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Backwoods Bastard
Founders Brewing Company
- 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:
- 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:
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
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, 2009Aroma 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.
More User Ratings:
Reviewed by Tolianych_Pivomnabuhanych from Vermont
5/5 rDev +14.9%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5
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, 2024It's a sipper, ladies and gentlemen. Do NOT chug this one down.
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
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, 2024Beautiful 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.
Reviewed by Dathon
5/5 rDev +14.9%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5
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, 2023Reviewed by Jay430 from Montana
4.9/5 rDev +12.6%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 5
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, 2023Looks 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.
Reviewed by Lanoke12 from Michigan
4.93/5 rDev +13.3%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5
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
Backwoods Bastard from Founders Brewing Company
Beer rating:
96 out of
100 with
8931 ratings
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