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French Toast Bastard
Founders Brewing Company
- From:
- Founders Brewing Company
- Michigan, United States
- Style:
- Scotch Ale / Wee Heavy
Ranked #9 - ABV:
- 11.1%
- Score:
- 94
Ranked #2,653 - Avg:
- 4.22 | pDev: 9.72%
- Reviews:
- 139
- Ratings:
- Status:
- Active
- Rated:
- Monday at 06:04 AM
- Added:
- Jan 27, 2017
- Wants:
- 14
- Gots:
- 31
Formerly Mothership Series #10: French Toast Bastard
Backwoods Bastard gets the full-fledged breakfast treatment! Our malty and rich bourbon barrel-aged Scotch ale is introduced to the essence of smooth maple, warm cinnamon and notes of sweet vanilla for an incredibly decadent brunch-inspired sipper. One taste and you’d swear you were digging into your Sunday morning French toast. Breakfast for dinner, anyone?
Backwoods Bastard gets the full-fledged breakfast treatment! Our malty and rich bourbon barrel-aged Scotch ale is introduced to the essence of smooth maple, warm cinnamon and notes of sweet vanilla for an incredibly decadent brunch-inspired sipper. One taste and you’d swear you were digging into your Sunday morning French toast. Breakfast for dinner, anyone?
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by heysuz:
Rated by heysuz from Indiana
4.25/5 rDev +0.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Nov 22, 2022
4.25/5 rDev +0.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Nov 22, 2022
More User Ratings:
Reviewed by taxandbeerguy from Canada (ON)
4.35/5 rDev +3.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
4.35/5 rDev +3.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
11.2oz bottle served cold into a tulip. Bottled August 15, 2023.
Appearance - Dark auburn color, shades of brown/ A finger or so of light and tight tan head that has good retention time. Not much in the way of lacing.
Smell - Lots of maple and vanilla up front, both being rich and aromatic. A pinch of cinnamon too. A little underlying molasses and earthiness. Buttery. The maple and vanilla combo is top notch.
Taste - Lots of maple syrup laced with some vanilla and then some cinnamon. All overlaid from bread with a bitter and earthy undercurrent. Molasses in there too. Sweet but not overwhelmingly so. Booze is very well disguised and integrated into the flavor.
Mouthfeel - Full bodied and sticky (as one would expect with French Toast), low carbonation but not cloying. Heat arrives in the back of the throat after a couple sips as the only indication of this 22 proof beer.
Overall - Pretty sensational stuff and exactly what you would expected from a barrel aged Scotch ale that is supposed to mimic French Toast. This bastard does it to virtual perfection.
Mar 12, 2024Appearance - Dark auburn color, shades of brown/ A finger or so of light and tight tan head that has good retention time. Not much in the way of lacing.
Smell - Lots of maple and vanilla up front, both being rich and aromatic. A pinch of cinnamon too. A little underlying molasses and earthiness. Buttery. The maple and vanilla combo is top notch.
Taste - Lots of maple syrup laced with some vanilla and then some cinnamon. All overlaid from bread with a bitter and earthy undercurrent. Molasses in there too. Sweet but not overwhelmingly so. Booze is very well disguised and integrated into the flavor.
Mouthfeel - Full bodied and sticky (as one would expect with French Toast), low carbonation but not cloying. Heat arrives in the back of the throat after a couple sips as the only indication of this 22 proof beer.
Overall - Pretty sensational stuff and exactly what you would expected from a barrel aged Scotch ale that is supposed to mimic French Toast. This bastard does it to virtual perfection.
Reviewed by bobhits from Kentucky
3.98/5 rDev -5.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
3.98/5 rDev -5.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
In recent years I've discovered the power to sugar free syrup and egg white french toast. 80% as good, but so low in calories you can lose weight with it as a staple in your diet! So now that we're 100% non diet friendly, lets talk about the most decadent sound beer I've seen in a while.
I know they don't claim butter, but I'm getting heavy butter and maple syrup with hints of vanilla extract all over this. There's a darker denser note, not toast related likely from the bourbon barrels and the base beer which balances this very well.
Arrival is red fruits and caramel. Shifting to heavy vanilla extract before finally giving us that maple syrup goodness which just overpowers to finish. I'm not a huge over the top sweetness guy, but this is giving me all that butter I've been missing on my french toast the last few years. Not finding much cinnamon...maybe around the edges or in that red fruit? Almost certain now on the finish I get the cinnamon, took me a second to pin that down and yet it's so obvious now.
Yeah it's a gimmick and what not. Still this is fun!
One knock is that it's pretty thin, not a new issue with this bastard brand, but worth noting.
Feb 27, 2024I know they don't claim butter, but I'm getting heavy butter and maple syrup with hints of vanilla extract all over this. There's a darker denser note, not toast related likely from the bourbon barrels and the base beer which balances this very well.
Arrival is red fruits and caramel. Shifting to heavy vanilla extract before finally giving us that maple syrup goodness which just overpowers to finish. I'm not a huge over the top sweetness guy, but this is giving me all that butter I've been missing on my french toast the last few years. Not finding much cinnamon...maybe around the edges or in that red fruit? Almost certain now on the finish I get the cinnamon, took me a second to pin that down and yet it's so obvious now.
Yeah it's a gimmick and what not. Still this is fun!
One knock is that it's pretty thin, not a new issue with this bastard brand, but worth noting.
Reviewed by DanO1066 from Maryland
4.26/5 rDev +0.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
4.26/5 rDev +0.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
Brace of draught 10oz "American" snifters with brunch (Jazz & the Arsenal-Liverpool FA Cup match!) at The Brass Tap here in Baltimore: Smell of French toast is the best thing about this niche ale; less French toast and some bourbon on the tongue; medium to heavy body with a definite acholol presence; almost forgot the appearance - dark brown with ruby highlights body, and an off white head that disappears quickly (11% ABV after all) nice ring & some lacing. I'm a fan of French toast & Scotch Ale, but will probably go for a cheaper breakfast stout next time I'm at a Winter brunch
Jan 07, 2024Reviewed by Bitterbill from Wyoming
4.06/5 rDev -3.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
4.06/5 rDev -3.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Bought locally, bottled August 15th 2023.
It pours a deep amber brown with an inch of foam, excellent lacing.
The smell is, yeah, french toast, with Maple syrup, cinnamon, smell is mildly sweet.
Taste is french toast, caramel malt, cinnamon, Maple syrup, and for sure, I am tasting the alcohol.
Close to, if not, full bodied.
My last bottle and I have enjoyed them.
Dec 19, 2023It pours a deep amber brown with an inch of foam, excellent lacing.
The smell is, yeah, french toast, with Maple syrup, cinnamon, smell is mildly sweet.
Taste is french toast, caramel malt, cinnamon, Maple syrup, and for sure, I am tasting the alcohol.
Close to, if not, full bodied.
My last bottle and I have enjoyed them.
Reviewed by Troy-Hawaii from Hawaii
4.25/5 rDev +0.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
4.25/5 rDev +0.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Bought a single 12oz bottle $4.99
125 days old
Smells of vanilla, cinnamon, maple syrup. Basically smells like french toast
Dark black-brown color
Heavy-medium mouthfeel
Medium carbonation
Taste of vanilla, maple syrup, cinnamon, bourbon aftertaste
Overall a good beer that delivers on its name.
Dec 18, 2023125 days old
Smells of vanilla, cinnamon, maple syrup. Basically smells like french toast
Dark black-brown color
Heavy-medium mouthfeel
Medium carbonation
Taste of vanilla, maple syrup, cinnamon, bourbon aftertaste
Overall a good beer that delivers on its name.
Reviewed by Cathartes from Massachusetts
4.2/5 rDev -0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
4.2/5 rDev -0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
Enjoyed on national French toast day.
12 oz bottle acclimated to 50°F and poured into a snifter.
Pours a murky dark pale (in saturation) brown with a 0.5 finger sudsy, British khaki head, dissipating quickly and leaving almost no lacing.
Initial aroma is plentiful sweet maple and custard, with noticeable cinnamon.
After agitating I notice the same custard and maple, with less cinnamon, and I notice some alcohol.
Initial taste before swallowing is custard, maple, and cinnamon, with some alcohol burn.
I get heavy alcohol on the inhale. After swallowing I first get sweet cinnamon and maple with alcohol burn everywhere shortly afterwards, followed by sweet custard everywhere and nutmeg in the middle to late process. This custard, cinnamon, and alcohol all linger into the finish, creating a very nice aftertaste, which seems to have notes of banana, raspberry, and dry, bright grass.
As I get further in, the alcohol becomes very apparent, and I start to notice a tiny bit of a rubber taste.
Feel is good but not great. It's got some body but not a ton, honestly.
Overall this is quite tasty. I can only really complain about the mouthfeel being a little thin, but it's not a negative, as it still does very well! The flavors present are very nice, although the alcohol ends up very powerful after about half.
I will definitely buy this one again, well as recommend.
Nov 29, 202312 oz bottle acclimated to 50°F and poured into a snifter.
Pours a murky dark pale (in saturation) brown with a 0.5 finger sudsy, British khaki head, dissipating quickly and leaving almost no lacing.
Initial aroma is plentiful sweet maple and custard, with noticeable cinnamon.
After agitating I notice the same custard and maple, with less cinnamon, and I notice some alcohol.
Initial taste before swallowing is custard, maple, and cinnamon, with some alcohol burn.
I get heavy alcohol on the inhale. After swallowing I first get sweet cinnamon and maple with alcohol burn everywhere shortly afterwards, followed by sweet custard everywhere and nutmeg in the middle to late process. This custard, cinnamon, and alcohol all linger into the finish, creating a very nice aftertaste, which seems to have notes of banana, raspberry, and dry, bright grass.
As I get further in, the alcohol becomes very apparent, and I start to notice a tiny bit of a rubber taste.
Feel is good but not great. It's got some body but not a ton, honestly.
Overall this is quite tasty. I can only really complain about the mouthfeel being a little thin, but it's not a negative, as it still does very well! The flavors present are very nice, although the alcohol ends up very powerful after about half.
I will definitely buy this one again, well as recommend.
French Toast Bastard from Founders Brewing Company
Beer rating:
94 out of
100 with
342 ratings
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