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Great Divide Old Ruffian

Percentile
99
overall

bottled
common

on tap
available

Broad Distribution
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RatingsAverageScoreABVStyle PctlServe in
8743.91/5.03.91/5.010.27%93.6Snifter
Commercial Description:
Old Ruffian is a hefty, hop-forward Barley Wine. Seemingly mellow at first sniff, with its subtle fruit aromas and complex caramel sweetness, this deep mahogany-hued ale quickly shows its true character marked by bold hop flavors and massive hop bitterness. Old Ruffian’s rich, slightly creamy, caramel malt mouthfeel balances its grapefruit, pine, and floral hop flavors, working wonders on your palate.
A mind-numbing 90 International Bittering Units (IBUs).
 Most Recent Top Raters Highest Ratings Who's Rated This?  
 beerandIT (183), Richmond, Virginia, USA
4.2 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
8/105/59/104/516/20
Jul 27, 2009  
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!


ruskiimperial (61), Richmond, Virginia, USA
4.3 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
9/105/58/104/517/20
Jul 23, 2009  
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.


 tarheels86 (731), Washington DC, USA
3.7 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
7/104/58/104/514/20
Jul 23, 2009  
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.


 Cletus (5050), Connecticut, USA
3.4 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
7/103/57/103/514/20
Jul 18, 2009  
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.


 gringo332 (238), Richardson, Texas, USA
4 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
9/104/57/105/515/20
Jul 17, 2009  
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.


 tokyogoat (507), San Diego, California, USA
4.1 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
8/104/58/105/516/20
Jul 11, 2009  
Pours a deep copper with a thin tan head. Leaves gobs of lacing. Aroma is sweet, lots of caramel, vanilla, and pine. Taste is smooth, fair amount of heat, not too much. Citrus and pine from the hops, not as hoppy as expected, but very bright hop notes, smooth sweetness, not candy like. toffee, caramel, berries, grapefruit, Slightly chewy.


 DJMonarch (6726), Northwich, Cheshire, England
3.6 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
8/103/57/103/515/20
Jul 6, 2009    Updated: Nov 20, 2009
1. On Tap at the Great Divide Brewing Company, Denver 12/10/2007 Lots of fruit aroma. Amber mid brown coloured and very strong in alcohol with a crisp dry and bitter lasting malt finish. 2. Cask Stillage from the Jug at the Denver Rare Beer Tasting, Wynkoop Brewery 25/09/2009 (2008 Vintage) Big fruit and hop aromas. Small white head. Amber coloured very strong in alcohol and fruity with a little dryness in a crisp and bitter malt finish.


 kidmartinek (975), austin, Texas, USA
4 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
6/104/58/105/517/20
Jun 27, 2009  
Intense copper color with a marvelous living head. Heavy caramel malt in the aroma with hops in the background. The flavor is good, but the best part is the palate how it starts off dry and a little bitter and has a small tingle with a a short but powerful carbonation. It’s got some very nice clean oak taste to it too. The haevy malt is well balanced by the intense hops. It comes in pretty tame at 10+% and highly tolerable. The finish is pleasant. Sip this and good times will follow...



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