http://beeradvocate.com/news/stories_read/694

Despite how balmy this winter is turning out, there's still something
to be said for being prepared. It's a good plan to stock your fridge,
cellar or wherever else you stash brew to the hilt because (as
evidenced by Denver's recent snow burial) life's a bitch when there's
suddenly two feet of snow out there-especially when you find yourself
beerless.

Barleywines tend to be our choice for this situation: They have a long
shelf life, they're very warming and can go a long way if there are
people stranded at your flat. For those of you not familiar with
barleywines, they are beers with the alcoholic strength of a wine;
most sit around 9-11% alcohol by volume.

Great Divide Old Ruffian Barley Wine Style AleSpeaking of Denver, one
of our picks this winter is Old Ruffian Barley Wine Style Ale from
Denver's Great Divide Brewing Company. This one is not for timid
palates, either, with a whopping 90 IBUs (hope you like hops) and a
warming 10.2% alcohol by volume.

The Taste
The 22-ounce brown bomber pours with a thickness and leaves three
fingers of stodgy head-a head that does not want to move. Slightly
hazy reddish-amber color. Spicy herbal hops with suggestions of
wintergreen, pine sap and grapefruit rind. Some alcoholic fruity
esters, rum, cane sugar and toasted malt in the nose as well. So damn
smooth and creamy, with a sumptuously full body. Light brown sugar on
the palate, then a fume of well-placed alcohol, and then the hops show
up-bitter as ever, but not a sharp bitterness or astringency. Big
tobacco, citrus rind, pine sap and mint flavor from the hops stick to
the taste buds for a while. Lots of malt behind the hops; toasted
bread, caramel and yeast dough come to mind. A bit fruity with
pineapple, papaya and ripe mango. Sting of alcohol in the end with a
bittersweet finish.

Final Thoughts
This is one hell of a barleywine, more than enough hops to go around
and more than enough malt to hold it all together. Try pairing this
with something spicy: We tried some chili-stuffed poblano peppers with
a sweet and spicy jalapeño glaze for a bit of contrast. Overall, this
is one of the best barleywines on the market right now; and if you
don't take our word for it, it's currently #33 in the top 100 beers in
the world on BeerAdvocate.com.

For mo greatdivide.com

Respect Beer.