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Founders Brewing Company – Backwoods Bastard

Brewery: Founders Brewing Company
Location Grand Rapids, MI
Style Wee Heavy
 ABV 11.6%
 IBUs 50

 

Best Quote During Tasting

It doesn't take a whole lot to make his "dead to me" list.  He's sensitive and an idiot.

Justin:

Aroma - This is one complex beer. It's definitely a malt forward beer with caramel popping the most. There is also a little bit of smokiness to it which is nice. After that, you get some of the dry oak from the barrels. At the very end, there's a touch of vanilla and at last you can pick up the subtle bourbon.
Score: 10/12
Appearance - The beer is a deep caramel color with a beige head that never fully leaves and is made up of tight bubbles.
Score: 3/3
Flavor - This is a caramel covered boozy dream. The caramel is intense and huge and the bourbon shows up big but it doesn't take over. The other pieces I'm getting are some vanilla again as well as a bit of smoky/toasted character. Again, the hops don't show up in flavor but they balance the beer just fine. The alcohol comes through and is at just the right amount for the beer as it compliments but doesn't overwhelm.
Score: 17/20
Mouthfeel - The carbonation is just below medium and the body is medium+ for an extremely heavy beer on the tongue. 
Score: 4/5
Overall Impression - So yeah. I love putting beers that aren't stouts in bourbon barrels. It makes you appreciate the character of a barrel that much more when you can pick up on more of what it brings to the table. The caramel, vanilla and oak were very easy to pick up in this beer whereas they can be lost in a stout due to the big, roasty malts used. The beer was on the verge of being a touch too sweet but it never got there and while I wouldn't recommend drinking your entire 4 pack in one sitting, it's definitely something you consider as you drink it.
Score: 9/10

 

Backwoods Bastard Final Score
  • Aroma
  • Appearance
  • Flavor
  • Mouthfeel
  • Overall
4.3
User Rating: 0.0 (0 votes)
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Justin Phelps

Justin Phelps

Co-Founder at Saint Brewis
Justin Phelps is a Certified Cicerone® who was born and raised in St. Louis. His passion for beer goes beyond just drinking it as he is also an award-winning home brewer. While he may be a marketing professional by day, he's a blogger, brewery hopper, and beer enthusiast by night.

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