Great Divide Barrel Aged Old Ruffian

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

750ml bottle. Pours a strange fecal brown with a foamy tan head. This beer does not pour like a barley wine. The aroma is of oak, whiskey, caramel, malt, chocolate, alcohol, and vanilla. The aroma is very rich in flavors and smells fantastic. The taste is of caramel malt, chocolate, grass, vanilla, and spice. Huge oak and whiskey flavors dominate the beer, but don’t make it seem unbalanced. Lingering taste of oak, alcohol, and vanilla. Mouthfeel is thick and creamy. The alcohol compliments the beer very well, but turns this beer into a definite sipper. Finish is all harsh alcohol. Although it seems to have lost any barley wine characteristics in the barrel aging process, it is still an amazing beer. One of the most enjoyable beers I have had, even though you can do little more than slowly sip on it. I goddamn loved it.

Bottle opened by JW77...thanks for sharing this gem Jon. Pours a nice dark brown colo with a light tan head. Aroma is damn nice...tons of bourbon, wood, vanilla, brown sugar, syrup and caramel. Flavor is full of sweet bourbon, oak, lots of vanilla, brown sugar...mmmm mmmm good!!

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.

purple red with a yellowish head.. love this nose, almost smokey, vanilla, berry..love it. alcohol and berry flavors with a nice woody tartness. the barrel notes accent well and make this a very good beer. throughout this there has been a tangerine note that is odd, but not bad. 5 8 9 5 18

750 ml bottle from ratman197. 220/461 Bottled 08/2008. Nose of vanilla, oak, dark fruit, caramel, and bourbon. Cloudy brown with a small offwhite, glass lacing head. Flavor of vanilla, golden raisins, bourbon, peppery spiciness, and light hop bitterness. finish was lightly hoppy and mild warmth.

What a great beer. The pour is a clear dark brown with a bit of a tan head. The nose is wonderful chewy malts and big hops with a nice compliment from the bourbon barrel. All of the great Ruffian flavors are there and the booze and oak are just along for the ride. Full and rich with a dry alcoholic finish. I love this.

Pours a brownish dark maroon color, with a medium light beige head. Smells of rich bourbon, vanilla cream, caramel, dark fruits, and yeast. Really dug that nose. Awesome. The flavor was of Rich caramel cream and bourbon, with dark fruits, and malts balancing it out, so it wasnt overly hot or a bourbon bomb. Went down smooth as silk, and was extremely flavorful. Great barrel aging on this brew, as it seemed made just right for it. Bravo.

Bottle 193/461: Big thanks for this one maniac. Beautiful mahogany body with a light ivory head. A great aroma, nice oak and vanilla accents. Taste is outstanding, a bit thicker than expected which is nice. Great toffee, nuts, oats... some dark fruit, maybe plums. Smooth ending with great accents from the oaking. Outstanding beer overall.