Great Divide Old Ruffian

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

1 or 2 years old, haven’t any notes of the purchase time. Muddy red brown with a small creamy tan head. There are some great aged notes of dried fruits and port in the aroma, but still also some American hops with pine mostly. It’s sweet, yes, but balanced by hops (still very present) and alcohol. Has a smooth, creamy mouthfeel, but it’s deceiving: it leaves your mouth a war zone of hops and alcohol - which also results in a long aftertaste...of Great Divide, basically.

Dark reddish amber pour with a decent off-white head that fades quickly. Nice hoppy nose filled with citrusy tang and some woodsy, piney notes. Flavor is grapefruity hops over rich caramel malt. Very well balanced with a nice, smooth mouthfeel. Excellent.

Bottled (10,2% ABV). A clear red amber beer with a medium sized and fast disappearing beige head. Strong aroma of American hops with notes of grapefruit and pine. Also caramel, fruits and alcohol. The flavour starts sweet and thick, but then the hops prevail with a very high bitterness. Quite simple flavours, but enough pleasant. Creamy mouthfeel, full body, soft/average carbonation, long finish with unbelievable bitterness. The alcohol is not so hidden. A good stuff, not overly syrupy, but not the best offering from Great Divide.

22 oz bomber. Deep amber beer, thich white head. Aroma is richly malty with lots of bright pine and a bit of resin. There is a soft cookie dough malt sweetness in back. Flavour is very nice and hoppy, immediately there is a toasty malty sweetness that is quickly followed by a strong piny/resiny bitterness. There is a soft cherryish fruitiness in the middle. Warming intensifies the fruity/piny hoppiness which lingers all the way through the finish. Lots of sticky resiny bitterness. Brash, but tasty.

The nose is very sweet malty, and hoppy. Full-bodied, alcoholic and very extracted is the beer itself. Fruit and earthy hops emerge as the beer warms to room temp. Overall, a very sticky and hoppy barley wine that is admirable. However, there is too much alcohol showing which detracts from the rest of the beer.

Pours a hazy brown color with a fluffy off-white head. That leaves a bit of sticky lacing on the glass. Smells of malt and quite a bit of booze. Tastes sweet and malty but there is also a bit of hop spiciness in there as well. Damn nice mouthfeel. Good carbonation. Thick like a BW should be but not overly thick. Good barleywine.

Orange/brown in colour, large beige coloured head, excellent retention and lacing. Aroma is quite hoppy, lots of caramel sweetness, pine, light chocolate. The flavour is again quite hoppy, piney, earthy, caramel malt sweetness, woody, toffee, very chewy. Moderately bitter mouthfeel, medium/large body, medium/high carbonation. Finishes very long, very hoppy, light alcohol, sticky. A big and chewy barleywine, lots of hops and quite sweet. Only a bit of alcohol in noticable, good balance.

650ml bottle obtained in a trade with <a href=http://www.ratebeer.com/ViewUser.asp?U target=blank>TheCheeseMan, thanks Dan.
Received on November 23, 2007 and opened on November 29, 2007
No date.

Tasted at By The Bottle’s tasting--Nice deep mahogany body like the label says. Great thick robust hoppy and malty character. A monstrous brew. Resinous and piny without the annoying cloying. I bet this puppy ages well. Sweet and bitter, but well balanced. Stellar brew!