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Great Divide Old Ruffian 3.9 919

Great Divide Old Ruffian

Percentile
99
overall

bottled
common

on tap
available

Broad Distribution
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RatingsAverageScoreABVStyle PctlServe in
9193.91/5.03.9/5.010.27%93.4Snifter
Commercial Description:
Old Ruffian is a hefty, hop-forward Barley Wine. Seemingly mellow at first sniff, with its subtle fruit aromas and complex caramel sweetness, this deep mahogany-hued ale quickly shows its true character marked by bold hop flavors and massive hop bitterness. Old Ruffian’s rich, slightly creamy, caramel malt mouthfeel balances its grapefruit, pine, and floral hop flavors, working wonders on your palate.
A mind-numbing 90 International Bittering Units (IBUs).
 Most Recent Top Raters Highest Ratings Who's Rated This?  
 Goodgrief (1186), Middletown, Delaware, USA
3.8 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
8/103/58/104/515/20

Jan 26, 2008  
March 2006 - This was a good barleywine. Strong aroma leapt from the smallish head. Aroma and flavor was caramel malt and hop bitterness. The highlight was the nice, thick mouthfeel. A little aggressive on the hops for my liking, but a nice sweetness attempted to balance it out. Could use a little mellowing to make the tastes blend a little. Not bad...would try again.

 b33r (389), Cleveland, Ohio, USA
3 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
6/102/55/103/514/20
Mar 21, 2010  
Color is medium brown with no head and no lacing. Aroma is hoppy and sweet with a little banana. Flavor is all hops and very bitter. It was fairly simple and boring overall


 Mora2000 (564), Dallas, Texas, USA
4 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
8/104/58/104/516/20
Mar 19, 2010  
Thanks to hudsonphotog for sharing this bottle. I have tried it many times but this is the first time I have reviewed it. Bottled 1/8/09 and drank 2/27/10. Pours a hazy amber color with a large off-white head. The aroma is complex, with brown sugar, caramel and dark fruit. The flavor is brown sugar, hop bitterness, caramel, dark fruit and molasses. Medium, very smooth mouthfeel and medium carbonation.


 cprochak (520), Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
3.7 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
6/105/57/104/515/20
Mar 16, 2010  
22 oz bottle bottled on 12/22/09 tasted blind on 3/11/10. Pours beautiful ruby with bubbly tan head and good lacing. Aroma of pine, caramel and licorice. Nice rich sweet flavor with a balanced bitterness. Medium body, good carbonation, a little oily, but a bit boozy. Would love to have this with a little age.


 philbertk (867), Seattle, Washington, USA
3.8 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
7/103/58/103/517/20
Mar 14, 2010  
Great Divide Brewing Company--Old Ruffian Barley Wine Style Ale--2006 22 oz. Bottle. 10.20% ABV--90 IBU’s. (4.25 / 5.0) 2 @ $5.99 Each. Rich lacy orangeish head. Cloudy rich dark amber color. Thick pour. Tight sediment. Smoky caramel fruit subtle hop front. Complex rich creamy mellow caramel fruit earthy smoky rustic toffee body. Hot spicy rich hop EtOH malty crusty end. Hoppy.Aged Well. Sampled 10/4/2008.


brainlair (69), Maryland, USA
3.4 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
6/104/57/103/514/20
Mar 9, 2010  
2008 22oz bottle opened in 2010. Pours a light transparent reddish brown with a thin head. Not very much in the way of aroma, just alcohol and a little sweetness. Tastes quite bitter and malty, with alcohol and some sweetness. OK, but it was sort of one dimensional- the bitterness overwhelms everything else.


 boFNjackson (1427), Portland, Oregon, USA
3.7 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
7/104/57/103/516/20
Mar 9, 2010  
Tap @ Barleywine & Big Beer Fest... [2007 vintage] Poured clear, amber/orange with a thin, white head. Still a big of hops even after a fews years of aging. Light alcohol flavors with malted grains, oats, fruits, and a little kick of sweetness in the finish. The yeast gave off almost a tea-like body.


 neepsntatties (440), Portland, Oregon, USA
3.6 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
7/103/57/103/516/20
Mar 6, 2010  
Had the ’07 of this on tap today at the Lucky Lab Big Beer and Barley Wine Tastival in Portland, OR. Colour... translucent amber with no head. Nose... sugared hops! Palate... plenty of CO2, very hoppy with some more hops and a lingering bit of hops with a smidge of malt. Rather one dimensional; but nice for hop heads!


smern (4), Santa Rosa, California, USA
does not count click to see why this rating of Great Divide Old Ruffian  does not count
3.9 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
7/103/58/104/517/20
Mar 5, 2010  
A hint of the hops on the nose shared with a candy sweetness. I can taste nice bittering for early to mid palate. Mid I get some chocolate or burnt malt, but overwhelmingly I am reminded of a tootsieroll candy (in a good way) most likely due to the caramel flavors. Finishes bitter enough to want another sip but not overpoweringly. Overall, very well balanced and drinkable given its ABV.



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