Great Divide Old Ruffian

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

Tap. Pours a dark copper color with a decent sized beigew colored head. Aroma of sweet caramel malts, dried fruits, alcohol. Flavor is sweet caramel, molasses, brown sugar, vanilla, raisins, alcohol. Palate is full bodied, mildly carbonated, sticky, resinous, sweet, finished bitter. Excellent!

Murky, deep amber appearance with a small, tan head and little lacing. Hoppy, pine needle aroma up front followed by caramel malts and soft fruit. In a twist, the sweet, rich malts are in the forefront of the taste, with the hoppier, resinous, earthy, bitter flavors dominating the back tastebuds and the aftertaste. Everything meshes exceptionally well to produce a classy example of the style.

Hop nose with alcohol and hevay malt sweetness underneath. Layered appearance. Light, cloudy amber at the top that turns completely opaque and bloody towards the bottom. Thick, chewy, silky palate. Sweet flavor, some hops, balanced. Very drinkable BW.

Bottle. Nose is dominated by hops, but with some sweet malt presence. Smells dark and sticky. Pours a completelty opaque dark amber/copper with thin-patchy, yet beautiful lacing. The appearance is a dark red version of the most cloudy cider you’ve ever met. Smooth and seriously chewy palate. Taste is classic barleywine sweet/alcohol. Some smoke flavor, but mostly sweet.

1 pint 6 fl. oz. bottle. Deep red colour and clear. Small beige head. Pungent rich aromas. Intense malty flavours and a huge hop aroma. Nicely balanced. Rich raisiny flavours. Hops are quite prominent without going overboard. Aroma-wise the is one of the more intense beers I’ve tried. Not too strong, but it gives a warming sensation.

22 oz bomber courtesy of Kramer17801. Pours organey borwn with a nice light tan head. The aroma portends an alcholic taste, with big notes of malt, raisans, and a bit of hops. The taste is strong sweet, and potent hitting my throat with a big punch soon after taking the first sip. I don’t know the vintage of this brew or how well it might age, but its a little high octane on the alc for only 10.27%. That said Oaked Yeti is like that too, and I don’t complain there. This is a soild BW, no complaints, just could be better.

Pours out a dark, murky, ruby red. Aroma of malts, brown sugar, raisins, and some hops. Forms a small light brown head. Flavor of caramel, purest of lovely malts, and bursts with hops! Nice barley wine style beer! Now, its not quite up to Weyerbacher Blithering Idiot, or Duck Rabbit Heads BW, but its god enough not to pass up. GD does a good job, as they do in most of their beers IMO.

Bottle 75. [Tasting @ Per 23-02-2007]. Head was close to none excising. What was there was off-white like and frothy. Body was clear and color was amber. In nose came a mix of rye bread, caramel, grapefruit, pine, wood, wild flowers. Full bodied with an alcoholic warming texture and a flat carbonation. Flavor was moderated bitter (90 IBU) with some sweet notes to balance it. Quit different then other Barley Wines that I have had. The heavy hope profile is evident all the way. Nice and surprisingly good Barley!