Great Divide Old Ruffian

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

Hops, hops, hops. Smells flowery and hoppy, tastes hoppy. Has a strong alcohol presence.

Bottle. Pours a slightly hazy amber with a two finger mostly lasting off-white head that leaves good lacing. Aroma of sweet caramel, a hint of sweet fruit, and pine and citrus hops. Taste is the same as aroma with the pine and citrus hops shining through. Medium full mouthfeel with a heavy but well balanced bitterness. Very good

November 2006 bomber bottle...aged until 12-25-07....Cloudy dark copper to mahogany....fluffy lt. brown head....hops and rich malts on the nostrils....smells more of an amber ale or IPA than a typical barley ....a touch of alcohol tinges on the final inhale....smooth creamy body, tastes more like an IPA than the expected norm....nice lacing, would try it again next year, well actually this year, but glad I didn’t pick up more of this when it was first available--alcohol well disguised

Pours mahogany with a couple fingers of tan head. Good lacing. Beautiful toffee-caramel aroma with hints of vanilla, brewing grains, floral hops, dark fruit, and slight grapefruit. Flavor is nicely bitter with great support coming from the caramel malts. Palate really stands out, as it is nice and creamy, but slight stickiness prevents a perfect rating.

Deep amber red in color with a nice dirty white head with good lacing. Fruity and floral aroma. Some light sugary fruitiness on the front with a strong hop finish. Very nice.

This is so light - dances accross the palt like a fairy or something. Very light and lfuffy for such a strong beer. Very enjoyabvle

Awesome amber red color, off-white head that leaves a nice ring around the glass and good lacing. Caramel, plum, floral and piney hops in the smell. Taste loads you up with caramel and dark fruit and then then the hops kick in and take charge with flavors of pineaple and maybe even orange hidden in there as well, finishes with a taste of pine. Full body, seems to be perfect carbonation. I’m glad to drink this one. This bottle was still young so some of the flavors were separated, I have a bottle I’m saving to try after the flavors start to blend.

Uh oh...Once a hater of barley wines I am slowly coming around. I used to buy these if there was nothing else I rated in the store. I went out to buy a barley wine for the first time. Great one. Aroma was huge...no Vicks...strong caramel and chocolate malt mixed with dark fruit. Pour was a murky dark brown with no head. Taste was very strong. Caramel malt, grapefruit and butter(?) with a hot hoppy aftertaste. Not too sweet which is what I usually hate about the style. Nice and increasing my fondness of my arch enemy.