Man/Beer Love

I received this bomber in a beer trade back when I didn’t readily have access to Great Divide’s offerings (thanks, Kilted Texan!). It traveled with me from North Dakota to Chicago, and I finally cracked it open for both celebration and tasting purposes. The little bit of extra aging certainly didn’t do it any harm…

Appearance: Old Ruffian pours a hazy deep brown/amber color with an immediate thick, silky, tan head that recedes quickly. The lacing stays right there, though, all the way to the bottom of the little barleywine snifter (although I admit I’m downing this one a bit faster than I should be, haha). Beautiful color.

Nose: The aroma pops right out as I pour it−a heavy syrupy, caramel-y bouquet. This one isn’t one of the most subtle barleywines I’ve tried…lots of alcohol and hops right in the nose, along with the sweet malt. Some swishing bring out a distinct bit of pine sap and delicious brown sugar.

Taste: There are tons of bitter hops right at the onset. The first taste is strangely almost primarily hops and alcohol, and that’s not a bad thing. It’s kind of filthy and aftershave-like for a second before a wave of caramel sweetness rolls in to balance everything out nicely. There’s a prominent resiny flavor, and some burnt toast, and even some fruitiness in the center of it all that I can’t quite define because my tastebuds are dancing around too much. Quite amazing. I’ve been getting accustomed to drinking more subtle barleywines like Bell’s Third Coast Old Ale and Sierra Nevada Bigfoot…this one doesn’t wrap you in a blanket like those do. It kind of kicks my ass and then commences with the loving, and finishes by leaving a nice aftertaste of resin, bitter hops, and burnt sugar…leaves me wanting more.

Mouthfeel: Old Ruffian is thick and smooth, and envelopes the mouth nicely like a good barleywine should. There’s a mild carbonation, perhaps a bit more than I’m used to with this style. It works.

Overall: This is not my favorite barelywine, but it’s definitely one of the most interesting ones, and it’s damn tasty. Complex to no fault and really pretty dirty and mean like it’s moniker suggests, with the kindness of grampa shining through in the end. I have finished the bottle, and I’m very relaxed now…good job, Great Divide! I’ll come back for more soon enough.

9.2/10

Availability: Early-mid winter in WA, MN, MI, FL, GA, AL, TX, AZ, CA, OR, CO, OK, KS, NE, MO, IL, IN, OH, SC, VA, NC, PA, MD, NJ, CT, NY, and MA.  Get better coverage in New England, guys!

Be sure to stay tuned for Jim’s food pairing for this beer as part of a regular one-two punch!

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All right, I know this is often considered one of the best beers in the world.  Sooo, maybe it doesn’t need another review…but I’m going to do one anyway. I spent enough money on this 4-pack, so I might as well sit down for a slow-sipping, casual tasting and take some notes along the way.

Appearance: Celebrator pours a deep, rich, dark brown, and light shines through a bit with a blood red hue. There’s a nice one finger off-white head that sticks around for a bit, and moderate lacing. I can tell by the pour that this has a bit more body than most doppelbocks, even with an alcohol level on the low end for the style. Pours a little like low-viscosity motor oil. It’s a good sign!

Aroma: Deep roasted malts and a thick caramel sweetness pops out right away. There’s also a bit of chocolate, and maybe a little maple syrup or molasses in there…as it warms, the alcohol becomes more present in the nose, too. Deeper whiffs bring in some figs and plums as well…mmmm.

Taste: Where do I begin?  This is easily the most complex lager I’ve ever had, and it’s still as mellow and easy drinking as a beer can possibly be.  There seem to be layers and layers of roasty malts wrapped in a very present hop bitterness.  Burnt sugar and figs, raisins…maple syrup and caramel, too.  The amazing thing is that the sweetness is perfectly balanced by the biting hops, and the beer finishes off with a long lingering essence of brown sugar and residual bitterness.

Mouthfeel: The mouthfeel is very smooth, with just a bit of carbonation.  It’s also full and round, and spreads to every inch of the palate–perfectly balanced. Light to medium body.

Overall: This is easily a top ten kind of beer, the best example of the style I’ve ever had and one that I could easily drink a four-pack of.  It goes down with the ease of a session beer, but packs a little extra punch with the 6.70% ABV (which is fairly mild for a doppelbock), and deserves to be savored. I will try to always keep some in the fridge in case a celebration calls for it!

9.8/10

I believe this is available almost anywhere in the US.  Go out and grab a bottle−you won’t be sorry you paid a premium for it.

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