Try?
In the world of
barleywine, there are really two major influences: English and American. The
English influence dates back the longest and is basically the original,
since the style originated in England. Beers like Young’s Old Nick and,
domestically, Anchor’s Old Foghorn. The latter was the first major American
effort at the style.
But American barleywines have evolved into their own right. Beers like Bigfoot Barleywine and Rogue Old Crustacean are much more assertive and, most especially, more bitter than their English counterparts. Barleywines are big enough beers as it is, much more malty and with a higher alcohol content than most other styles. Super-hop them, and you have a really big beer indeed.
Great Divide’s Old Ruffian is firmly footed in the American camp. In fact, the beer reminds me a lot of that old staple of American barleywines, Sierra Nevada’s Bigfoot. In a side by side, they seemed very, very similar indeed. The hops uses have a lot to do with that, and the flavors and character they supply.
This is a really big beer, and as such it’s sold in a really big bottle. Old Ruffian comes in 22-ounce “bomber” bottles exclusively. The beer has a very respectable 90 IBUs (International Bitterness Units), meaning it’s pretty bitter. Budweiser, by contrast, has in the neighborhood of 12.
Of course, the bitterness is relative: Old Ruffian has a lot more malt than Budweiser, which will counteract some of that bitterness. But make no mistake; this is a very bitter beer. It’s about twice again as strong as most beers, too, with an alcohol content of 10.2% by volume. But let’s dawdle no further, and pour a glass, shall we?
Great Divide Old Ruffian pours to a slightly dark brownish orange color with a light creamy head formation and a very piney, aggressive hop nose. Carbonation is on the light side. As the beer descends the glass, a thick filmy layer of Brussels lace clings to the sides.
The body and mouthfeel are thick and rich, and the palate immediately brings forth chewy caramel flavors with hints of toasted nuts and chocolate, and fruit. The hops quickly take over. They increase as the beer passes over the tongue, at first slightly minty and then very resiny, suggesting pine and eventually citric grapefruit.
The finish is very bitter, dry, and slightly herbal. The bitterness lingers for quite some time on the tongue after sipping, as if to say “Hey! You’ve just had a really great beer!”.
This is a wonderfully hoppy barleywine, though I think they patterned it on Bigfoot perhaps just a bit too closely. Still, it’s top-notch, and makes a wonderful before or after dinner drink.
But American barleywines have evolved into their own right. Beers like Bigfoot Barleywine and Rogue Old Crustacean are much more assertive and, most especially, more bitter than their English counterparts. Barleywines are big enough beers as it is, much more malty and with a higher alcohol content than most other styles. Super-hop them, and you have a really big beer indeed.
Great Divide’s Old Ruffian is firmly footed in the American camp. In fact, the beer reminds me a lot of that old staple of American barleywines, Sierra Nevada’s Bigfoot. In a side by side, they seemed very, very similar indeed. The hops uses have a lot to do with that, and the flavors and character they supply.
This is a really big beer, and as such it’s sold in a really big bottle. Old Ruffian comes in 22-ounce “bomber” bottles exclusively. The beer has a very respectable 90 IBUs (International Bitterness Units), meaning it’s pretty bitter. Budweiser, by contrast, has in the neighborhood of 12.
Of course, the bitterness is relative: Old Ruffian has a lot more malt than Budweiser, which will counteract some of that bitterness. But make no mistake; this is a very bitter beer. It’s about twice again as strong as most beers, too, with an alcohol content of 10.2% by volume. But let’s dawdle no further, and pour a glass, shall we?
Great Divide Old Ruffian pours to a slightly dark brownish orange color with a light creamy head formation and a very piney, aggressive hop nose. Carbonation is on the light side. As the beer descends the glass, a thick filmy layer of Brussels lace clings to the sides.
The body and mouthfeel are thick and rich, and the palate immediately brings forth chewy caramel flavors with hints of toasted nuts and chocolate, and fruit. The hops quickly take over. They increase as the beer passes over the tongue, at first slightly minty and then very resiny, suggesting pine and eventually citric grapefruit.
The finish is very bitter, dry, and slightly herbal. The bitterness lingers for quite some time on the tongue after sipping, as if to say “Hey! You’ve just had a really great beer!”.
This is a wonderfully hoppy barleywine, though I think they patterned it on Bigfoot perhaps just a bit too closely. Still, it’s top-notch, and makes a wonderful before or after dinner drink.
And remember, try a new beer today, and drink outside the box.
*Pricing data accurate at time of review or latest update. For reference only, based on actual price paid by reviewer.
(B)=Bottled
(D)=Draft
(G)=Growler
