Great Divide Old Ruffian

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

Deep reddish amber, horsechestnut body, thick head formation. Piney citrus leaps out in the aroma with creamy malts and almond. Creamy palate, toasted malt and caramel flavor, dry roasted hazelnut, with intense citric grapefruit fighting its way through. Very Double Bastard.

Bomber. Pours a dark amber color. Sweet and hoppy aroma. Some floral maltiness, like a field of flowers. Bitter and hoppy at first, turning into a mellow, woody sort of roasty malted flavor with just a hint of sweetness. Alcohol is very well hidden.

in overseas armed forces news, soldiers are advised to be aware of a dangerous confluence of known cells of imperial IPAs and agents of insurgent barley wines. sergeant-major hoplicker will brief the men: "you filthy dung-beetles-- listen UP! this operation is code-named "ruffian". the subject pours a bright bison turd brown--with highlights of cheap hooker rouge in a godless blush that would make the virgin mary herself fart oblong rhinestone sequins. the head is locked on this beer like a goddamn swarm of hungry mosquitoes on a hemophiliac. big, swollen, rabid kind of head, frothin’ like a gitmo rottweiler. i mean gummy fuckin’ mekong delta ox-drool the color of a slightly used outhouse corncob. my god-- DO be vigilant, men! aroma is like a chocolate dipped hop sack. for you faggots that like a little sherry and rum with your hop cocktail, this is it. i’m talking from experience: my sorry-ass pubescent palate went in to this den of inequity soft and virginal. coming out, it was buying drinks, brawling with the MPs, and sporting a huge, obscene tattoo of a very well endowed female hop bud right where god and everyone could gawk at it. jeeezuz heratio christ! this is a kamikaze rolo: sweet as a two week R & R in honolulu and strong as a tiger tank fender. this is bamboo, mai tai and bug juice. if you encounter this, get back up and air support--do not tangle with this hellion alone or it will definitely fuck you up!"

Shared at the Wisconsin gathering courtesy of JPDIPSO: Ruby copper colored body has a frothy off-white head with thin lacing. Has a very fresh, bold western hoppy aroma with light caramel malt balance. Full, sweet and well hopped, yet well balanced. Very fresh tasting and enjoyable, with a good potential for aging. Another gem from Great Divide. Thanks John for sharing!

Bottle. Majestic, hearty malt aroma, and caramel. Deep copper, pours a tiny custard head. Flavour is at first, a fine malt, hops are apparent too. Very well balanced, medium bodied, terrific mouthfeel, alcohol is muted. This should be even better in a couple of years. Lovely!

Hearty hop aroma that is still soft. Brown head, dark crimson body. Malty, medium body. Creamy. Medium sweetness, taste is mainly a big hop punch in the jaw. Bitter, hoppy finish.

I wasn’t aware this was such a highly reguarded beer, but it comes to no surprise after sampling some with my buddy Murph. BIG aroma here: hops galore and sweet as can be barley wine, not sweet in the overpowering caramel/molasses way, but rather perfectly sweet, tasting of good toffee, real vanilla or egg nog - and I’m not talking about the fat free crap either. The flavor is noticeably more hoppy, but not to be outdone following the hops is a forceful swell of alchohol. In the sea of alchohol swept hops I can detect a nice current of yeast shaking things up just a bit, keeping this beer nice and interesing until the finish.

Dark orange, with nice, thick, beige head. Aroma is rather sweet at first - toffee, mostly - and then a woodsy, hoppy note. Very thick, viscous palate. Nicely brown sugar, caramel note at first, then a dry, (almost wine-like) flavor and a resiney, bitter finish. Big, but surprisingly easy to drink. Nice.