Backwoods Bastard Ale Aged in Oak Bourbon Barrels

Review Date 4/2/2026 By John Staradumsky

  Style: Scotch Ale   Brewery: Founders   Country: USA   State: Michigan   $ Per OZ: $.31 (B)   ABV: 11%

Here’s a long overdue beer review: Founders Backwoods Bastard Ale Aged in Oak Bourbon Barrels. As far as I can tell, the first time I had this beer was in November of 2015. This was on tap at Taco Mac here in Canton; I was enjoying a few beers with fellow beer savant Jefferson Evans and did not take any notes.

I next enjoyed the beer at home from a bottle, and again did not take detailed notes, but I did post up to Untappd and remarked:

Just love the way the boozy bourbon notes pop against the caramelly, smoked peat Scotch Ale notes.

This is, of course, a bigger, bolder and barrel aged version of the classic Founders Dirty Bastard Scotch Ale. Founders says:

Expect lovely, warm smells of, oaky bourbon barrels, sweet caramel and roasted malts, a bit of earthy spice and scintilla of dark fruit. It’s a kick-back sipper made to excite the palate.

Ingredients from the website:

Hops: Nugget, Williamette

Malts: Abbey, Crystal

Founders Backwoods Bastard Ale Aged in Oak Bourbon Barrels has an alcohol content of 11% by volume with 50 IBUs. As Founders barrel-aged beers go, this one is sold at a great price. I paid $14.99 for a 4-pack at Total Wine, about $10 less than KBS and CBS. My bottles are stamped Bottled on 07/24/23.

Founders Backwoods Bastard Ale Aged in Oak Bourbon Barrels pours to a dark mahogany color with a thick fluffy tan head and a nose of chewy caramel malt and boozy scotch whiskey. Taking a sip, the beer is medium to full in body. It’s rich and chewy with caramel toffee notes, slightly peaty, a tad woody, and boozy with even more Scotch notes than the nose promised. It finishes warm and dry and again, you guessed it, boozy with Scotch notes.

Scotch Ale and Scotch Whiskey! What’s better than that? I’m sure I don’t know and hey, it is just me or does that look like Gandalf on the label?  

Glad I tried it?  T

Would I rebuy it??