Backwoods Bastard

The old man saunters down the mountain with an old hip and a new beer...

Bourbon-barreled aged beers are all the rage. The barrels boost the alcohol, complexity and rarity. 

If, and I mean if, they are made well. 

Here we find Backwoods Bastard, from Founders Brewery in Grand Rapids, MI.

Appearance: Pours a deep ruby with a slight brown hue. Some fine sediment suspended in the glass. The off-white, 2 inch head is bulky and stays put for a while before leaving a fine ½ inch cap and some hefty lacing. 8.5/10

Body: Semi-lazy, but assertive carbonation rolls in and expands for a creamy touch. Medium to be sure, but thins out quickly. 7.6/10

Nose: Bourbon-drizzled caramel, oak-driven vanilla bean and unfortunately, an overbearing, seriously boozy note walks in and eclipses everything else.7.2/10

Taste: Sweet, malty with some minor fruit notes. Again the bourbon barrel has a ton to say, and trust me, it won’t shut up. The thin body doesn’t help and this beer falls a bit flat. I’m not dumping it out, of course, but I’m not buying it again. 7.1/10

Overall: 7.7/10