Great Divide Barrel Aged Old Ruffian

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

Serve in Snifter

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Bottle. A brown pour with a decent tan head that allows some lacing. Deep, dark fruit flavors and aroma. A hint of whiskey as well along with nice hop notes.

750 @dmac’s willblake is back in NJ tasting-thanks dmac –pours copper with offwhite bubbles. Aroma is medium/dark fruit-dates, 2nd medium malt-peat. Taste is medium/dark fruit-dates, 2nd medium malt-peat/wood.

Bottle @ home. 11.8% abv, 2012 vintage. Let’s see if this mofo is worth $25-28 for a 750mL. Dark red orange appearance with a nicely carbonated, tan head. Initially a pretty floral hoppy aroma but that gets overtaken by an oaky, whiskey, dark caramel, light vanilla, a bit boozy aroma. Warming, dark fruity, rich caramel/chocolate, whiskey, big vanilla/oaky, coconut flavor. The floral hoppiness doesn’t come through nearly as much in the flavor. More smooth and less boozy than the normal version despite the higher abv. Lots of dark fruits in the flavor and a fair amount of toffee and caramel. Smooth, toasty caramel malty, dark toffee finish. I’m quite surprised on the drinkability and smoothness of this brew. No burn on the finish and not really any fusel alcohol notes. Not sure if it’s worth the huge price tag, but I do like it a lot more than the normal version.

2012 bottle #3041, opened at home, treat to myself. Thick dark reddish basically black pour, cream khaki off white head that fades fairly quickly but laces well. Aroma is huge dark fruits, big molasses, toffee, nice whiskey notes with hints of vanilla, lots of burnt toffee/caramel, slight grassy notes as well but really big sweet caramel, dark fruits and whiskey notes throughout. Taste is fantastic, big smooth toffee, dark fruits, big vanilla and coconut notes mixing into a woody whiskey middle, nice sweet dark fruits with some green and dark raisin, figs, more burnt sugars towards the end with a fairly sweet finish, the heat comes through just slightly but really not much. Fantastic stuff.

In short: A heavy malted and woody beer that is way too easy to drink. Excellent
How: Bottle 750ml. First release (2009?), bottle #168/461. Consumed when over 2 years of age. Big tanks to Rob from Goebel for this one
The look: Cloudy bronze body topped by a persistent small beige head
In long: Nose is heavily butterscotch, alcoholised dessert and only a mild-medium barrel presence. Taste is surprisingly not too cloying sweet, this is a 12.7% beer with the alcohol ratjer well hidden, rich caramel, some butterscotch, light notes of berries, toffee, light buttery notes. There is a strong barrel presence but it feels like straight wood barrel and not bourbon barrels or other boozy barrels. Here it is more like good old straight old wood barrels and it dries out the beer very nicely and adds a pleasant light astringency. With my first glass I thought it was pretty good but then the more I drank it the more I loved it, which is exactly the opposite of the effect a monster 12.7% beer usually has on me. Excellent beer, surprisingly I preferred this batch over the regular Old Ruffian. Another big bottle of big sweet beer that I drank too easily, but I’m not blaming my weight gain on the people working in the crafbeer industry, because I don’t eat those people.

Bottle via trade with boamr, thanks Ryan for this rare gem. Poured ugly, slightly muddy orange/choclate brown body with no real head, a few super small bubbles of light beige with super agitation. Aroma more than made up for the ugly appearance, nice and sweet overall with notes of honey, molasses, toffee, barrel, hint of vanilla, bread. Fuller body with a syrupy feel, soft carbonation, and a chalky finish. Flavor is similar to the aroma with notes of vanila, toffee, molasses, oak barrel, dry toast, dry caramel, maple syrup. really nice stuff here.

Bottle shared thanks to Dmac. Pours out a moderate to murky dark caramel color. Aroma is of bourbon, oak, some caramel, toffee and wood. Taste is a very nice balance, caramel toffee, oak, bourbon, vanilla, light earthy notes with not much of the stronger content showing through, just enough to let you know it is there.

Bottle 831 of 1188 shared by Dmac at his house. Pours murky caramel. Nose/taste of caramel, toffee, vanilla, oak, whiskey and sweet malts. Medium body.

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!