Some help designing a beer or point me at a recipe

A lot of those flavors are not from crystal malt. No problem using some but your percentages would be high for my taste. Consider using some Munich and melanoidin malt.

 

Dirty Bastard uses 7 types of imported malt.

My guess

Golden Promise or Maris Otter
Munich or Vienna
Melanoiden
British Crystal 60L
British Crystal 150L
Weyerman Rauch malt - not much
Peat malt - just a pinch

 

And lots of hops...OP, you might try a longer boil and something other than US-05 (1728 maybe)

 

I don't know what a caramel ale is, but a scotch ale (the American version) has lots of flavors from english malts like Maris Otter and long boil times, I don't think a large amount of crystal malts is called for.

If you want a dry yeast, I would think about something like Windsor vs. US-05

I just looked at Brewing Classic Styles, Jamil has the following for a Strong Scotch Ale (OG=1099, almost 10%ABV), kind of surprised by the honey malt and C40, but what do I know

20# british pale ale malt
.5# Munich malt
1# C40
.5# Honey malt
.25# C120
.25# pale chocolate

Hopped with EKG, IBUs = 28, mostly early additions

that should get you started

 

Good suggestion.
Maybe also touch of CaraMunich or CaraAroma (I especially like the latter).
Also...no need to get too complicated with the grain bill (or the hop bill for that matter)...the fashion these days seems to have a dozen different malts and a hlaf dozen hops but really, some of the best beers I've ever had (commercial or homebrewed) have been ones with comparatively simple formulations. Too often, the beers with such complicated ingredient bills are a muddled mess (some will obviously disagree).

I'd go as simple as 40% Pale Malt (any of the two row family) 50% Munich (I like the 20L), 5% CaraAroma, and 5% Melanoidin or Honey Malt. I often also throw in an unweighed fistful of malted white wheat malt or flaked quick oats (or both) into the mash. Hop it with one or (if you must. more) more varieties for a total of 25-30 IBUs (to make the malt shine through more, I've gone as low as 15 IBUs).

 

I'd boil the first runnings down to about a pint while you are doing your main boil. You'll want like 15-20 IBU if you're doing a Scottish Ale to really compliment the maltiness. Use a Scottish strain and don't expect it to shape up for 6-8 months.

You'd be surprised what it takes to make an undrinkable beer.

 

There are some Dirty Bastard clone recipes on the net and at least one company who claims they will put together a recipe kit. The company in that link, whom I never heard of, listed about 100 clone kits -- makes me a little skeptical. The one thing I noticed in the recipes I saw are more crystal than I would want (e.g, 2.5 lbs in a 5-gallon batch, 16%).

 

it's been a while since i've had DB but not sure if i'd agree with the last 2 malts.
it would need something else for weight/mouthfeel. flaked oats?
and something for the colour as well. maybe some chocolate?

 

According to Founders- Dark ruby in color and brewed with seven varieties of imported malts. Complex in finish, with hints of smoke and peat.

How do you reckon they get hints of smoke and peat, if not from using a little smoked malt and peat malt? It's possible they use some dark malt for color, but c150 can produce a dark ruby color with a reasonable amount.