Founders Dirty Bastard - Founders Brewing Company

Burkbom23

Connecticut

4.1/5  rDev +1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

Dark brown near opaque beer. A dark iced tea. When held up to the light get a beautiful ruby red color coming through. finger and a half tall creamy tan head. A few particles floating around the glass that I would guess is yeast. Not much lacing. Toffee and caramel at first in the nose. Also getting some dark fruits. Overly ripe dark raisins. Woody, oak aroma stands guard over everything. Some spice out there too. Strait up sweet malt on the taste buds. Lots of dark fruits again, raisin, fig, prunes. Reminds me a little of some of the trappist ales I have had. Definitely some toffee in there also. Maybe even a little chocolate. Some roasted notes all the way through. Little bit of bitterness towards the tail end. Alcohol is not completely disguised. A solid medium body, velvety mouth feel. Not a ton of carbonation. Very sweet brew. I've heard of hop bombs, this is more on the side of malt bomb. For as malty and sweet as it is, I have to say, its not overwhelming. I have had similar profiled beers that become almost undrinkable by the end. That is not the case here. Though I would probably not drink more than 2 in a night, I would certainly revisit this one again and again.

Serving type: bottle

06-18-2013 00:51:57 | More by Burkbom23

beerdrifter

Germany

4.1/5  rDev +1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Mahogany pour with a two finger creamy off white head that fades pretty quickly with nice lacing. A somewhat subdued earthy, malty nose with hints of caramel, maple, wood, toffee, and a touch of herbal perfume as it warms. The complex taste is rich and malty with lots of caramel and brown sugar along with hints of maple, dark fruits, wood, molasses, butterscotch, vanilla, and a distinct herbal, piney note that I've tasted with Heather beers. The mouthfeel is medium bodied and lightly carbonated, slightly syrupy, with a subtle warming burn on the finish. The alcohol is extremely well hidden. Overall, this is not a style I'm really familiar with, but as always, Founders leaves me wanting more.

Serving type: bottle

06-10-2013 16:44:36 | More by beerdrifter

KTCamm

New Jersey

3.76/5  rDev -7.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

Poured from a twelve ounce bottle into a pint glass.

Pours dark brown, rich, no foam to speak of. Woodsy nose. Caramel malt too. Taste is a peat/earthy with a whiskey back. Clingy finish. Smooth mouthfeel, low carbonation. Overall decent, good take on the style, but quite earthy. To be fair, I am not the biggest fan of this style.

Serving type: bottle

06-09-2013 12:53:07 | More by KTCamm

RWLawman

North Carolina

4.19/5  rDev +3.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

A - Burgundy in color with creamy half-inch head.

S - Sweet, malty, molasses odor with a hint of bourbon at the end.

T - Very malty, with a definitive molasses presence, with a touch of whiskey and a slight alcohol heat on the back.

M - Thick, smooth, filling. Very pleasant to drink.

O - Outstanding beer. I'm new to this particular style, but as for the experience overall, I truly enjoyed this, and would highly recommend it to others.

Serving type: bottle

06-07-2013 21:50:01 | More by RWLawman

sulldaddy

Connecticut

4.4/5  rDev +8.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

Drinking a cellar temp bottle poured into a snifter. This was a birthday gift beer from my brothers.
the beer pours a clear mahogany color with fizzy and bubbly beige head of 2 cm that fades to a sturdy edge layer with some wispy islands.
Aroma is rich and malty with caramel and toffee intertwined with some plums or raisin note, maybe a little booze, but not much.
First sip reveals a very drinkable and smooth textured beer. Fine tingly carbonation tickles my palate after each sip.
Flavor is sweet brown sugar, caramel and a little dark fruit. I also get bits of peppery alcohol but not really any hop presence to speak of. Some sticky sweet film on my lips after each sip.
The beer is well made and enjoyable. No flaws and a nice malty lovers brew.
Glad to have gotten a bottle for my birthday!

Serving type: bottle

06-05-2013 03:43:28 | More by sulldaddy

scotorum

Massachusetts

3.79/5  rDev -6.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

Poured from a 12 oz. bottle into a tulip glass.

a. Dark red, almost bloodlike at first pour. Translucent orange-red viewed into the light. No head to speak of (I know, I pour too gently, from old habit, because I used to think a big head on a beer was just an obstacle) but nice lacing as it drained.

s. Vaguely sweet. I love maple syrup, but not necessarily any taste of it in my beer.

t. Lightly mapleish, definitely gives you the sense that you are drinking a higher ABV (8.5), which I like. Pleasant but not as distinguished as I had anticipated.

m. Some alcohol bite. Otherwise smooth enough.

o. Somewhat similar reaction to my other first today, Wolaver's Brown Ale. Stronger tasting and sweeter, but not a new favorite. Frankly I don't see much purpose to searching this out to drink under any particular circumstances, except that it tastes like strong beer with a touch of maple syrup, it's a well-thought-of Founders, and you can say you tried it. Perhaps I'd like it better warmer than the 40 degrees I self-served it at. But I doubt it. Now bring on the pancakes, with plenty of maple syrup!

Serving type: bottle

05-31-2013 06:09:21 | More by scotorum

BTVflatlander

Vermont

4.25/5  rDev +4.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Bottle dated March 2013 poured into a Unibroue pint glass.

A: Rich brown, dark maple appearance with a thick, syrupy head.

S: As expected with a Scotch, very malt-heavy, hints of molasses and maple syrup.

T: Dried fruit, molasses, maple. Very sweet at first giving way to a significant warm alcohol bitterness.

M: Thick & rich. Ideal.

O: Full Disclosure--this is one of my favorite styles. That said, this beer is for me one of the best executions of this unique style in Dirty Bastard. Not too alcoholic and not too sweet. The 8.5% is perfect and the beer is just heavy enough without being pretentious. Very highly recommended. Up there with the Imperial Stout among the best offerrings out of Grand Rapids. If you can find its more sophisticated brother, Backwards Bastard, you'll be in for a rare treat.

Serving type: bottle

05-30-2013 00:37:00 | More by BTVflatlander

tbryan5

Louisiana

4.04/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

Thanks to Holmes698 for sending this brittle to me in a recent trade.

Poured from bottle into a Unibroue tulip.

A- Pours a very dark red color with a half finger head that dissipates fairly quickly. Leaves a nice lacing on the side of the glass.

S- I get sweet, dark fruit very faintly. After a quick swirling, I can really get some pretty noticeable alcohol notes. Not overbearing though. It is pretty pleasant and meshes nicely IMO.

T-Same as the smell. Not overly complex. Great for the style. The alcohol is a little more pronounced here.

M- There is medium carbonation with a body to match. It coats the mouth but is not "thick" like some others of the style.

O- This is a nice scotch ale that is not available to me here in Louisiana. I am glad I got to try it once. Wish I could get more Founders brews here. I enjoyed it and would have another if I had a second bottle.

Serving type: bottle

05-28-2013 01:19:35 | More by tbryan5

Pegasus

Texas

4.25/5  rDev +4.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Appearance: Hazy medium brown in color, with a moderate, dense and persistent tan head, and thick glass-coating lace.

Aroma: Strong notes of dark caramel, wood, spice, whisky, and earth.

Taste: Opens with a wave of dark caramel and earth. Bitter cocoa flavors soon appear. As the taste progresses, a strong whisky or bourbon note appears, complete with exquisite wood notes. Late in the taste, dark fruit notes appear, which contrast nicely with the whisky flavors.

Mouth feel: Smooth, soft, very pleasant, very full.

Drinkability/notes: Superbly crafted, an outstanding example of the style, and a must try for anyone who appreciates the Wee Heavy style.

Presentation: Packaged in a short twelve-ounce brown glass bottle with a twist-off crown, served in a Samuel Adams Boston Lager sensory glass.

Serving type: bottle

05-26-2013 16:26:59 | More by Pegasus

thegodfather1076

Ohio

4.18/5  rDev +3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Presentation: Awesome label with eye-catching colors and phenomenal graphics. The label gives brewery info and web info, Neck label has Founders logo, ABV info, and IBU info.

Appearance: Allowed Dirty Bastard to warm for 15min before decanting from 12oz bottle into 16oz snifter. DB pours out a deep ruby amber color with a 1 finger light tan head of medium density. Head retention was rather short 1min 15sec before fading to a thin bubbly ring and coating. Lacing was very nice.

Smell/Aroma: DB smells of sweet toasted caramel malts with slight hints of dark fruit. Bready aromas also enter the nose with hints of chocolate as well as a little alcohol reminder that this is 8.5%.

Flavor/Taste: Taste is of sweet toasted caramel along with a toasted chocolate malt profile that turns slightly bitter with a definite smoked dark fruit essence. Finishes a bit bitter with a toasty malt aftertaste. Delicious.

MouthFeel/Drinkability: On the heavier side of medium bodied with a creamy chewy mouthfeel. A perfect amount of carbonation Extremely drinkable.

Overall/Comments: DB was my first offering from Founders and I was not disappointed. DB is a great Scotch Ale/Wee Heavy that is a bit more sweet and a bit less smokey than others that I have sampled. Packed with flavor this goes down very easy! Consumed 3/26/13. Classified as a Scotch Ale/Wee Heavy at 8.5% ABV.

Serving type: bottle

05-26-2013 14:51:31 | More by thegodfather1076

Broman

Ohio

4.69/5  rDev +15.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75

Appearance- Rich dark brown, almost black color. Moderate foamy head atop lingers around for a bit, then settles to a few spots. Decent lacing throughout.

Smell- Malts, coffee, caramel. Some other less obvious tones as well.

Mouthfeel- Medium to thick body on the palet. Just a slight hint of carbonation hits the tongue. Somewhat chewy the longer it is allowed to linger.

Taste- Somewhat heavy. Coffee and caramel on the front. Malts are what primarily make up this beer. Has a somewhat smokey flavor to it. Leaves a bit of alcohol on the end. Aftertaste leaves a somewhat bland stale flavor. Burly is the word that comes to mind when drinking this beer.

Overall- Very nice beer. Even nicer is its availability, at least here in Cleveland. Basic flavors surround this beer and seems to fit well to its style. Overall a good drink for the seasoned beer drinker, may ward off those who aren't.

Serving type: bottle

05-24-2013 04:57:12 | More by Broman

BrianScottK

New York

4.36/5  rDev +7.4%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a bottle into a tulip glass. Light scents of honey, molasses, and cloves. The color is a beautiful, deep reddish-brown or mahogany. Tastes of burnt-sugar, sourdough, toasted marshmallows, and currants on the fore. Lemongrass, oranges, and piney on the finish, with a nice, light hoppiness and a slight taste of alcohol. A wonderful beer through and through. Very well-balanced. If I had to say that it left anything to be desired, perhaps I'd enjoy a tad more hops on the finish, but that would really be nit-picking.

Serving type: bottle

05-23-2013 01:57:25 | More by BrianScottK

Bauzen

New York

4.33/5  rDev +6.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.25

Dark fruits, caramel, brown sugar, earthy molasses, but a super-clean finish. My only gripe is an apparent lack of carbonation. I drank two bottles and both were very flat. The bubbles appear to stick around in the center of the glass instead of floating up. It's actually quite bizarre.

It's another outstanding offering from Founders. A great beer.

Serving type: bottle

05-20-2013 04:04:48 | More by Bauzen

vcoggins

Texas

3.84/5  rDev -5.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12 oz bottle
Served in a pint glass

A - Pours a dark reddish brown with a 1 finger off white head. Decent lacing.

S - Sweet malty caramel smell. Slight fruity maybe prune aroma.

T - Malty molasses sweetness but not as much as I expected. slight hop bitterness on the finish.

M - Smooth and fairly light body with medium carbonation.

O - A very good beer. Probably my 2nd favorite of the style.

Serving type: bottle

05-20-2013 00:30:00 | More by vcoggins

J_Dub

Texas

4.64/5  rDev +14.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

A-Deep reddish copper pour. A nice amount of head with really good lacing as well

S-I smell malt right away. Dark fruit and molasses as well. You can almost smell a certain sweetness in it. Wonderful smell

T-Like the nose, I was assaulted with malt at first. However, after a few sips I really started to note a lot more flavors. Dark fruits, brown sugar, some hops at the end. Very "earthy". There was a lot of bitterness at first but as I had a few sips the bitterness faded. Absolutely fantastic.

M-Not too much carbonation. Feels as if it going to be syrupy on your tongue but surprisingly clean finish.

I'm happy to finally have Founder's in Texas. I actually confused this brew with backwoods bastard and was a little disappointed at first when I realized my mistake. However, this beer does not disappoint. It was fairly harsh at first but I think that was just because it was my first beer of the day. This beer is just wonderful. Beautiful pour and aroma. The taste is similar to the aroma but even more complex. I can't really compare this to other Scotch ales as I haven't had many but Dirty Bastard is good no matter the category. Buy it and don't look back.

Serving type: bottle

05-18-2013 20:42:08 | More by J_Dub

tviz33

New York

4.21/5  rDev +3.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

12 oz bottle served in a Duvel tulip

A- Pours a dark brown with some orange hues with a short tan head.

S- Wow... molasses. And some caramel and dark fruits.

T- The taste follows the nose and some roasty flavors poke through. This is solid. Very balanced and extremely enjoyable.

M- Solid medium body with light carbonation. This still has a really good mouthfeel for some reason.

O- It's just a good brew overall. The only way to really get a good feel for it is to get one for yourself. Highly recommended.

Serving type: bottle

05-16-2013 23:15:23 | More by tviz33

obrike

Texas

4.11/5  rDev +1.2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Bought a 6 pack at Specs in Round Rock for 8.99...quite a bargain I must say.

Poured a very deep amber/dark brown in color...a bit of red... with a thin off-white head.

Lovely smell of caramel, some vanilla, and a lil bit of peat. Also getting some spice and a bit of butter scotch and booze. I like.

Big time malty sweetness coming through...some caramel and roasted coffee, and a hint of booze. This is a well crafted bastard all right. Smooth and syrupy; just the right amount of carbonation make this one a real winner.

I'm not a normal drinker of the wee heavy style...but I really enjoyed this one. A great price for a sixer makes this one a no brainer when i want a break from IPAs and stouts. Give it a try folks.

Serving type: bottle

05-14-2013 02:09:16 | More by obrike

smooth_aleing

Pennsylvania

4.34/5  rDev +6.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Pours a rich, murky, copper color akin to an old suitcase. Head is slight, maybe a finger or slightly less, but the lacing stays throughout. Nose is strong of molasses, raisins, prunes, and a bit of Scotch smokiness. Taste is well-balanced, with molasses and figs coming through most prominently. Overall a great beer, as Founders is want to make, and a great example of Scotch ale.

Serving type: bottle

05-09-2013 22:42:54 | More by smooth_aleing

Abbbp

Texas

4.48/5  rDev +10.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Founders is here, Founders is here TX... Man I tell you this brewery has good stuff, and the first guy I tried came thru. After a long beautiful hike and Rockledge I was craving and made my way to the Meddlesome Moth and order this beauty.

Gorgeous old dark leather wallet color, deep brown with transparency and hints of red. The mouthfeel was very smooth easy feeling, with a nice crisp taste. All and all very satisfied I'd give this sucker a solid 93.

Serving type: on-tap

05-09-2013 02:46:46 | More by Abbbp

Goldopelgt

Ohio

3.96/5  rDev -2.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

A: Pours a deep, coppery brown with a decent tan head that clings to the glass.

S: Sweet, dark, sugary nose up front...biscuits and a nice malty backbone followed by some grassy hops. A lot going on here, but very nice.

T: Simiar to the nose...sweet maltiness initially followed by an earthy bitterness that balances everything out very nicely.

M: Surprisingly light bodied, that coats the mouth ever so slightly with a bitter sweetness (if that makes any sense) that begs for another taste. Very nice.

O: By far one of the best examples of the style that I've had. Definitely worth a try, and a few revisits! Cheers...

Serving type: bottle

05-08-2013 21:06:13 | More by Goldopelgt

JMad

Texas

4.39/5  rDev +8.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

The beer pours a dark reddish brown color with a soapy tan head that clung to the glass.

The aroma is dominated by sweet molasses and raisin with some earthy hops in the background. It tastes of roasted malt, caramel and it has a nice herbal bitterness. It has a lighter feel than what I was expecting with low carbonation and a slightly dry finish.

This is a great beer, I think it may be my favorite scottish ale, I'm glad Founders is finally available in my area.

Serving type: bottle

05-08-2013 17:51:23 | More by JMad

MisSigsFan

California

4.03/5  rDev -0.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a dark, cloudy red/brown with a thin, white head. Smell is sweet with a big alcohol presence. It's not very strong, and not exactly pleasant. Let's just say the smell alone would probably turn me off. Taste is sweet and malty with a slight sting and bitterness. The alcohol aftertaste lingers. Mouthfeel is medium to full bodied. A lot of carbonation that dissipates over time. Overall, this is an alright brew. I don't think I'd go out of my way to get it again though. I guess I'm just not much of a Scotch Ale fan.

Serving type: bottle

05-01-2013 04:30:39 | More by MisSigsFan

magictacosinus

California

4.2/5  rDev +3.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Poured into a tulip pint glass from a 12oz bottle.

Pours a deep, reddish brown color with a a large 4 finger head that eventually settles down to about a half ring. Carbonation is not too plentiful, but still great enough considering the high ABV. Lacing is decent, as well as the strong viscosity the beer maintains throughout consumption. Looks like a classic take on the style, except with a far deeper flavor to keep things different.

Definitely very different from your average Scotch ale at the aroma! Rather than an enormous smoked, peated flavor, there's a colossal range of malt varieties that pop out here. There's an initial toasted sweetness followed by a bittered bready character, and soon afterwards by a caramelized, toffee/caramel combo that stings the senses with the extra alcohol. Cardamom, pepper, and dried leaves soon follow. There's a grassy, almost herbal hop profile that goes with this, but the focus is clearly on all of the malts, that range to many different flavors in a way that is really experimental yet unique and different.

While I expected a malt bomb based off of the aroma, I instead got something more along the lines of how a DIPA tastes less bitter than a standard IPA - in this case, a malt-focused Scotch ale that tastes less malty than a standard amber ale or something. To be clearer, keep in mind that Founders' always strong hop backbone is working here, but the malts are really what make this so flavorful in the end! The front consists of syrupy, bready caramel goodness, combined with red apples, honey, maybe a little bit of grapes... Yet soon after the flavor changes into a caramelized brown sugary flavor combined with a deep, rich, near rye like breadiness. The caramel profile seems to last a while, too. Very rich in the way a top doppelbock is - especially with all the spices that follow such as clove, and also with the alcoholic, juicy malty notes. The syrupy flavor makes this a thickened experience, and while the alcohol makes itself noticeable, it's never distracting. Very tasty, especially according to style!

Wow, Founders really knows how to get styles and turn them upside down to the point where they're stylistically innovative and super flavorful as well! This is probably my new favorite malt-focused beer of its kind. Great stuff!

Serving type: bottle

04-30-2013 03:07:36 | More by magictacosinus

jjboesen

Maryland

4.76/5  rDev +17.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

This is another Founders beer to add to my list. It is truly a find since we have one of my favorite styles in cahoots with one of my favorite brewers. And, incidentally, this was quaffed at Rustico Ballston (Virginia), a favorite venue. Happy Happy Drinking Games! Now raise your goblets ….

The Dirty Bastard has a foreboding copper body protected on top by a shimmering cloud of foam that is, eventually, encrusts the glass with thick slabs of crusty lacing. The Dirty Bastard will punch your nose with a heavy fist of pine, molasses and almond and leave you reeling. As you continue to inhale this Highland miasma (where is the aroma of heather and wet wool one whiffs in Scotland?), the palate is trapped in a boggy blanket of plum, toffee and the aforementioned molasses.

The mouthfeel is superb as there is a subtle blend of toasted malt and dried fruit. The Dirty Bastard makes an exquisite quaff for any lad and lassie willing to experience a complex concoction of a style that is truly hard to get right. Founders really got this Dirty Bastard right and gave us an example of a wonderful Scottish beer that will bring out the Braveheart in all of us. Freedom!

Serving type: on-tap

04-15-2013 23:44:53 | More by jjboesen

hoosiersapper27

Indiana

4.61/5  rDev +13.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

What a GREAT Beer.

Dark Ruby Red color with a 1 finger head that dissipates somewhat quickly.

The smell this beer has is just MAAALT. Almost a fruity essence with the malt, berries?
A thick, almost stout like mouthfeel with this. Carbonation could be a little higher but overall good. No strong alcohol taste with this big 8.5% beer.

Overall this is probably one of my favorite Irish Red style beers so far, although I'm not very experienced in these styles of beers yet.

Serving type: bottle

04-15-2013 01:11:08 | More by hoosiersapper27