Great Divide Old Ruffian

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

12/09/07 big banger. Mmm what a unique barley wine. Taste and aroma of grapefruit. Unlike other barley wines i have had, this one is not grape sweet. Not the most expensive beer, i wish this came in a 4 pack. Thank you great buddah.

I happily uncap this benign beast with my favorite (yes, I have a favorite) opener, unwittingly unleashing a starry-eyed djinn of pinesap and zest of mixed citrus (lemon, orange, and lime, in that order)… and I haven’t even poured yet! Slate-colored clouds suddenly span the sky (this is true!) as the beer settles in my glass with sleepy feline grace, emanating an uneasy aura of mango and pineapple, poundcake laced with countless liqueurs… and a menacing fog of darkest chocolate, exotic tobacconist, wet wool, and muscular ethanol. The flavor: shockingly mild; bready and pear-y; a false beacon of safe harbor… then a slow count to five, after which emerges a round bitterness emerges that that slowly transforms into furious alcohol flame. A smoky hoisin aftertaste with the dim inertia of baled, Depression-era newspapers… the plodding palate, thick as a jello shooter, yet somehow not smothering… almost sensually slippery. Ethanol surrounds the partaker in an avalanche of paranoia; a nightmare of being buried under stacks of leather-bound encyclopedias, alarmingly aware of being pummeled into numbness. Holy f**k! Steeped in Stephen King surreality… a rollercoaster of vampirical paradoxes; a buttercup bloom amidst scorched earth; a whirlwind schizophrenic experience of Poe-like proportion, positively gothic with murderous eroticism. Truly (and thankfully, temporary), a trip into the dark side.

Rather good. Very hoppy, and the flavor was sweet, citrusy and floral, but it didn’t overpower me. I would be interested to see how it fares if i drank it from a bottle. Be warned though, this stuff will get you drunk fast. It was one of the first beers I tried at Holiday Ale Fest and it almost made me want to take a break from the rest of the offerings at the festival.

Aroma of caramel and floral hop. Reddish tinged amber color with a white head. Medium to full body with creamy carbonation. The flavor is primarily grapefruit, with backing caramel malts. Some pine resin kicks in. The finish is almost gummy with hop. The malt sweetness tends to drain away, and the hop is fantastic in a fairly non-bitter way. This is really an exceptional drink.

Good thickness without getting syrupy, and great hop finish. I am not feeling the citrus, its there but pretty subdued for the style. As good as it tastes, its a pretty unimpressive pour, but it smells good. For what its worth - great name. Any beer that starts with the word old is good in my book, as I drank this just kept saying "Old Ruffian" over and over again.

22 oz. bottle - clear amber with huge off-white head and lots of lacing; sweet aromas of caramel and malts are strong and pleasant; tons of flavor (mainly brown sugar, fruit and caramel) as it goes down smooth and creamy; this one’s a good one

Cask at the Blind Tiger. Dark amber pour; no head. Lots of grapefruit and tropical aroma (maybe guava). This comes through in the flavor also, and is followed by a nice amount of malty bitterness mixed with hop bitterness. Pretty good tasting beer.

Pours Brown with an off-white head. Heavy fruit and caramel aromas. Sweet to bitter. Nice Barley Wine.