Old Ruffian Barley Wine
Poured a cloudy reddish auburn color with a deep reddish hue. Appearance is reminiscent of mulled apple cider. Full two fingered huge light brown head that slowly fell away to a thick ring of sticky lace that coats the glass. Aroma is grassy hops and sweet, caramel and toffee, resinous hop oil, grapefruit and other citrusy notes. Taste is best described as it is on the bottle, being "hop forward", huge hoppy bite up front quickly leads off to sweet maltiness and then a warmth of sugary alcohol that leads to the moderately bitter aftertaste. Mouthfeel is smooth and syrupy, moderate to full bodied with lower levels of carbonation. Drinkability is excellent, this brew hardly hints toward it's 10% abv and is a wonderful balancing act of bitter and sweet makes this a great example of a hopped up barleywine. With a little aging, this brew could easily smooth out around the rougher hoppy bitter edges and be even better. Well crafted and smooth, highly recommend purchasing, would try again.