Old Ruffian - Barrel-Aged
Great Divide Brewing Company

Old Ruffian - Barrel-AgedOld Ruffian - Barrel-Aged
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From:
Great Divide Brewing Company
 
Colorado, United States
Style:
American Barleywine
Ranked #77
ABV:
12.7%
Score:
92
Ranked #4,421
Avg:
4.15 | pDev: 10.84%
Reviews:
183
Ratings:
491
Status:
Active
Rated:
Jul 02, 2022
Added:
Oct 08, 2008
Wants:
  254
Gots:
  147
No description / notes.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by Hophead717:
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Rated by Hophead717 from Massachusetts

3.25/5  rDev -21.7%

Jul 08, 2012
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 4.04 by Gkruszewski from New York

Jul 02, 2022
Photo of DIM
Reviewed by DIM from Pennsylvania

4.19/5  rDev +1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
2015 vintage

I'm not finding much complexity at this point. There might be some faint hops at the end and maybe a little apple in there somewhere. But the bourbon, caramel, toffee, brown sugar coming across like a hard Werther's Original dominates and it is tasting great to me tonight. The carbonation is holding up great and the body is still full and lightly sticky.
May 07, 2022
 
Rated: 4.5 by NickMunford from Wyoming

Jul 18, 2021
 
Rated: 4.25 by jeff1973 from California

Oct 10, 2020
Photo of Treyliff
Reviewed by Treyliff from West Virginia

3.61/5  rDev -13%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 3.5
2016 Vintage
Taken from notes on June 2017

Pours a amber brown in color with a one-finger foamy off-white head that has short retention. Smells of basement must, wet cardboard, caramel, old hops and an acidic fruity aroma. Tastes of malty sweet caramel with some fruity esters up front. mid-palate brings some tartness followed by red apple peel. The finish gives notes of tart apple cider and vinegar. medium body with moderate carbonation, foamy mouthfeel and finish. This one had some infection issues.
Oct 05, 2020
 
Rated: 4.51 by jmbeerdude91 from Arizona

Feb 27, 2020
 
Rated: 4 by TylerJ from Iowa

Oct 28, 2019
 
Rated: 4.3 by Gemini6 from Michigan

Jun 14, 2019
Photo of jlindros
Reviewed by jlindros from Massachusetts

4.1/5  rDev -1.2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3 | overall: 4.25
Been waiting to crack this for quite a while, not sure on the vintage but must be quite a few years old, newer label than the picture, bottle 38/1188, 11.9%abv

No sound on cracking it, and pours with no head even aggressively, so there is no carb in this, a clear iced-tea mahogany color

Nose doesn't pop as much due to no carb but still great aromas as expected, lots of barrel, vanilla toasted oak, some whiskey, little buttery oak, big sweet malt, candy notes with caramel and toffee, mild dark fruits like fig date, and a touch of oxidation papery but soft malt

Taste hits flat again lack of carbonation, but nice barrel, big whiskey flavor, as well as some toasted and little buttery oak, big juicy malts, sweet with caramel, toffee, candy notes, more dark fruits fig raisin date but also candied molasses like dates, almost fig jam, light warming slight spicy alcohol, some nice barrel vanilla as well, bit of spicy hop bitterness late seems like it has died off, sticky sweet finish, but more alcohol warmth

Mouth is full bod, rich almost chewy, no carbonation unfortunately, with some warming alcohol

Overall this was quite nice aside from lack of carbonation, great malts, fruits, nice barrel, good alcohol level, but just the carbonation would have helped it pop nicely
May 05, 2019
 
Rated: 4.49 by dafla67 from Pennsylvania

Apr 04, 2019
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Reviewed by macrosmatic from Florida

4.01/5  rDev -3.4%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
Reviewed from long-standing notes. Poured from the 750mL bottle into an El Catador Barrel-Aged glass. 2015 vintage, consumed 9/2/17.

A: Rich toffee brown, quite hazy to nearly turbid. It forms a half-finger of cream-colored head that lasts decently well despite a fairly low amount of visible carbonation.

S: Whiskey and barrel, caramel and toffee. Toasted malts, some sticky dark fruit, but the toffee and brown sugar dominate here. Vanilla, and Werther’s hard candy, and sorghum.

T: Caramel and and burn from the whiskey. Vanilla and oak and sweet molasses. Brown sugar, toasted malts, dry woody tannins. Mild raisins and a touch of chocolate in the malts. More toffee at the swallow with whiskey heat, and the dry tannins linger after the swallow.

M: A nice heavy body but not syrupy, though the mouthfeel remains sticky. The alcohol, while obvious, is well-integrated. Low but as-expected carbonation sensation.

O: This isn’t a "best-in-class" barrel-aged barleywine by any stretch, but it’s not bad. For a beer this size, it stays quite drinkable with the base beer balanced with the barrel, and reasonably complex. Certainly nothing to sneeze at.
Mar 20, 2019
Photo of Tony210
Reviewed by Tony210 from New Jersey

4.25/5  rDev +2.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Pours a clear reddish copper color, minimal head. Aroma is boozy, sweet molasses, caramel. Great sweet malty flavor, molasses, caramel, toffee. Barrel presence is prominent but not dominant. Has quite a bitter finish. Thick and syrupy, quite full bodied. Overall a very nice BA Barleywine, great sipper.

1/6/19
12 oz bottle, 2017 vintage
4.25 rating
Jan 07, 2019
 
Rated: 4.2 by msscott1973 from North Carolina

Nov 30, 2018
 
Rated: 4.41 by Theogre83 from Kansas

Aug 17, 2018
 
Rated: 4.28 by JoeLev from Ohio

Jul 21, 2018
 
Rated: 4 by crob3888 from California

Jun 09, 2018
 
Rated: 4.29 by deereless from Colorado

Apr 08, 2018
Photo of stevoj
Reviewed by stevoj from Idaho

3.75/5  rDev -9.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Bottle at barley wine share. Mahogany pour, tiny ring of beige head. Boozy, warm aroma, sweet malts, vanilla, barrel notes. Taste is up front caramely malts, plenty of alcohol warmth too. Syrupy, slick
Apr 02, 2018
Photo of TreyIsWilson
Reviewed by TreyIsWilson from Michigan

4.02/5  rDev -3.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
A - Pours a murky reddish brown with a one finger creamy off white head. Heavy soapy lacing.

S - Aroma is caramel, toffee, oak and piney hops.

T - The taste is caramel, brow sugar, vanilla, whiskey, oak and piney hops.

M - Medium/full bodied with medium carbonation. Soft body with a crisp dry finish.

O - This is a nice whiskey aged Barleywine. The flavors are on the boozey side making this a slow sipper.
Mar 29, 2018
Old Ruffian - Barrel-Aged from Great Divide Brewing Company
Beer rating: 92 out of 100 with 491 ratings