Stone Old Guardian (Vintages 2004 and later)

Reviewed 1/13/2009 (bottled Early 2007): Pours a filtered amber orange brown colored body. Smallish head, foamy and creamy white. Dark grape aroma. Malty sweet, sickly almost. Some spiciness. Grainy maltiness and alcohol. Mellow light sweet taste. Grape malty taste. Some hotness on the aftertaste. Alcohol is hidden well.

Early 2007 vintage 22 oz. bomber bottle. Pours cloudy peach-amber, with a small yellowish tan head that dissipates quickly but leaves some light lace when present. Sweet, malty, bready aroma with strong fruity esters (think apricot brandy). Flavor is still fairly hoppy, though now mostly bittering. Sweet, fruity, and boozy with some bready notes. Dry and warm on the finish. Medium full mouthfeel. Great, creamy palate with moderate very fine carbonation, and nice warmth in the finish. Real nice barleywine that has aged well.

Amber-orange pour with an off white head. Sweet malty aroma of caramel, toffee along with dried fruits. Flavors of caramel, vanilla, dark fruits and toffee with some alcohol. Dryness as well. This would be really good with a few more years on it.

(11/3/08) Draught sample at the brewpub in Escondido. 2007 vintage. Hazy orange color. Aroma full of malt, caramel, honey, sherry, some fruitiness and some alcohol. Sweet malty flavor with some wood, vanilla notes, caramel, honey, sherry notes, some fruitiness and some bitter hoppiness in the finish. Full-bodied. Not my cup of tea.

08 bottle poured copper and brown in color with an smallish off white head. Sweet aroma with apricots, brandy and ginger. Medium body with a big amount of flavor. Caramel, toffee, and breadlike body. Some plums are in there too. What I needed on a cold winter night.

Pours a coppery orange with a big beige head. Aroma of lots of sweet malt, hops, dark fruit, vanilla and alcohol. Flavor is lots of bitter hops, vanilla, caramel, and spicy alcohol.

Been sitting on this one since the beginning of the year. When I first popped the cap I could smell the sweet malts. Pours a nice orange golden amber color, nice creamy tan head, nice lacing/puddles throughout the drink. Scents of sweet malts, citrus, hops, spices, caramel, yeast, and slight alcohol. The taste is amazing, sweet malts, hoppy, slight caramel, and slight alcohol, nice dry finish. Medium body, pretty complex barleywine. Very drinkable, another awesome brew from Stone to say the least.

<b>Bottle 66cl.</b>
Unclear light to medium orange amber color with a small, fizzy, fair lacing, fully diminishing, off-white head. Aroma is moderate to light heavy malty, caramel old malt, tobac, moderate alcohol. Flavor is moderate to heavy sweet and bitter with a long to average duration, and a spicy - peppery maybe alcoholic finish on your lips. Body is medium, texture is oily, carbonation is flat. [260908]