Founders Dirty Bastard - Founders Brewing Company

richj1970

Alabama

4.23/5  rDev +4.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from 12 oz bottle into Stone tulip glass.

A: Murky brown with red tints. Slight head that disappeared quickly with almost no lacing.

S: Caramel, roasted malts, honey with some earthy undertones.

T: Sweet caramel, malts, and a bit boozy. A little spiciness but mostly sweet flavors.

M: Medium body with some carbonation.

O: Enjoyable choice. Seemed to get better the more I drank, and the warmer it became. The last few sips near room temperature were the best. Easy drinking beer.

Serving type: bottle

01-12-2013 02:29:40 | More by richj1970

MattSweatshirt

Texas

4/5  rDev -1.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a finger of off-white/slight tanned head on top of a dark red body.

Tons of malt of course contributing aromas of bread, fruitiness, and sweet caramel. Some alcohol notes.

Caramel, fruits, and a peaty character I guess. Fairly carbonated and medium bodied.

Serving type: bottle

01-08-2013 20:43:15 | More by MattSweatshirt

tonyminerva26

3.98/5  rDev -2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 3.75

Excellent scotch ale, full body and smooth finish. Maybe a small hint of alcohol on the finish, not bad considering the abv.

Serving type: bottle

01-08-2013 17:33:08 | More by tonyminerva26

Gatch

Massachusetts

4.53/5  rDev +11.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Bottled 6/22/12

A: Beautiful, clear, amber with an off-white, yellowish fizzy head that builds and fades quickly. Viscous stuff. No lace or retention whatsoever.

S: Wonderful bouquet of roasted and sweet malt, caramelized sugar, peat, earth, brown sugar, booze.

T: Big malt character with sweet sugar and booze to complement. Almost a woody, peaty, smoky quality to the roasted malt. Easy drinking for what it is. Every sip is more enjoyable than the last. The beer shines near room temperature.

M: What can I say? Incredibly smooth, huge flavor, carbonation is spot-on, booze is just right, and the body is perfect. Syrupy, sweet goodness. I wish I had another bottle.

O: Incredible beer. This style has always been hit or miss for me. Sometimes too sweet but other times balanced and properly malty. This is definite hit. A direct hit. If other Scotch Ales were like this, I'd drink them more often. Now, on to Backwoods Bastard!

Serving type: bottle

01-06-2013 22:52:04 | More by Gatch

Tomhet

Illinois

4.6/5  rDev +13.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

One of the first "big" beers I fell in love with during my "formative" stages of drinking good beer (read: only about a year and a half ago). Pours a really nice syrupy looking brownish that reveals a nice amber tinge when held up to light. The look of the body is nice and thick; looks as if one can chew on it. Head is a quickly dissipating copper shade that, despite the fleeting foam, leaves some decent lacing. Smell is a really biting amalgam of spicy, sugary grains, something along the lines of brown sugar/cinnamon. Along with that is a nice presence of cherry-laced figs along with the stock sweet malty note. There's a bit of a straight alcohol scent along the lines of scotch (something that really kicked my ass when I first experienced it), but this actually blends really well with the aforementioned sweet malt.

The progression in taste is certain one that rises in its intensity, which is always welcome. The first thing that hits the palate is a very sweet, brown-sugary scotch taste. Don't mistake this as an indication that the 8.5% ABV isn't masked well, for this is quite the contrary. Near the middle there is an odd hop presence that falls somewhere between the "earthy" and "grassy" area of the spectrum (excuse my ambiguous terminology; I'm not well-versed in specific hop varieties enough to accurately diagnose it beyond that). Each sip taste a bit different, for I just tasted an almost milkshake chocolately note that I've never found before, which itself is a testament to the devious sweetness of this heavy brew. Not much carbonation here gives rise to a "syrupy" texture with a creamy mouthfeel and oddly wet finish. Everything here is really well balanced, and in order.

Serving type: bottle

01-05-2013 06:29:37 | More by Tomhet

nUgZ

North Carolina

4.13/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12 ounce bottle poured into a snifter.

A: Pours a dark brown color with a slight head and light lacing.

S: Caramel and coffee aromas along with some sweet malts fill the nose.

T: The flavors are lighter than the aromas, but they follow the same path. Slight bitterness. Very nice balance and extremely tasty.

M: Medium bodied with light to moderate carbonation.

O: I really enjoyed this beer. It looks, smells, and tastes very good. I'll be glad to drink it anytime.

Serving type: bottle

12-28-2012 22:30:38 | More by nUgZ

King_KongDCO93

Minnesota

4.05/5  rDev -0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A: Dark amber can't see through it but nice dissipating off-white head.

S: nice notes of butterscotch and toasted malt aroma

T: Great taste, nice blend of caramel, toffee, butterscotch, and toasted malts.

M: Tangy and creamy.

O: great beer worth buying all the time.

Serving type: bottle

12-25-2012 20:22:58 | More by King_KongDCO93

WayneScoting

4/5  rDev -1.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a dark, murky brown like a very dark honey with a fleeting, yellowish head rising up a half-finger on a good day and rather quickly dissipating to a thin lace then fragmenting into mere wisps, but beneath this there's noteworthy substance: notes of caramel rise up with chocolate and coffee that inhabit the taste, too, along with a hit of butter to boot and a touch of toffee--yum; the mouthfeel being medium and impressively smooth from start to finish. A satisfying and highly recommended Scotch ales.

Serving type: bottle

12-24-2012 02:21:35 | More by WayneScoting

Uniobrew31

Pennsylvania

4.15/5  rDev +2.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A very nice beer. A bit heavy on the abv but tasty! The color and head are average. It has a nice carbonation throughout even after the head settles. The taste is malty at first but the hops lingers for quite a while after you put the glass down. A six pack was about 14 bucks which I think is this beers only downfall. It is good but not good enough for me to lay down this much money for it again. There are many beers as good or better for a few bucks less. I find Yards ESA is comparable in style and flavor for about 10 bucks a six pack. Over all it is worth a try.

Serving type: bottle

12-21-2012 23:41:40 | More by Uniobrew31

MSR129

Maine

3.65/5  rDev -10.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Dark red, almost black. Rusty hints at the edges. Thin tan head leaving lacings on the glass.

S - Smoky nose with sweet overtones. Hints of caramel.

T - Boozy, but at 8.5% ABV, what did you expect? Peaty, lingering aftertaste. Hints of coffee

M - Thick. There is more carbonation than you'd expect from the thin head.

O - A solid Scotch Ale. Hits the basic criteria of a Scotch (high ABV, smoky, strong taste). However, it's not as good as Arcadia's Loch Down. The Dirty Bastard is a bit thicker without a corresponding stronger taste. The taste could be clearer and bigger for the body around it.

Serving type: bottle

12-15-2012 04:23:05 | More by MSR129

acelin

Kansas

3.35/5  rDev -17.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Poured on tap at the Beer Kitchen. Poured into a tasting glass.

Pours with a red/amber color, good lacing and a white head.

The nose is presented with caramel biscuity tones, with a light hint of floral hops.

The typical tea like bitterness was not present, instead, the taste buds are overwhelmed with mroe bitterness than what is typical of the style. Very American interpretation. Lots of caramel, sugar, and biscuit in the malt backbone. Slight spicyness from the alcohol.

Serving type: on-tap

12-14-2012 03:57:39 | More by acelin

BeerDawgs

Georgia

4.03/5  rDev -0.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - A dirty brown with no clarity, 1 finger of head, and nice sticky lace left all over the glass

S - Brown sugar, caramel, toffee, sweet and malty

T - Very sweet, like the aroma, and lots of brown sugar and toffee. Extra sweet finish. Hints of scotch of course.

M - Full bodied and medium carbonation. Smooth

O - ANother great beer from Founders. These guys do not know how to make an average beer. Everything is high quality and tasty...and strong! Cheers!

Serving type: bottle

12-08-2012 04:04:23 | More by BeerDawgs

andrewjraab

Michigan

3.93/5  rDev -3.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A - dark brown almost black pour that resulted in about an inch of creamy brown head. Head quickly dissipates but leaves a nice web of sticky head down the glass.

S - chocolate, malts, caramel, sweet scotch.

T- very complex flavor profile. Dark chocolate, caramel, malty, with a warming alcohol flavor to finish.

O - this is a truly interesting brew that is a superbly crafted and dazzles the taste buds.

Serving type: bottle

12-05-2012 04:51:05 | More by andrewjraab

TheSixthRing

California

4.13/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Appearance - Pours a dark, hazy amber brown with an off-white, half finger head. Sub-par retention. Lacing is spotty, with minimal stick.

Smell - Strong notes of caramel and brown sugar upfront, backed by lesser notes of chocolate and coffee.

Taste - Follows the nose. Hits on caramel and butterscotch upfront, with faint notes of coffee and dark chocolate balancing out the sweetness. Touches quickly on whole grain bread. Finishes much the way it starts. Simple, but flavorful with nice balance.

Mouthfeel - Medium bodied with fair carbonation. A touch creamy. Goes down with a velvety smoothness.

Overall - Nice, drinkable scotch. Great all-around balance. Does well to hide the 8.5%; my guess would've been around 6%. I could stand to drink several more of these. I've only tried a handful, but this is probably the best Scotch ale I've had to date.

Serving type: bottle

12-03-2012 03:28:06 | More by TheSixthRing

DelMontiac

Oklahoma

4.25/5  rDev +4.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Poured from a brown 12oz bottle into a Crown and Rose Pub nonic.

Murky copper/brown color forming thin head and leaves super fine lace that retracts quickly.

Really sweet smell of dark caramel-almost-burning kind of thing here backed by plum or elderberry jam making the mouth water. Some milk chocolate as well.

Flavors pretty much back the nose - dark sticky caramel, dark berry jams, molasses, brown sugar, chocolate, and vanilla. Spectacular.

Velvety, chewy feel that just makes you want to drown in the stuff. The tiny bubbles make it happen. Can I get a waterbed filled with this, please?

What a great Scotch Ale. As Dimebag Darrel would say, "Getcha pull!"

Don't stay thirsty my friends. Get some Founders and quench that thirst, dammit!

Serving type: bottle

12-02-2012 01:16:02 | More by DelMontiac

albertjr21

New York

4.35/5  rDev +7.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

12 oz bottle (with no bottle date) enjoyed in a snifter on 12/1/12. Pours a deep brown and ruby highlighted color under a well represented head. A complex aroma sings the notes of deep roasted sweet bready malt, dark fruit, mint, and caramel. Rich toasted malt and a fair load of hop character delivers a wee boozy and well spiced flavor. Mild smokey note echoes in the finish.

Serving type: bottle

12-01-2012 22:59:18 | More by albertjr21

GotWad629

Massachusetts

3.93/5  rDev -3.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Pours a dark brown with a tan head. Head disappears quickly.

Smell is floral, and roasty, with some hints of dark fruit.

I taste some cherry and caramel with a slight bitterness to back it up. The alcohol seems pretty well hidden for 8.5

The carbonation is very mellow and the overall mouthfeel is pretty light.

Another great beer from Founders

Serving type: bottle

11-30-2012 23:53:28 | More by GotWad629

stephenjmoore

Maryland

4.05/5  rDev -0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A- Dark cloudy brown body with a sticky tan head. Almost looks like muddy water with a nice head.

S- Caramel malts, roasted malts, a hint of cocoa powder and coffee, a noticeable piney hop aroma.

T- Very smooth, easy drinking malty flavor. Medium and dark malts combine with some interesting sweet flavors and a definite hop presence. A little bit of smokiness is there too and I really like that there is some hops with the malt at the forefront.

M- Very smooth with medium carbonation and a medium-full body. Coats the mouth with exceptional mouthfeel.

O- One of the better scotch ales I have tried. Good malt flavors, good hop presence, great feel.

Serving type: bottle

11-30-2012 01:18:31 | More by stephenjmoore

Solo_jeff

4.13/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours exactly what I expect from a scotch ale. A deep color that is somewhere between a copper and a dark brown/ruby. Rather flat on the pour which was a bit disappointing. Aromas of coffee and candied fruits. Very, very pleasing aromas that do remind me of mccallan 12yr. Toasty, but sweet at the same time with a hint of that peat. My biggest disappointment on the beer came on taste. It is just sort of "meh". Not much intensity or the sweet fruits on the pallet, rather, a bit of maltiness followed by a bitter finish. May have to add a few tasting notes as this one continues to reach room temperature.

Serving type: bottle

11-27-2012 03:14:05 | More by Solo_jeff

brureview

Massachusetts

3.88/5  rDev -4.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured in a tulip. The color is an attractive dark tea color.

The aroma is the beer's strongest feature: candy, toffee, honey, sweet-rich candy.

Mouth feel: smooth, although not as smooth as other beers in this style.

The taste was disappointing, and not on par with the aroma.
I was expecting a rich finish, similar to the aroma. The taste was bitter, and the alcohol in the finish overwhelmed the toffee flavors in the finish. The alcohol lingered with warming.

Not the best representation of a scotch ale/wee heavy- I have tasted a number of beers in this style and drinking this beer left me wanting more overall from the finish.

Old Chub, Alesmith, Mackroken Flower, to name a few, outrank this beer in this style.

Serving type: bottle

11-25-2012 03:00:19 | More by brureview

fauxpunker

3.73/5  rDev -8.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Bottle. Pours deep brownish red. Head a light tan. Sweet chocolate/caramel aroma and taste. Twists in a little bitterness, possibly from the hops, on the finish that's a bit rough. Clean, full mouth feel and not over carbonated. Hides the alcohol well, making it a touch dangerous. Good beer.

Serving type: bottle

11-23-2012 20:29:55 | More by fauxpunker

Infamous7100

Ohio

4.03/5  rDev -0.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Pours a nice carmel to redish orange with a thick tan head and nice lacing. Very nice looking.
S: all kinds of sweet malts and roasted barley, perhaps a tad of dark fruit. Pleasant and inviting.
T: the front is sweet in its entirety but fades nicely into some burnt overtones. The finish is decent blend of both along with some nutiness. Seems to be missing the fruit overtones I got in the nose.
M: silky smooth and creamy. Medium carbonation with body that isn't as heavy as the style would indicate. A nice, sweet hang.
O: A nice beer to enjoy in the colder months and a fantatic interpretation on the style. Enjoyed it thoroughly.

Serving type: on-tap

11-21-2012 00:13:49 | More by Infamous7100

fields336

North Carolina

3.9/5  rDev -3.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

bottled 8/29

a: ruby red- mahogany color with a tan thin head on top. the head dissipates very quickly, and leaves a thin lace around the edge, lacing on the glass is minimal.

s: rich, malty, some peat/smoke, burnt caramel notes are present, rich, buttery toffee. earthy smoke and some slight hop aroma is present.

t: rich toffee, and caramel notes, some smokey peat, burnt sugar, anise, and rich dark fruits are present. A nice bitterness from both the smoked malt and slightly from the hops.

m: rich, creamy, full bodied thick and chewy.

o: really nice example of a style thats not usually my favorite.

Serving type: bottle

11-20-2012 21:19:04 | More by fields336

M_C_Hampton

Georgia

4.6/5  rDev +13.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A: poured from a growler into a chalice, dark red-brown with a 1" light tan head that lingers leaving good lacing, clear, light stream of bubbles
S: caramel, toffee, molasses notes, earthy, robust, dark pumpernickle
T: sweet caramel notes up front with a big malt flavor, oaky earty notes, cherries, sweet lingering finish
M: full bodied with correct carbonation, alcohol makes itself known
O: a nice beer for cold weather, good complexity of flavors, pleasant sweet finish

Serving type: growler

11-20-2012 01:52:43 | More by M_C_Hampton

tectactoe

Michigan

4/5  rDev -1.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a deep ruby red with mild clarity and a decent amount of light shining through. Creamy, tan colored head on a somewhat aggressive pour; beer appears pretty thick and syrupy. Has a pretty basic, sweet and malty aroma, slightly boozy and full of dark fruity. Taste hits first with a bit of that alcoholic warmth, right alongside a handful of fruity, dark esters. Bourbon-soaked raisins are the first thing that come to mind. Some caramel sweetness leads into almost a slight tartness that takes on a white grape type of flavor. Heavy yeast was noticeable in the aftertaste as the beer fades, leaving your mouth tasting like bread soaked with booze - not bad. Body is medium - slightly thinner than the pour and appearance would have you think, mild creaminess and overall low carbonation.

This is a very nice wee heavy that I've been fortunate enough to have available year-round in most stores. Definitely a slow-drinker with a strong 8.5% ABV profile, but very inviting and flavorful all the way down.

Serving type: bottle

11-19-2012 15:36:02 | More by tectactoe