Stone Old Guardian (Vintages 2004 and later)

22 oz bomber bottle in Flagstaff AZ. pours a rich amber color, with a powerful taste. another great beer by Stone.

22oz bottle, 2008 release. Amber-orange with a creamy beige head. Big malty aroma with strawberries, peach, and lots of pineapple and alcohol. Sweet and fruity flavor, with hops that are struggling to get over the massive malts. Warming alcohol in the throat. Finishes with enough bitterness to make it drinkable for it’s size. Full and smooth body. Nice enough, and pretty balanced, but none of the flavors are good enough to warrant the amount of alcohol in it; you just can’t drink enough of it.

Very nice Barley Wine. Not too malty. Pours an amber with a slight head. No lacing. Taste is mostly hops with some cereal malt poking through.

on tap at papago...i got to taste these side by side

2008 release... rich amber color with a fluffy head that fades slowly to a ring. the aroma is caramel, malt, breakfast cereal, spicy hops and sting alcohol. it’s hard to smell because it burns... the flavor is amped up maltiness and spicy hops with bitey alcohol. it’s got a yeasty character in the aftertaste. medium bodied with out the usual stickiness as the alcohol won’t allow it. these have to sit for a while... far too sweet and too harsh. 6/3/5/3/15 =3.2

2007 pours a hazy rich amber color (a bit lighter than the ’08) topped with a white ring. the aroma is full of raisin like fruit, cereal and piney hops. the alcohol has calmed down noticeably but is still present. the palate is a lot less fiery allowing some of the nuances to show through... caramel, honey, pine and grassy hops. the body is medium but it is much smoother than the new batch. it’s neat to see what a year can do. 7/3/7/4/15 = 3.6

limited early 2008 release, cellared in the fridge at my local grocery--you know; trappist glass; murky, medium copper-brown body with orange highlight; light, small tan head--at first thick and tight, but then quickly dissipates into a frothy ring; nice aroma--sugary raisins, caramel; average flavor--bitter, salty aftertaste; smooth and full mouthfeel--sometimes chewy; nice enough beer that I wonder what would result after good aging.

The previous reviewer took the words out of my mouth -- I think the beer I had was fresh, and I’m pretty sure this could use some cellaring. The nose is cereal and band-aid, and that ain’t good. The color is nice and coppery, with a fair head. First sips are some caramel and earthiness, but then you’re hit with some fairly intense brackish bitterness. This latter soon dominates the palate. I like bitterness, but not this bitterness. I got some alcohol-y brandied fruit on the finish, which is definitely good, but it struggled to break through that brackish taste. As I got through the bottle it seemed that big mouthfuls brought out more of the good flavors, but really, who wouldn’t rather sip a barleywine? So I can’t recommend this, but again, maybe with age...

Think I’d age this if given the opportunity...poured almost ruby with a fleeting cream-colored head. Good deal of alcohol to the nose and initial taste, but not exactly harsh. I’ll give it another shot in a year!

Poured a deep amber with little to no head. Alcohol and malt to the nose. Hoppy, dry finish. Awesome beer all around!