Monthly Archives: December 2013

Beer Reviews

562. Founders Brewing Backwoods Bastard

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Founders Backwoods BastardI know there are plenty of people out there that will disagree with me on this review and they have every right to. I review beer by my personal preference and I generally do not like big bourbon tasting beers. Beer should taste like beer not bourbon so when I come across a boozy beer like this I sip it and try to enjoy the complex flavors but the booze is hard to ignore. The same goes for coffee flavored beer, I don’t like coffee so a beer that has big coffee notes is not going to do well by me.

This beer has a great dark color and a nice tan head that dissipates quickly. Aroma has plenty of bourbon and alcohol. The taste is complex with some dark fruits, vanilla and the bourbon finish that just overpowers everything else. This is a good example of a barrel aged beer but not something that I enjoyed or would buy again. Giving it 3 stars as it is a complex well made beer just not my style. 
Pros: Complex
Cons: Bourbon overload
Alcohol Content: 10.2% ABV
Calories: ???
IBU (Bitterness): 50
Rating: 
Brewers Website: Founders Brewing
Brewers Description: Expect lovely, warm smells of single malt scotch, oaky bourbon barrels, smoke, sweet caramel and roasted malts, a bit of earthy spice, and a scintilla of dark fruit. It’s a kick-back sipper made to excite the palate.

Beer Reviews

561. Founders Brewing Cerise

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Founders CeriseThis bottle is actually from 2012 and I almost forgot I had it. Founders replaced Cerise (a cherry beer) with Rubaeus (a raspberry beer) in 2013 due to a shortage of cherries in Michigan. After having both beers I have to say I enjoyed Rubaeus more than Cerise so hoping they continue with Rubaeus in 2014 even if the cherry crop is better.

Cerise pours a nice deep red, not like a red ale but more like cranberry juice. The head was gone in a couple of minutes and no lacing on the glass. There was also a fair amount of sediment in the bottom of the glass – not sure if this was due to the year plus in my basement or if it was intended. Aroma was all cherry.

Taste again was dominated by cherry but it was not a kool aid type cherry taste and you can definitely tell you are drinking a beer as there was a nice malt sweetness to offset the tart cherries. This was a very nice beer and easy to drink but not sure I would want more than one in any sitting. 
Pros: 
Cons: 
Alcohol Content: 6.5% ABV
Calories: ???
IBU (Bitterness):
Rating: 
Brewers Website: Founders Brewing
Brewers Description: 

Beer Reviews

560. Founders Brewing Porter

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Founders PorterDecided to open a few bottles of Founders last weekend. Since they are 12 ounce bottles it was easy to get through a couple each day and get reviews done. Started on the low end of the ABV spectrum with their Porter which checks in at 6.5% ABV.

I generally enjoy porters so was looking forward to this one. Not surprisingly this beer was very dark with a thin tan head. Lots of chocolate and other roasted malts in the nose but very little coffee which is a plus for me. The beer is very lightly carbonated but still has a bold rich taste with those same cocoa and roasted malts in the aroma but also a nice hop bite. I drank this beer after only an hour in the fridge so it was chilled but certainly not cold. Seems like this was a good temp for the beer as the flavors really came through.

Overall this was a very enjoyable beer and something I prefer to the huge barrel aged imperial stouts. 
Pros: Quite tasty and drinkable
Cons: 
Alcohol Content: 6.5% ABV
Calories: ???
IBU (Bitterness): 45
Rating: 
Brewers Website: Founders Brewing
Brewers Description: Pours silky black with a creamy tan head. The nose is sweet with strong chocolate and caramel malt presence. No absence of hops gives Founders’ robust porter the full flavor you deserve and expect. Cozy like velvet. It’s a lover, not a fighter.