Great Divide Old Ruffian

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

Bottle; eye: burgundy, no effervescence, compact white head; nose: hops, alcohol; mouth: hops, alcohol, bitterness, finale all in bitterness, full body, velvety FRANÇAIS Bouteille; oeil : bourgogne, pas d’effervescence, mousse blanche compacte; nez : houblon, alcool; bouche : houblon, alcool, amertume, finale toute amère, corsée, velouté

Aroma is a rich caramely scent with hoppy back tones . Color is a deep orange with a slight haze. Carbonation is good with a nice thick tight head. Taste is sweet, rich and bitter. Starting with full body that goes down smooth with a rich feel and a bite on the end. Finish comes out of this bite with a sweet malt flavor that is quickly chased away by a bold bitterness and a light citrus hop flavor

Full bodied multi-faceted Barleywine. Mine was aged in the bottle in my closet for almost 2 years...not sure if that is a good or bad thing for this one, Very evergreen and crisp, a pleasant bitterness. A nice caramel syrup body compliments the hops. PIny.

First off, this one pours beautifully I think. A robust and slightly cloudy red with a strong hint of brown. Two finger head. Smell is powerfully sweet.My first taste was so thick with alcohol that I thought I was heading for a major disappointment. But after that initial draw, the alcohol seemed less in your face...err...mouth, though it was still strong through the remainder.

Draft at the brewery tap room in Denver. Poured a clear red-mahogany color. Head was bubbly and off white with good retention and lacing. Aroma was of flowery/citrusy hops. Moderate hop bitterness on the tongue. Tasted of burnt toffee, spicy malt, brown sugar, and black tea. Good barleywine.

Bottle. Pours a deep burnt copper in color. There is quite a bit of maltiness to this beer showing in a thick caramelly sweetness. There is a bit of hopiness to this beer as well, but I am missing the "mind-numbing 90 International Bittering Units". Very good however. Update* Had this on cask at the Gingerman in NYC. This lends tremendous justice to this beer. I bumbed up the scores a bit.

Date: March 18, 2005
Mode: Bottle
Source: Green’s, Atlanta
Appearance: hazy dark amber, small white head
Aroma: rich malty aroma with plenty of earthy hops
Flavor: big sweet carmel malt flavor with lots of hops to balance, lots of bitterness in the finish, hint of fruity character over shadowed by the hops
Overall: may get better in two years, lacking any distinctive character, somewhat mild, but mellows nicely, decidedily undecided

Date: January 06, 2007
Mode: bottle
Source: blind tasting
Score: 3.2 to 3.7
Appearance: muddy amber, creamy white head with frothy edges
Aroma: big sweet caramel malt aroma with earthy bitterness
Body: creamy body
Flavor: lots of earthy hop flavor, good caramel character, nice fruity sweetness
Overall: well balanced all around

Aroma: 7/10; Appearance: 8/10; Flavor: 7/10; Palate: 8/10; Overall: 15/20
Rating: 3.7/5.0
Score: **4

Poured from a 22oz bomber into a snifter. This barley wine poured a dark, hazy, reddish amber color with a big, foamy beige head that lasted. Some heavy, sticky lacing was left around the glass. The aroma of this brew was made up of carmael, toffee, citrus hops, and also a bit of pine. The flavor included a huge, upfront hoppiness that was followed up by a strong caramel malt presence. Notes of bitter grapefruit and pine were left lingering on the tounge. The mouthfeel was thick and full-bodied with a slight resiny feel. The carbonation was minimal. Overall, this was a good barley wine. Not the best of the best, but definately worth a try.