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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?  
 drewbeerme (2272), Chicago, Illinois, USA
4.1 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
8/104/58/104/517/20
May 25, 2007    Updated: Mar 12, 2008
22oz bottle, cellar aged for 2 years. i thought i already rated this one so i didn’t take much notes. i’ve also had this most recently at 1 years age and fresh but i dont recall what it tastes like fresh. at 2 years age...i love the way this beer ages, at 2 years there’s a lot of nice oxidized notes of tobacco and charred wood. some chocolate and lots of caramel notes. the hops have faded but are still present. carbonation is fine, alcohol very well hidden. this may be peaking at 2 years old but i bet it could 3-4 years. very fine aged beer.


scottyw (46), Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, USA
3.9 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
8/105/57/103/516/20
May 24, 2007  
Aroma is the best part of the beer. Finish is very long, slightly acidic/alcoholic. Intially the taste is sweet, but then gives way to the strong finish. At the bottom of the glass, after it has warmed some, caramel makes its way into the nose. Personally, not a huge fan of Barley Wines, but this has been the best!


 johnadam2002 (529), Hainesport, New Jersey, USA
3.8 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
8/104/58/103/515/20
May 24, 2007  
Aroma of sweet malt with hints of hops and fruit. Light on hops and fruit. Tastes of caramel malt, hops, pine, fruit, spices, and alcohol. Pretty complex with sweet malt being more dominent.


 FLnative80 (174), Orlando, Florida, USA
4.5 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
9/105/59/104/518/20
May 23, 2007  
Bottle. 22 fl. oz. Hazy, redwood color with some lucious off-white head. Sweet aroma of malt, raisin, and hops. Creamy and full-bodied. Initial flavor is sweet and malty which is then quickly overpowered by a dry, hoppy finish. This beer has it all.


 michael-pollack (2647), King of Prussia, Pennsylvania, USA
4.1 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
7/104/58/105/517/20
May 22, 2007  
22oz. Bottle: Aroma is lightly sweet. Smells of caramel malts, hops, wood, sugar, and raisins. Poured a deep copper color with a hint of amber. Small, tan head diminished quickly. Good lacing. Cloudy. Many particles. Sparkling. Flavor is heavily bitter. Tastes of hops, sweet spices, caramel, a little alcohol, and pine. Medium to full body. Slick texture. Average carbonation. Bitter, hoppy finish becomes salty. Overall, a good barley wine.


 oakbluff (298), Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
4.4 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
8/104/510/104/518/20
May 21, 2007  
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.


 Stine (1380), St. Paul, Minnesota, USA
3 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
6/103/56/103/512/20
May 21, 2007  
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.


 bitter (1137), Henderson, Nevada, USA
3.9 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
5/104/58/104/518/20
May 21, 2007  
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.



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