Founders-Dirty Bastard Scotch Style Ale

Overall: B

Price: B+

Taste: B-

Type: Bottle

8.5% ABV-50 IBU

First off, if you don’t like Scotch style ales, you won’t like this.  And if you haven’t tried a Founders before, this isn’t a good place to start.  This beer is pretty readily available now, and I don’t think it really represents the style or Founder’s.  It’s not a terrible beer, it just has some odd notes in the bitterness which usually balance out in a traditional Scotch ale.  There are some wonderful citrus hops, especially orange, and spice notes of chesnut and hazelnut.  The beer pours a little cloudy, a deep red with brown amber edges.  It’s got a smooth start, and a bitter finish, but it’s missing something in the middle.  It’s missing real passion.  One friend, who had never had a Scotch ale before, said, “This beer tastes like blood.”  I’m not sure what she meant by that, but I don’t think it was good.  BUT, if you love Scotch ales, this is a fanastic deal for about 12 or 13 dollars a six pack.   It’s a great beer for those who want a bitter, hoppy, strong Scotch that’s drinkable and affordable.  I’m just not that into this.

Conclusion:  Great price, but only for those who love Scotch ales.  I don’t think this is Founder’s best work.  It needs to be more balanced.

Food Pairing: Corned Beef or Pastrami, Kidneys, and Haggis (obviously).

“What event is more awfully important to an English colony than the erection of its first brewhouse?”

-Reverend Sidney Smith