Great Divide Old Ruffian

Pours out a dark ruby with a creamy head and great lacing. Nose- piney hops with a hint of malty sweetness. Taste- piney hops slam the senses, with a rich malt base that follows. This baby is hop overload to the senses- thick and chewy mouthfeel. Freaking awesome! This is the american barleywine- huge hops, but with a great malt base- not cloying at all and with just enough of a booze bite to make you take notice that isn’t a session beer. There’s a lot of great barleywines out there that I haven’t tried- but I doubt there’s many that beat this.

The pour is burnt orange. Glassy. Forceful resinous hop aroma, both crisp and hot. Slick tasting and syrupy. Notes of artichoke hearts and sweet toffee malts slathered over a hop puree. Hidden shades of tropical fruits. Rather a combative alcoholic palate, like a mint flavored medicine or a solvent. Inoffensive but somewhat simplistic and difficult. Too fresh.

pours a red mahogony color with little head. huge nose of rock candy, dark fruits, crunchy hops and alcohol. nice full flavor and roundess of the hop floral character with alcohol sweetness. a nice barley wine. bold and sippable.

Bottle: Pours deep red with a 1 finger off white head. Heavy aroma of malt., malt, and alcoholy malt. Flavor is quite rich and carmelly, slightly syrupy and creamy with some fruity esters. Slight hop bitterness to balance it out. Plenty of alcohol warmth. I think of this beer as the textbook definition of a barleywine.

Another monster brew from Great Divide. Murky brown in color, looks like a Louisiana swamp. Nose is smash mouth hops, caramel, grapefruit and peppery spice. This beer is an American classic and has traditional Ameican balls. I felt Iike I just got punched in the face by Mike Tyson. Full bodied, crisp and refreshing. Pretty close to a perfect ten. I now have an official favorite brewery.

The smell...the look...the flavor...the STRENGTH. The higher ABVed Great Divide Beers’ main priority is to knock your ass OUT. I would give this a 4.5 if it wasn’t as vicious. "Old Ruffian. You hit too hard! Stop playin’!"

Bottle. Complex in aroma and taste, and almost perfectly balanced. Malts smell of roasted grain, caramel and filberts with a moderate smell of orange and pine for the hops. Yeast leaves a soapy note, backed up with prune, cherry, port wine and alcohol. Appearance leaves nothing else to be desired. Red/brown in color with a long lasting rocky, light brown head that clings nicely to the glass. Flavors range from sweet and salty to start and acidic, bitter and salty for the finish. Medium bodied, oily in texture with a soft carbonation and long dry, slightly astringent finish. Another beauty from Great Divide.

On tap at Hard Liver. Shiney caramel with good head. Very tasty....complex sweet and roasted malts. Hops in the finish are quite nice.