Stone Old Guardian (Vintages 2004 and later)

Brewed by Stone Brewing Co.
Style: Barley Wine
Escondido, California USA

22oz. bottle, 2006 vintage, with thanks to wetherel for this excellent bonus! Pours a clear orange golden with a one finger off-white head that lingers; moderate retention and lacing. Aroma is nice and malty, with candied dark fruits, caramel, toffee, and vanilla. Flavor is also tasty, with more malts, candied dark fruit and caramel, and a little trailing hops bite on the finish mingled in amongst everything. Nice stuff and quite enjoyable on a super cold Kansas night, thanks again John!

Courtesty of Tampa Tasting group. Pours a clear amber color with a thin head. Aroma is sweet malt, candy sugar, ripe dark fruit, some caramel and toffee notes. Flavor is vanilla, malt, cream, floral hops, some nuts and pine. Medium body with a slightly hoppy finish.

Bottle, ~Jan 2008. Pours a murky brown with a very small white head. Aroma of raisins, lots of raisins, and sweet caramel malt. Flavor is also quite malty with some brown sugar and iced tea. Tastes pretty much as I would expect from an aged barleywine. A decent beer, although to be honest this is not my favorite style of beer. Interesting though.

2008 Release from a 22oz bottle purchased locally at original time of release. Aroma is rich and malty with some hop spice. Color is amber with a small beige head, slightly hazy. Flavor is fairly bitter but balances with the malt. Not too sweet. Hops are piney. Some alcohol present. Thick but not too viscous. Finish lingers but dries in the end which is nice for a beer this big.

Getting notebook online. Bottle, 2008. Pours a cloudy deep amber. Aromas are subtle but some good sweet grains and caramel. Taste is sweet and caramel like. Hops come in a little later to add to the party. I am aging my second bottle so I will have to take better notes then. Bottle of the 2004 at Stone Winter Storm (01/25/09)! Did a vertical with the 2003. Color was a little lighter in color. Alcohol more pronounced in the flavor ans the mouth. Also vanilla hints come through more clearly. I prefer the 2003 but still good!

First rating
65 cl bottle thanks to deft. BB March 2010. Hazy copper color, orange head. Milky, alcohol, malty, grainy, fat, sweet scent. Bitter alcohol taste. Smooth mouthfeel, high bitterness. Not good.
6/3/4/4/9=2.6

Rerate
On May 30, 2009
Hazy copper color, tan head. Lactic, alcohol, sweet scent; same goes for taste, though with a good amount of bitterness. Thick mouthfeel. Like it better than last time. Warming alcohol.
6/3/6/4/12=3.1

Bomber, from Charles Street Liquors. Pours amber-brown with a small head. Aroma is of blended malts, sweet raisin, milk chocolate and fruit. Flavor was an extremely mature and balanced concoction of nuts, caramel malt, wood and come complementing hops. This was easily the most mature Barley Wine I’ve ever tasted. Just a fantastic beer to be enjoyed with friends possessing a discerning palate.

Bottle, 65 cl, thanks deft. Hazy amber, medium tan head. Earthy malt aroma, some burnt sugar, spicy and citric hops. Full bodied, medium carbonation. Dry finish with a firm bitterness, and slightly metallic. Overrated.