Stone Old Guardian (Vintages 2004 and later)

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

Bottle from my Vermont trip. Pours a hazy orange color. Aroma is sweet malt with some fruit, and some very floral hops. Flavor is malty, sweet and a friggin perfect hops balance. Easily one of the best barley wines I have ever had. Wonderful. MMMMMMM.

Appearance: Pours a dark, obscured, rich amber body with a thin, beige head. Smell: A far lighter aroma when compared with earlier vintages (’02, ’03). Faint, far off caramel malts and fruit and well, that’s about it. The 2005 rebounds in fruitiness, smelling of strawberry-scented cotton candy. Taste: Vague caramel maltiness with a medium sweetness. Far less fruitiness present than the 2002 and 2003. The hops aren’t nearly as citrusy, but they do have a ramped up wooden quality to them. Medium-plus bitterness throughout. Finishes bittersweet with a touch of heat at the very end. The 2005 delivers the forgotten fruits of the 2004 and has a fuller residual sweetness within. Also, as we progress through the vertical, things are getting hotter and more bitter. The 2006 is rather similar to the 2005, but without that wild strawberry character. Sadly, the 2007 dials down the various components again. Plus, being younger it’s all heat and hops -- might be where the 2004 was at one point. Mouthfeel: Full-bodied. Medium-low carbonation. Drinkability: Enjoyed as part of a vertical spanning the vintages between 2002 and 2007. The 2004 really was the letdown of the group, displaying a weak aroma, a far less punchy malt character, even a dead hop profile. It certainly was no 2003! The 2005 has some interesting complexities, but the 2006 and 2007 become a bit more vanilla.

22 oz. Early 2008 release. Pours an dark orange oclor with a small white head. Aroma is citrus, hops, caramel, slightly sweet. Flavor has a strong malt flavor, but is balanced by the hops. It has a nice floral hop finish. The alcohol is well hidden for a beer that’s over 11%.

Bottled from Cracked Kettle, Amsterdam. 2008 Release. Orange-amber coloured, small head. Very fruity notes, orange, grapefruit, hops and caramel too. Strong hopbitter flavour, very dry. Lasting finish. Powerful brew, perhaps a bit too harch, but very solid.

Bomber bottle poured into a snifter. The aroma isn’t as powerful as I would have expected given it’s assertive flavor. Some notes of orange, christmas spice, brown sugar. This barleywine has the right balance of hops and malt. The flavor is malty, with notes of candied fruit and some cinnamon hidden in there. The aftertaste finishes with hops in a flowery flourish. The alcohol is very well hidden, I wouldn’t have guessed this beer to be as high in alcohol as it is. The palate is very nice. Silky, gentle, and creamy. I might buy a few of these to cellar. Fans of barleywine should seek this out. This would also be a good intro barleywine for beginners.

Bottle. Aroma caramel, dried dark fruits, honey, some flower hops. Murky orange amber hue with a small off-white head that mostly diminished. Flavor is sweet and finishes bitter. Palate is full bodied and oily flat. Very nice full bodied and sticky sweet. Still very young but should mellow quite nicely with age.

bomber into wine glass for lack of a snifter. Pours a thick dark amber color with a good off-white head. Aromas of dough booze and hops. The flavor was boozy with strangely muted flavors. Medium to heavy bodied on the palate - soft carbonation. Overall: hot and worthy of age. Showed some serious promise though.

650 ml, early 2008 release. Clear orange-copper with a small, but enduring head that leaves a slight soapy lace behind. Aromas of resin, orange, earthy molasses and honeycomb. Flavor starts with orange and molasses, turns more to resin-citrus and shows flavors of oak, peppery evergreen, alcohol, cherries, berries and citrus-honeycomb. Medium-heavy body is smooth with a nice balance between thin and syrupy, and is warming and dryish. Quality and complexity are evident already, but a bit harsh with hops at this stage; probably should cellar a year or two.