Backwoods Bastard
Founders Brewing Company

Backwoods BastardBackwoods Bastard
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From:
Founders Brewing Company
 
Michigan, United States
Style:
Scotch Ale / Wee Heavy
Ranked #3
ABV:
11.2%
Score:
96
Ranked #792
Avg:
4.35 | pDev: 10.11%
Reviews:
2,096
Ratings:
8,931
Status:
Active
Rated:
Mar 13, 2024
Added:
Jan 30, 2007
Wants:
  1,086
Gots:
  3,515
Expect lovely, warm smells of single malt scotch, oaky bourbon barrels, smoke, sweet caramel and roasted malts, a bit of earthy spice and a scintilla of dark fruit. It’s a kick-back sipper made to excite the palate.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by Shiredave:
Photo of Shiredave
Reviewed by Shiredave from New York

3.9/5  rDev -10.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
Deep red amber color with a sparse tan head and good lacing. Very clear with only occasional carb bubbles rising through the dense liquid to the top.

Aroma is... negligible. A faint brown sugar/ toffee scent comes out when agitated but it's very mild and uninteresting to me. Sort of Scotch aleish but more sugary, giving off some hot, higher alcohol fumes.

The flavor is more toffee with a strong milk chocolate character. Some oak-y notes mix in nicely but the near cloying sweetness masks much of the woody nuances that struggle to come through. Flavors are muddled and dont really blend in well for me. Alcohol notes are ever present and again, dont mesh well, leaving me with the impression of fermented sugar and little fruity complexity, just thick, one dimensional sweetness. The 50IBU's of hops are all in the boil ( fine for a Wee Heavy) and there is firm bittering at the back end leaving a dry, hoppy aftertaste with more notes of coco and earthy oak.

Quite full bodied and heavy on the tongue. Overall a semi interesting beer due to the oak aging but I think this was a relatively fresh bottle and I would hope a few months in a cellar would allow this beer to come together and blend the independent flavors that seem unfriendly to each other now. A 4 for flavor is being generous, but i think it will age into that number or better with some time.
Jan 02, 2009
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 4.54 by tommyd313 from Pennsylvania

Mar 13, 2024
 
Rated: 3.96 by RoyalKaiju from Kentucky

Mar 03, 2024
 
Rated: 4.38 by YeastEnthusiast from New Jersey

Mar 02, 2024
Photo of Tolianych_Pivomnabuhanych
Reviewed by Tolianych_Pivomnabuhanych from Vermont

5/5  rDev +14.9%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5
A solid 11% barrel-aged ale aged in oak bourbon barrels. Moderate caramel sweetness, rich yet elegant malts, a hint of ripe fruit like very ripe figs and plums.

It's a sipper, ladies and gentlemen. Do NOT chug this one down.
Feb 26, 2024
Photo of BigMac59
Reviewed by BigMac59 from Texas

4.28/5  rDev -1.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
Pours very dark copper to dark brown, almost black.
Beautiful dense head which dissipates to a thin remnant with normal lacing.
Smells of scotch, bourbon, caramel and malts.
The bourbon taste comes through with notes of fruit (someone mentioned apricots) and some sweetness (caramel, chocolate, malt).
Lovely mouthfeel, just right for a rich scotch ale.
Overall, World Class.
Feb 12, 2024
 
Rated: 4.7 by Jacob313 from Michigan

Feb 03, 2024
 
Rated: 4.25 by drstalker from Illinois

Jan 20, 2024
 
Rated: 2.96 by SeanP99 from North Carolina

Jan 11, 2024
 
Rated: 4.43 by kds2437 from Texas

Jan 02, 2024
 
Rated: 4.07 by TreyJ88

Dec 26, 2023
 
Photo of Dathon
Reviewed by Dathon

5/5  rDev +14.9%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5
Incredibly smooth. This beer hits on just about everything. The initial flavor is caramel with a lingering flavor of oak, malt, and the added note of some sort of dark fruit not sure which but it comes and stays on the finish. I am a big fan of blackrocks barbaric yawp but I don't know if any beer in this category can compare to the backwoods bastard. Everytime I try this beer I am blown away. incredible.
Dec 10, 2023
 
Rated: 4.5 by Nyoder

Nov 26, 2023
Photo of Jay430
Reviewed by Jay430 from Montana

4.9/5  rDev +12.6%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 5
I’m no beer judge or can describe every little nuance in a beer. But I love to drink all different kinds of beer. And I absolutely love this beer. Scottish and Irish are my go to’s I must admit. With that being said I have tried and also home brewed a lot.
Looks yummy in the glass and the smell will make your mouth water. Taste is everything you like about Scottish Ales without anything being an assault on your taste buds. The bourbon flavor and aroma are immediate but pretty subtle and don’t take over in anyway. Even at 11% it’s almost impossible to sip this beer.
It leaves you with a bourbony chocolate taste in your mouth and in your nose.
If you even think you like Scottish beer and have a chance to try this, I highly recommend it.
Nov 22, 2023
 
Rated: 4.41 by Iggy88 from Ohio

Nov 07, 2023
Photo of Lanoke12
Reviewed by Lanoke12 from Michigan

4.93/5  rDev +13.3%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5
Great strong scotch ale. The bourbon adds to the complexity and deepens the malt flavors. Definitely a great sipper on a crisp night. Perfect for the fall or a late night any time of year.
Oct 31, 2023
 
Rated: 4.19 by FrancisM12 from New Jersey

Oct 28, 2023
 
Rated: 3.75 by Bear1964 from Nebraska

Oct 25, 2023
 
Rated: 4.15 by AJB46

Oct 06, 2023
Backwoods Bastard from Founders Brewing Company
Beer rating: 96 out of 100 with 8931 ratings