Great Divide Oak Aged Old Ruffian

Pours foggy reddish brown. with a thin white head.A little lacing. Aroma is Oak, malt and a little fruit. Flavor is very bitter like Aspirin. Very strong bitter really kills any other flavors this beer may have. Taste more like an IPA than a Barley Wine. I did not like this beer what so ever. I probably rated this beer higher than it should be. Would not drink this beer even if it was the only beer I had left.

Cranberry-hued auburn. Tightly-packed dirty-white fringe surrounds a broken center of head. Pervasive raw oak aroma with lighter shades of sugary malt (brown sugar, molasses), vanilla, plum, and dried strawberry. Notably medicinal due to the high concentration of wood and sugar. Dense carbonation. Viscous and oily on the palate. Tongue is immediately bludgeoned by a sappy, sugary and oaky onslaught. Unclean and poorly attenuated right from the get go. Delicate sting of tannins unsuccessfully displaces any sweetness whatsoever. Molasses-drenched vanilla cake further compounds the muddled nature, and all that remains in its wake is unclean pungent wood, cardboard (oxidation), and oppressively sweet and overripe fruitiness. Highly medicinal, as well. The raw wood assault never relents, and is worsened by the excessive vanilla byproduct it generates. Resinous hops, rotten grapefruit, and hints of blood oranges amplify the syrupy, medicinal cloyingness. Slick plum fruitiness tarnishes the already flabby finish. Though the oxidation is one major detraction, it isn’t the oxidation as much as it is the graceless oakiness and medicinal rampancy that make this challenging to consume.

Hand-bottled 12oz courtesy of WeeHeavySD and shared with dalekliz and cyn. copper colored with no head. sweet aroma. flavor sweet carmel and lots of alcohol. hints of whiskey with notes of vanilla.

Hand-bottle. Thanks to WeeHeavySD for sharing! Clear reddish-orange with no real head. Intense clean aroma of hops and fruit. Flavor not nearly as intense as the aroma suggests it will be. Smooth, bitter, and woodsy. Nice, full mouthfeel, like brandy or cognac. Interesting and tasty.

999th rating, 20th Rating of this brew. 12 oz handbottle from my buddy Ty5592. Thanks. Shared with Cyn, dalekliz and bikesandbeer. Pours amber/copper with a super thin ring bright white in color. Nose is sweet, oaky and pretty nice with some dark fruit in there as well. Taste is caramely with a bit of a sweet sticky character in it. This is good and definetly feels different than the normal version. Lots of interesting things happening in this brew.

Many thanks to Todd for getting this to me from the best beer bar in the world! Poured clear reddish-orange with a solid 1/2" of off-white head. The aroma picked up sweet, lightly toasted dark fruits with lesser (but only slightly) caramel.. oak and vanilla are subtle, but provide intriguing overtones.. bright floral hops emerge with warmth. The flavor began with syrupy dark fruits and a complement of sour oak washing over the tip of the tongue.. the middle is where it really got good.. vinous notes, caramel, and darker fruit are layered intricately, and are surrounded by vanilla, more oaky sourness, and floral bitterness (not as heavy and bitter as the regular version).. vanilla, caramel, and vinous notes ride out the finish. Heavier-bodied and a touch syrupy on the palate with low carbonation.. the sour oaky accents worked well, as well as the floral bitterness. Solid stuff!

Hand bottle. Sampled at YEHA. Aroma is light wood, caramel. Cloudy brown body. Flavor is vanilla, oak, caramel, light sugar.

Growler. Hazy amber/orange color. Not head. Strong fruity, hoppy, woody aroma. The taste was the same as the aroma but with light toasted notes and slight alcohol burn.