Great Divide Old Ruffian

Slightly hazy reddish-brown pour with a nice two-finger eggshell white head, good retention and decent lacing. Aroma is citrus and spicy hops combined with a slight caramel and roasted malty sweetness. Flavor starts off with carbonation and malt sweetness that gradually gives way to spice and finishes with grapefruit bitterness that lingers. Medium body, moderate carbonation and just a touch of alcohol warmth at the tail end. A good example of the American Barley Wine style with hops dominating the malts.

Aroma is enticing, caramel, fruits, slight floral hops. The appearance is a beautiful red to chestnut brown, cream colored head. The flavor is an explosion of caramel, fruit, quickly followed up by piney and floral hops. As the beer heads toward the back of the mouth, you pick up on the alcohol, but it’s not overpowering. The finish is piney hops, astringent, and a nice alcohol burn. Awesome thick and oily mouthfeel. Excellent representation of the style, a style I truly appreciate.

Pours slightly hazed amber with glorious white foamy head that retains well and laces well. Nose is the traditional caramel with piney hops, without a flaw to mention. Palate is big and sweet, with the hops carrying through almost like a citrus cough drop that you’d enjoy for the taste alone, even if not suffering from any symptoms. Finishes chewy caramel sweet.

Pours a darker golden reddish color with a small amount of head. I think the initial pour may have been a bit too cool so let it warm up a tad bit. Full bodied beer, absolutely wonderful! On the aroma I get hops and more hops but also very sweet malts there as well. On the palate I get hops upfront with a very strong and sweet malt flavor. Some alcohol in there as well but considering the high abv it hides it from the drinker. Get it!

The aroma is very sweet with a few hints of the hoppy bitterness to come. There is very nice lacing and very soft carbonation for this high gravity ale. The initial flavor is very sweet but on the aftertaste the piney hop profile comes through. The 10% alcohol is hidden quite well. This is definitely one of the hoppiest barley wines I’ve ever had.

650 mL into snifter. Pours a clear amber/copper with a two-finger, off-white head that doesn’t leave much lacing but who cares really on a barleywine. Aroma is strawberries, caramel, apples, piney hops, a touch of whiskey. Taste is similar: lots of light fruits with a caramel malt backbone but a large piney hop presence. Very well balanced. Usually these finish with a sort of cardboard dryness but this finishes clean with a spicy alcohol bite. 90 IBUs are well hidden from the fruit and malty flavors, 10% is well hidden as well. This was very good.

Pours copper with a thin off white head. Smells of molasses, fruit, earthy, caramel. Tastes boozy and spicy with some toffee and honey on the finish.

A pretty solid nose with a nice white frothy head. A little sweet, but it is a barley wine. Great with a little age on it. Overall pretty nice.