Stone Old Guardian (Vintages 2004 and later)

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

limited early 2008 release. pours a red/orange with a decent head, good lacing. aroma is hoppy and somewhat citrusy, almost like an IPA but a bit darker and fruitier. flavor is excellent- like a darker, malitier ipa with an alcohol bite. palate is delightful, really nice beer.

Pours orange with a medium head and mild lacing. Aroma is pleasant, big caramel sweetness, lots of hop spice, and floral notes highlight. Flavor is big, pine, wood esters, orange zest, faint cobwebs. Initial sweetness is quickly snuffed by a large hop presence, but the flavors blend for a short period before the sweetness recedes and all that’s left is big hop bitterness. Very nice, but lacks a certain complexity that I’ve enjoyed in others within the style. Solid and well made.

Bottle, #395   Dark pour with decent head. Great malt aroma and flavor, balanced with a bit of hop. Great barley wine!

Pours a translucent amber with a two-finger dense head that clings to the glass. The aroma packs a spicy, peppery punch above a sweet malt floral hop nose. The booze is certainly evident and comes across a bit hot. A rich caramel malt sweetness provides a nice backbone for the for the assault of citric and grassy hops. Notes of vanilla, peppery spice, smoke, unfortunately soap, and herbal, nougaty malts. The mouthfeel is creamy and softly carbonated. It’s balanced, finishes dry and is a bit hot.

A glorious translucent amber color, pours a thin quarter inch white head. aroma is very malty and contains hos ints of caramel. If you can get past the ever present boosyness there is a very hoppy malty flavor. the after taste contains hints of vanilla and pepper.

2008 bottle. Pours amber with a thin white head. Very nice malty aroma with a bit of caramel and fruit. Flavor is toasted malt and spices with a grassy hop finish. Alcohol is a bit too prominent. The underlying structure and flavors are there but it just hasnt opened up yet.

2008 bottle: Pours an orange/honey color with a small white head. Aroma is also very strong of honey, some caramel malts and light piney hops. Wow, definitely a hoppy barley wine. The start is smooth and sweet like a light clover honey, with some more herbal stuff going on there in the middle, but the end is all hops. Very plant-like dry flavor and then a long bitter finish. Maybe a little hop heavy for a barley wine but I love hops.

This is one of my favorite beers. Great flavor and palate. the color is typical of a great beer. the head dies down once you let it set for a minute but does not completely disappear. smooth malty finish that has an after note of hops.