Barrel Aged Old Ruffian - Great Divide Brewing Company

tectactoe

Michigan

3.95/5  rDev -4.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a dark, burnt brown and tan color with a nicely crafted tan head, fine-bubbled and lasting for half the pour. Boozy and sweet aroma up front, full of big-time oak notes. Luckily, this one doesn't smell infected like the batches of BA Yeti... Some more sweetness is apparent on the nose, vanilla-ish and warm, alcoholic molasses. I haven't had the original Old Ruffian to compare to (I have a 2010 release in my cellar, no idea when I'll finally drink it). Some dark fruits on the nose as well, typically barleywine aromas abound.

Taste follows right along, starting off with a caramel, molasses, and toffee under-body, moderately sweet and delicate. Along comes a powerful and very sweet, toasted brown sugar flavor, hitting the taste buds pretty hard. Dark fruits become more noticeable eventually; grapes, raisins, prunes, black cherries - all soaked in booze and coated in sugar. The booze is a little heavier in the aroma than it is on the palate, and it doesn't carry as strong of a bourbon feel as it did before, either. The oak is as powerful as ever, however, along with a mild vanilla and cinnamon spice. The finish is full of more boozy raisins and dates atop a sturdy, oak filled platform. A touch syrupy, silky and smooth on the palate with a lower-end amount of carbonation.

Definitely very drinkable for 12.7% ABV - sweet but not too sweet, with nice oak components, apparent from the barrel aging. I'll have pop the Old Ruffian soon to see how it compares.

Serving type: bottle

02-10-2013 19:10:07 | More by tectactoe

mikeincharleston

South Carolina

4.5/5  rDev +8.7%

05-22-2013 01:28:44 | More by mikeincharleston

dcloeren

Texas

4.5/5  rDev +8.7%

05-21-2013 21:50:48 | More by dcloeren

drummermattie02

Texas

3.75/5  rDev -9.4%

05-20-2013 14:36:23 | More by drummermattie02

mdaschaf

Washington

4.25/5  rDev +2.7%

04-28-2013 23:35:12 | More by mdaschaf

arniepnminne

Illinois

4.5/5  rDev +8.7%

04-26-2013 15:26:01 | More by arniepnminne

StubFaceJoe

Colorado

3.75/5  rDev -9.4%

04-20-2013 03:32:37 | More by StubFaceJoe

Zuidman

Illinois

4.5/5  rDev +8.7%

04-15-2013 02:57:33 | More by Zuidman

egrace84

Illinois

4.25/5  rDev +2.7%

04-12-2013 13:17:43 | More by egrace84

robwater

Colorado

4.75/5  rDev +14.7%

04-12-2013 13:11:22 | More by robwater

AMCPhD

Florida

4/5  rDev -3.4%

04-12-2013 03:55:40 | More by AMCPhD

Pecan

California

4/5  rDev -3.4%

04-08-2013 23:01:04 | More by Pecan

bulldogg915

Wyoming

4.75/5  rDev +14.7%

04-02-2013 21:28:06 | More by bulldogg915

thagr81us

South Carolina

3.75/5  rDev -9.4%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Review #2000! The last of the surviving beers from my accident! Bottle #592 of 1188! Served from bottle into New Belgium globe. Poured a deep red brown with a minimal off-white head. Maintained decent lacing throughout the glass. The aroma was comprised of sweet malt, caramel, vanilla, sweet alcohol, and wood. The flavor was of sweet malt, vanilla, wood, earth, caramel, brown sugar, and sweet alcohol. It had a light feel on the palate with mild carbonation. Overall this was a pretty decent brew. Still a nice touch of booze going on in this one with a nice touch of vanilla to bring the barrel to life. The touch of vanilla really helped this beer out as without it, it could have been a complete disaster without it. Worth your time trying if you get the opportunity.

Serving type: bottle

03-31-2013 03:08:35 | More by thagr81us

aranton

New York

4.5/5  rDev +8.7%

03-26-2013 22:08:14 | More by aranton

spicelab

Australia

4.19/5  rDev +1.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Reviewed from dodgy tasting notes 28 Jan.

Deep mahogany with a decent beige head of good retention.

Abundant sharp woody toffee notes, mild dark fruits and good strawberry presence

Rich strawberry milk, earthy toffee and cherry ripe with edgy whisky notes booze and plastic muscle in hard, not quite to the extent of rendering it undrinkable.

Velevty, thick, smooth.

Great beer, only wish it'd been cracked earlier in the tasting.

Serving type: bottle

03-21-2013 06:01:38 | More by spicelab

dbc5

Ohio

4/5  rDev -3.4%

03-20-2013 13:02:52 | More by dbc5

muskiesman

New Jersey

4.25/5  rDev +2.7%

03-17-2013 00:53:51 | More by muskiesman

oglmcdgl

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev -3.4%

03-11-2013 10:22:59 | More by oglmcdgl

JeffSuttonTX

Texas

4.75/5  rDev +14.7%

03-11-2013 01:11:37 | More by JeffSuttonTX

Treebs

Illinois

4.38/5  rDev +5.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

750 ml bottle served in a Southern Tier tulip. 2012 vintage.

A: Pours a murky sienna color with a khaki head forming on the pour. It recedes to a thick ring that leaves some splotchy lace down the glass.

S: Whiskey barrel upfront with some caramel and dark fruits. Chocolate covered raisins with a sweet malt bill.

T: More dark fruits with a whiskey barrel sweetness. Oak barrel, brown sugar with a nice roasted malt backing. The whiskey comes back with a sharp zing on the finish, but there's enough sweetness to balance it out.

M: Medium heavy bodied with a smooth mouthfeel. Medium low carbonation level.

O: I definitely enjoyed this one. The whiskey bite is sharp, but the booze is well hidden and it isn't hot at all.

Serving type: bottle

03-10-2013 15:26:21 | More by Treebs

sweemzander

Illinois

2.95/5  rDev -28.7%
look: 2.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 1.25 | overall: 3

750mL bottle poured into a snifter. 2009 vintage. Bottle #535/1188

(A)- Pours quite flat sadly. Some tan bubbles, but kind of murky too overall. Poured a murky and muddy mahogany color.

(S)- Subtle hints at booze soaked raisin and caramel. Bits of oak and subtle spice, but otherwise is very muted due to how flat this really is.

(T)- Disappointing due to its complete lack of carbonation, but its saving grace is that it does have some nice oak and caramel in the aftertaste.

(M)- Flat as a pancake carbonation-wise. It does have some nice oak and sweetness to it, but overall becomes so muted due to its lack of carbonation. I have had my share of flat beers, but in this instance, it really killed this beer; needed it badly.

(O)- A rather large disappointment for me especially since I was looking forward to trying this one for quite a few years now since its base beer was one of my first favorite barleywines as I was getting into the beer scene.
Again, there are some nice qualities about it that are just unfortunately lost in is flat, murky depths.

Serving type: bottle

03-07-2013 21:51:34 | More by sweemzander

DogfishJoe

Ohio

4.25/5  rDev +2.7%

03-07-2013 05:41:57 | More by DogfishJoe

jaasen64

Massachusetts

4/5  rDev -3.4%

02-25-2013 16:56:27 | More by jaasen64

jlindsey

Virginia

3.75/5  rDev -9.4%

02-23-2013 15:29:06 | More by jlindsey