Tag: founders
Backwoods Bastard
by Paul Arthur on Feb.01, 2010, under ale, barrel aged beer, beer, scotch ale
Background: Founders’ strong Scotch Ale is called “Dirty Bastard”; the bottle only gives us “ale aged in oak bourbon barrels” as the description, but I think it’s a fair assumption that the base beer is Dirty Bastard.
Nose: Fresh corn bourbon and vanilla oak.
Taste: Sugared oak. The caramelisation from the wee heavy plays nicely with the sweet bourbon flavours from the barrel, but the extra alcohol really thins out the body. Somewhat fruity.
Overall: I like barrel-aged beers, I really do. Unfortunately, I find that the bourbon barrels most commonly used have a tendency to overwhelm even the most robust base beer, giving them a distressing sameness. This is good beer, but it’s not great and it’s very bourbon.
Founders Breakfast Stout
by Paul Arthur on Oct.29, 2009, under ale, beer, coffee beer, oatmeal stout, stout
Background: From Founders in Grand Rapids, this beer is brewed with two types of coffee, two types of chocolate, and some flaked oats. Sounds like breakfast to me!
Nose: Smooth coffee is the first thing to hit; a bit fruity and chocolaty with floral high notes.
Taste: Thick and chewy, slightly sweet and slightly spicy, with lots of roasted and toasted malt flavours along with dark chocolate and coffee. Hints of molasses and tobacco.
Overall: Excellent. Truly excellent. Not much to add to that, really. Go forth and buy some.
