Great Divide Barrel Aged Old Ruffian

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

Serve in Snifter

Pours a beautiful brown color. Nice thick head that hangs around. Fantastic flavor of sweet malts, heavy vanilla and oak. The flavor is fairly hot with alcohol, which is the only flaw that I can find. Great beer.

(Bottle generously shared by Rusty at Black Friday). Pours a dark amber color with no real head. Aroma has alcohol and wood. Taste is sweet with lots of heat and some band-aid. Medium bodied with a sticky mouthfeel. This was just ok.

2009 vintage. Thanks to FeDUBBELFIST for sharing. Pours a dark amber/chestnut brown color with mahogany edges and a half finger beige head that quickly settles into a thin ring. Sporadic spots of lace left behind. Earthy, slightly boozy aroma with a good balance of barrel, leathery malt and sweetness. Hints of toasted oak and a prominent vanilla character as well as some bourbon followed by leathery malts. Thinner bodied than expected with a slick mouthfeel that gibes way toward the end of the palate to a dry, slightly hot finish. Well balanced with a decent barrel character that doesn’t overpower/overwhelm the other flavors. Dry toasted oak flavor along with some sweet bourbon and a strong vanilla character. This is countered mid-palate by some earthy malt and hints of caramel, toffee and hazelnut. There is a decent amount of booze but the high ABV is well masked resulting in one of the most quaffable barrel aged beers I’ve had in a while. Thanks again Kiel!

Big thanks to argo0 for this one! Cloudy brown pour. The nose holds beautifully complex and nuanced barrel, with the classic vanilla, woody whiskey, and sweet chocolate mixed with a very nice raisin and port presence. The flavor is really nice, with more dark fruit and vinous notes mixed with tasty chocolate. Very solid brew.

Bottle at Black Friday tasting. Aroma-very malty sweet. All around solid barley wine. The bitterness now seems a bit high, as I think the barrel aging and age make it feel more like an Engligh BW.

Red-amber, large-bubbled cream ring, heavy malt nose. Lightly bitter oak, light oxidation with heavy malt, sugar, cardboard. Flavor is more burnt malt, caramel, and cardboard, oxidation and sugars running wild here.

75cl bottle. Cloudy dark amber body, small off-white head. Aroma is moderately sweet, whiskey, caramel. Taste is moderately sweet, caramel, some whiskey, light alcohol. Medium-full body, low carbonation.

750mL thanks to argo0. Getting the last pour here- dregs and yeast on muddy amber. Yellow head diminishing. Spicy nose. Chalk. Taste is richer, nicely balanced on the palate with lemon and caramel and quenching neautrality with lemon and orange peel. Very nice overall. Clean, neutral, hoppy, bitter. Nicely balanced. Good stuff.