Great Divide Oak Aged Old Ruffian

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

Growler
Pours a hazy ruby amber colour with a small off white head. Nose is very aromatic, brown sugar, black cherry, oak and mild citrus hops and pine. Initial taste of dark fruits moving into a caramel & oak. Mid palate is slightly toasty. Finishing with bitter hops and sweet malts. Body is lighter than expected, Light to medium body. Good palate duration. Good head retention and excellent lacing of the glass. Dry finish. Alcohol is decently masked. Overall enjoyable!

Draft at Capone’s. Poured hazy magenta/brownish color with minimal head. Aroma was cherry, merlot, some oaky earthy notes, and hops. Smooth palate with a notable complexity, providing flavors of cherry, oaky earthy malt, cabernet, mild vanilla, and some figgy spirity notes at the finish. This one was nice.

Hand bottled from growler via trade with Ty5592 - Pours a hazy deep amber color with a thin film of a head. Aroma is full of esters, faint oak, and light citrus hops. Flavor is oak, dark esters, and caramel malt. Palate is fairly smooth. Medium body. Alcohol is pretty well hidden. Would have liked to have tried this fresh from the tap. A good beer. Thanks Ty.

Draft at Capone’s. Mostly clear ruby color, a good looking beer in the tulip. Tastes of sweet cherries, dark fruits, sherry and prevalent spicy hops. The oak and vanilla were present, but fairly subdued. Medium sweet finish. Very nicely put together.

On tap at Capones. Pours a lightly hazy reddish amber with a smaller bubbly/creamy lacing head. Aroma of light oak, woody, some dark fruits, toasted malts, hints of vanilla. Flavor of dark fruits, some toast, vanilla and light oak. ABV well hidden.

On tap. Poured a deep and muddy amberish color with a small sized off white head. Aroma sof citrus, lighter oaky/woodiness, caramel, and lightlly fruity. Tastes of wood/oak, vanilla, citrus, smoke, caramel, toffee, and fruity. Alcohol content well hidden. Smooth and very easy to drink! Barrel aging done nicely...not overpowering and added to the other aromas and tastes.

(draft) Crystal clear copper body with beige head, nice lacing. Aroma is medium sweet, pine/grapefruit, some plum/vinous, light oak. Taste is moderately sweet, pine, some grapefruit, raisin/vinous, oak. Medium-full body, alcohol well contained.

Clear dark burnt amber sienna color. Vinuous, chewy and with a medium thickness up front, very dry and parched from the oak, tastes of sweet candied marachino cherry flavored hops, not sour really at all, but it is biting and quite dry... sugary hop juice is pushed aside for dry oak planks... the dry wood flavors working well with the sweet candied malt flavors. Solid BW, in fact I like it more than the regular over-hopped, aggressive Old Ruffian. The oak aged is not nearly as aggressive or bitter. Vinuous and slick on the tongue, oily almost. Wine-like red grape aroma as times, very good overall.