Stone Old Guardian (Vintages 2004 and later)

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

08...22oz bottle. pours a golden hue with a floral, citrus aroma. Piney, hoppy, fruity citrus flavor and feels almost sticky on the palate. Despite the alcohol content, it was very well hidden in this multi-dimensional brew. Definitely one of my favorites!

2008. This is a really amazing American Barley Wine. Poured with a creamy off white head and a turbid amber appearance...maybe a little too cloudy. The aroma is divinely fruity with sweeping toasty and caramel notes. The citrusy hops blend into a nice chocolatey-orange note to the first few whiffs. Fits the American profile very well. The flavor is intensely malty and bitter. A wonderful note of dried fig and a touch of fresh pear come out with time and temperature. Very creamy and full bodied. I would love to taste this with a few more years under the cap. This is a great barley wine, man; probably one of the best I’ve ever had. Thanks to Cellar Door for suggesting I do this.

2008 Bomber. Pours a dark amber with a thinnish white head that settles down to just a film. Less hops character than other barley wines that I’ve had. The aroma is very malty with a touch of fruit. The taste is big, with a touch of caramel and a slight hops balance. It’s thick and the alcohol is rather well-hidden, and there’s just a touch of it in the flavor, but it lingers a bit too much in the aftertaste.

08 Vintage on draft @ Stone Brewing. Another solid beer from Stone. Loads of malt. The noise is sweet of caramel, a little spice, and a little bit of hops. Flavor is good with caramel malt and a little hops to balance. 11.26% is some strong stuff.

’07 vintage, pours clear ruddy brown with a foamy tan head that lingers. Nose is sweet and malty, with dried fruit and caramel accents, along with noticeable sugars. Flavor is a bit subtle, with caramel malt and sugars, along with dried fruit. Finish is a hoppy bitterness and the mouthfeel is a bit viscous. Nice brew.

Big heavy malt beast. Sickly sweet with a sharp pronounced hop presence. Thick and rich pronounced sugarcane and fig/plum sweetness - nothing to note that has not already been said. I did find there to be too much alcohol and sappy-thick sweetness. Could get you messed up in a hurry. Seems indistinguishable from many others of this style.

Tried this on tap and from a bottle. There is a big, pillowy head on this clear amber brew. Light lacing. The aroma is nice - floral, plus a hint of citrus and yeast. I could just sit and sniff this for a while. Cool notes on the bottle, with Greg reporting from the Great American Beer Festival. It starts out rich and sweet, a honey malt flavor, followed by pithlike hops kicking in for a dry, grassy finish. Some alcohol warmth too (11.26%!), and a tingly aftertaste. The palate is impressed, but more so than the taste buds. The flavor has some rough edges - but this is still very good.

A very interesting brew. Didnt even know they made it. Pours light brown with a short head. Mouthfeel is super smooth with a thick barley base. Flavor is a little weaker than i would have liked but still very nice.