Great Divide Barrel Aged Old Ruffian

Brewed by Great Divide Brewing Company
Style: Barley Wine
Denver, Colorado USA

Sampled at Skyview’s tavern. To me this didn’t have many of the qualities of regular Old Ruffian (which is one of my favorite barley wines), but that doesn’t mean it was bad. The barrel aging is very apparent and this baby is super complex with high notes of oak, whiskey, vanilla, light caramel, and subdued hops. It certainly is a challenging beer, and I was up for that challenge.

Bottle #346/461 poured into a snifter. Pours a deep, clear copper with a one-finger rock off-white head that lingered a good while leaving very good lacing. A significant cap hangs out throughout the session. The aroma is delicious with the normal caramel malts and toffee sweetness complemented nicely by the big bourbon and vanilla presence from the oak. Some dark fruit sweetness and a hint of hops are present, though the hops are definitely less pronounced than in the regular Ruffian. The taste actually seems a bit boozier than the aroma with a huge bourbon kick up front that lingers all the way to the aftertaste with an alcohol burn. In between is plenty of vanilla and oak presence. The underlying Ruffian is also there but the caramel malts and toffee sweetnes are really subtle underneath the powerful barrel properties. I did get some citrus hops in the taste that I couldn’t sense in the aroma. The mouthfeel is plenty creamy with good carbonation. The barrel presence really makes itself felt on the palate with dry wood and booze all over the place. This is a great beer but the bourbon in the taste might be a tad too much for me (and I love bourbon). Either way, I’m glad I got the opportunity to try it.

750ml bottle #271/461, big thanks to BeerandBlues2, thanks Brad. Nice dark brown with and orange/red tinge too it. Nice clingy light tan head as well. Muted sweet aroma. Some hoppiness too this, slight sweetness and a decent alcohol kick in the finish. Pretty drinkable though, I like it.

750mL shared by BDR at Skyview’s The Thrilla in Bob’s Villa. Poured into a copita glass with no head and a thick, murky orange/brown body. Hey basically it was an all wood, all aggressive maltiness, alcohol, and lots of strong, nose piercing flavors and smells. If this was made 5 years ago it may have been more interesting, and if I disliked tasting my beer and wanted it to taste just like oak and whiskey then I may have enjoyed this more. Glad I tried it though.

750 ml bottle # 77 / 461. Color is a deep amber with mellow carbonation and a small tight head. Aroma is rich and sweet with a nice oak scent. Taste is rich and oakey. Starting with a full body that goes down sharp with a rich feel. Finish is big with bold flavors of sweet caramel and vanilla then a coffee like bitterness followed by some oak and whisky. After taste is slightly dry with a whisky like feel and some alcohol. The first few sips are a little rough but it seems to mellow as you drink it. Overall this is a great Barley Wine, I think aging it in oak barrels mellows the hops and makes it a better and much more complex brew then the regular Ruffian.

750ml bottle $24.99. These expensive beers scare me. I was not disappointed that I bought this one. Nice dark brown color, darker than normal ruffian. Smells like whiskey, vanilla, hops? tastes like oak, vanilla, whiskey but subtle with hints of toffee that I get from regular ruffian. This is not just whiskey, you can actually taste the barleywine in this, nice. One small sip does warm the belly so you can feel the alcohol but it doesn’t play much of a factor in the taste. Serving type: bottle Reviewed on: 10-14-2008 02:22:39

Shared by IrishBoy. Foggy brown. Aroma is malty, toffee, alcohol, and oak. Taste is a light hoppiness, alcohol, toffee, caramel malt.

(sample from irishboy)brown body with a light brown head.aroma is oak,vanilla,cotton candy,bourbon,hops,and caramel malts.flavor is much of the same with some slight alcohol heat.