Founders Backwoods Bastard | Founders Brewing Company

4.29/5  rDev -1.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

4.65/5  rDev +6.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

4.19/5  rDev -3.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

4.85/5  rDev +11.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.75

Quick review. The definition of flavor with the bourbon component is beyond compare. This beer is without a doubt the finest bourbon beer that I've tasted to date.

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4.51/5  rDev +3.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

4.27/5  rDev -1.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

4.34/5  rDev -0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

On tap at Track 84 in Warwick, RI:

Appearance: a dark, slightly reddish brown, with a quickly dissipating off white head. Persistent lacing throughout the beer as drunk though.

Aroma: Lots of vanilla, along with some spices like cinnamon and nutmeg. I almost always get vanilla from bourbon-aged brews, and this one was especially powerful, along with LOTS of oaky bourbon. From the smell, I expected lots of boozy heat.

Taste: Much more well-balanced than the bourbon-vanilla rich aroma given off. Really, really smooth with a nice malty backbone. Very sweet, but with quite a bit of bourbon and the vanilla mentioned above. A slow drinker, but extremely enjoyable nonetheless.

Feel: Medium-bodied, with lots of lingering bourbon heat. Creamy and smooth.

Overall: A very unique tasting brew, a little light in color and texture, but very rich in aroma and flavor.

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3.84/5  rDev -11.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Look: Sporadic foam, leaves an enticing lacing along the glass, dark brown body.
Smell: Oak, caramel, sugar.
Taste: Caramel hits you on the front, mild toffee flavor, perhaps cherry as well, kind of drops off at the end.
Feel: Medium body, kind of surprised me at first because I was expecting more of a barley wine body.
Overall: While it wasn't everything that I had hoped this did have some really enjoyable nuances on the palate. Within the style it definitely deserves commendation.

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3.78/5  rDev -13.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.75

A good beer not a great beer. It's place in my cellar it's a beer I will drink when I don't want to drink one of my A or A+ beers knowing its an enjoyable B beer.

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4.84/5  rDev +11.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75

4.5/5  rDev +3.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

4.35/5  rDev 0%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Bottled on 10/15/14. This beer definitely benefits from cellar aging (6 months in this case) as the bourbon dominated the taste when fresh.

UPDATE: Bottled on 9/24/15; drank on 12/14/15 in a tulip glass

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3.98/5  rDev -8.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

3.11/5  rDev -28.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 3.25

Not too bad. Probably would not buy a six pack though. Kentucky bourbon barrel ale is better.

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4.85/5  rDev +11.5%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.75

5/5  rDev +14.9%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

4.19/5  rDev -3.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

4.41/5  rDev +1.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

4.36/5  rDev +0.2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Bottled on 10/01/2014, really mellowed out the bourbon

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4.69/5  rDev +7.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5

4.1/5  rDev -5.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

4.46/5  rDev +2.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

Spicy bourbon heat with buried raisin, dark fruit, and caramel notes.

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3.95/5  rDev -9.2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

4.83/5  rDev +11%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 5

4.22/5  rDev -3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25