Great Divide Old Ruffian Barley Wine

Aroma: 7 | Appearance: 8 | Mouthfeel: 8 | Flavor: 8 | Overall: 8

Pours a dark copper colour with an off white bubbly head. Retention is not great but leaves heavy lacing. Caramel malt sweetness and fruity smell. Not as bold as you would expect for such a big flavoured beer. Flavour is not as sweet as most barley wines but it's good. Caramel malt, dark fruits. Has a burnt tartness to it , herbal and a hint of smoke. Almost full bodied, smooth and dry. As usual Great divide succeed but not one of my favorites.

Aroma: 9 | Appearance: 8 | Mouthfeel: 9 | Flavor: 9 | Overall: 8

I've been wanting to try this beer for loooong time and finally was able to last month at Great Divide in Denver. A beautiful sunshiny day, 80 degrees. Outside. Couldn't have asked for more. Pours a beautiful bright clear copper colour, with a big hoppy nose. Sweet, sweet flavours abounding. A beer so decadent and mouthwatering, it's hard to put into words. Everything you would want in a barleywine and more.

Aroma: 7 | Appearance: 9 | Mouthfeel: 8 | Flavor: 8 | Overall: 8

Is this a barleywine or a DIPA? It certainly has that caramely thick barleywine flavor and aroma but with all these hops I'm thinking it's finding a middle ground between the styles. A great experience, well done, nice balance and just a good good beer.

Aroma: 9 | Appearance: 9 | Mouthfeel: 9 | Flavor: 9 | Overall: 9

whoa. i knew this was rated highly, but for some reason was not expecting greatness. i was wrong. this brew acheives a hard to hit balance between lucious fruity carmely malts and agressive hops. starts out perfectly balanced at 50 degrees and leans more towrds the hops as it warms further...but the deliciousness and depth of this beer can't be ignored. blows the socks off the more limited and far more expensive barreled version, and is one of the top barleywines i've had yet.

Aroma: 9 | Appearance: 8 | Mouthfeel: 9 | Flavor: 9 | Overall: 8

Sure it was a struggle to finish the bomber, it's a damn massive beer...but I did it and I'm not looking back. Amber brown in color with a full lasting head and coating upon coating of heavy lacing. Citrus and floral hops dominate the fresh aroma, but I could pick out some rich and grainy malts leading to a pleasantness of toffee, pepper and honey. Highly bitter, aggressive and a true enamel animal. Full bodied with a rich malt content to back up the abundant hops. Tons upon tons of citrus and pine hop flavors. Fruity, floral, biscuity, nutty, spicy and gritty.

Aroma: 9 | Appearance: 9 | Mouthfeel: 10 | Flavor: 9 | Overall: 9

This is a nice sweet beer with a huge whallop of alcohol that while felt, is otherwise not noticeable. A beautiful golden-red beer with a generous head. Sweet caramel malt and citrus dominate the aroma. The flavour is a bit more complex with grapefruit being the dominant flavour.

Aroma: 8 | Appearance: 8 | Mouthfeel: 8 | Flavor: 9 | Overall: 9

I tried this one against Stones Old Guardian last night, and have to say i liked this one a little better. Big bitter, citrus hops, big sweet, caramel malts balance out nicely, see the brewers description on the bottle, it is pretty accurate. Overall i am glad i finally picked this one up, another great brew from Great Devide.

Aroma: 8 | Appearance: 7 | Mouthfeel: 9 | Flavor: 8 | Overall: 8

1 pint 6 fl. oz. bottle, courtesy of Cardinal Pub & Bar, Stavanger. ABV is 10.2%. Dark orange to brown colour, hazy. Big and lasting pale orange to beige head. The sweetish aroma has notes of pine, ripe fruits, raisins and molasses. Full and warming mouthfeel. Rich flavour with loads of malty sweetness, notes of raisins, caramel, molasses and udefined fruit, while the high IBU makes itself known towards the end, through a substantial and resinous hoppy bitterness.

Aroma: 8 | Appearance: 7 | Mouthfeel: 7 | Flavor: 7 | Overall: 7

A reddish-brown colored beer. Decent frothy yellow-light brown head. Stayed around for about 30 seconds and settled into am impressive soapy lacing. The aroma is a woodsy malt-caramel aroma. The body is crisp and the alcohol bites as a barleywine should. The taste is hops, floral hops and alcohol. Had this one with a pork hoagie. And it was a good pairing.

Aroma: 7 | Appearance: 8 | Mouthfeel: 7 | Flavor: 8 | Overall: 8

Not a huge fan of the style but I liked this one. Pours a dark amber with creamy head. Aroma is of bitter floral hops and biscuity malts. Taste is bitter with a big alcohol kick. Gets much better as it warms--aroma and taste seem to intensify and grow.