2014 Backwoods

As expected, I walked into a store I was going to anyway for a little Christmas shopping, and picked up one of the half-dozen or so 4-packs sitting on the shelf for $15 and change. I'm not particularly sure why there was a "one 4 pack per customer" marker on the price sticker, because there wasn't exactly a line out the door for it.

 

That's pricey for them, glad I didn't wait.

 

Does anyone know if the base beer for this is Dirty Bastard, or is BB a completed different recipe?

 

There are at least a half dozen other BA American BW I would put in front of Central Waters. I will leave the next 4 pack I see behind since you enjoy it so much. Very little depth of character and one of the thinnest 11% beers I have ever tasted.

 

Most years I have skipped over BB only because I am not that big on Scotch Ales (However, I do love Bourbon Barrel beers), but this year I decided to give it a go. I love Founders, and they never disappoint. What could go wrong?

Answer is: Nothing! This beer is absolutely fkn amazing. I am curious to see how it ages so I will be picking up another 4 pack within the week to age it, seeing as this 4 pack I picked up last week wont last long. So much bourbon!

 

Stacks of it at Busch's grocery store in Ann Arbor. Really really smooth this year - love this beer, and how relatively easy it is to find.

 

I drank one of these too cold over the weekend and really didn't like it as much as I remembered. Didn't really have a choice since I was at a gathering outdoors and it got super cold out.

I had another a couple days later at room temp and it was glorious. This is common sense I suppose but yeah, great beer when it's not "as cold as the Rockies"

 

From some of the reviews, I don't think everyone "gets" that. Even at cellar temperature, it's 'okay' in my book, but when it warms up it really comes alive.

 

I always "assumed" that Dirty Bastard is the base beer, not 100% sure though.

 

Have a "beer only" fridge in my basement that I keep at 48 degrees. Stopped putting this beer in the fridge. Just sit's on the basement floor (60 degrees maybe) still tastes better as it warms.

 

Pretty sure at one point Founders' website openly stated it was barrel-aged Dirty Bastard.

 

Yep, this is exactly what I've been doing with it. Makes more room for other beer in the beer fridge too.

 

Shit do me one better and ship it to me in Arkansas since I can't get it here

 

Wulver being "much better tasting" than backwoods is a serious stretch, even considering homer taste preference. Thin is not a word that comes to mind unless you're comparing to barley wines. Drinkability on top of flavor, mouthfeel and smoothness... nothing matches BB at $12.99 a 4 pack from total wine in Orlando, FL. Founders is indeed getting big (probably be top 20 after 2014) which makes the backwoods even more amazing.

 

To everyone saying this year's batch sucks, I call bullshit. It's just as good as always.

 

Its called taxes, my friend. Tennessee has the highest tax home liquor and beer in the country. Maybe not the highest, but pretty damn close.

 

Sounds like a perfect friend to me because they would leave me all the BB.

 

I would just reiterate what others have said: this batch really gets better as it warms a bit. More lingering (almost honey-like) sweetness on the aftertaste, when it's too cold you just get lots of ethanol warmth.

 

Just had this, it's excellent. It doesn't necessarily taste boozey in comparison to the bottles I drink, just the right sweetness to it but it smells so good, like a booze bomb. A really great beer for 4-pack stardom. For a four-packer, Id say, aside from BCBS, its 2nd place and the label is top notch. I bought one pack to cellar and I'm very excited to drink this as the years come.

 

Got two bottles in trade, have yet to try....