le gent knocked me off me arse. Sweet, sensual and balanced. The hops are light, the malt is thick and heavy and the combined flavor strong, pungent and very much a dirty bastard. Left me feeling cheap, used, confused and ashamed until my scotish blood began to boil and erupt with song. I must have sung ten rounds of "danny boy" while playing the air bagpipes until I collaped in a pool of my own urine, thus fulfilling the prophacy of the "dirty bastard". For he was I and I he. Give it a whorl, you'll like it fine.

another beer tried at the Old Channel Inn in Montague, MI.... HEAVY and full bodied, sweet, malty, rather nutty and dry as well, nice dark reddish garnet/ruby color to it, small tan head, was rather impressed with this one, especially after having the poor Anglers Ale before hand

Bottle. Sweet caramel, malty aroma, with some grassy hops in there too to balance it out a bit. Flavor is rich and sweet, with some smoked notes, bit of roast, and again, grassy hops. Fairly bitter finish. A bit of alcohol does show, but it’s not distracting. Quite tasty, better as it warms. I’ll certainly buy this again. Real nice brew.

Bottle pours a deep garnet color with very little head or lace. The aroma is powerful malt, brown sugar, chocolate, vanilla, peat, and just plain excellent. The flavor is really is so well rounded from the sweet malt and peat notes. Some mild pear notes in the finish with the peat. The palate is fairly rich, but does not at all become sticky like ales like this can tend to do. Carbonation survives pretty well and is quite lively in fact. Overall, this is an awesome beer. I need to get more of this.