Stone Old Guardian (Vintages 2004 and later)

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

Just plain textbook barleywine. Sweet, toffee, complex. Would like a bit more hops, but thats not really the style. Recent release.

2008 Release. Cloudy orange with little head and no lacing. Starts malty and then the hops really come prancing through. Floral, grapefruit mixed with raisins and plums. Sweet and approachable with good alcohol coming through. Enjoyed.

Bouteille de 22 oz partagée lors d’une dégustation Ratebeer Montréal chez Glouglouburp. Arôme: Odeur d’houblons avec une pointe de caramel foncé. Apparence: La couleur est ambrée voilée. Présence d’une fine dentelle sur le verre. Saveur: Goût de caramel et d’houblons avec une pointe de raisins. Durée moyenne de l’arrière goût. Palette: Le corps est moyen avec une texture légèrement huileuse. Faible effervescence en bouche. Arrière goût légèrement fruité. (Rating #2499)

22 oz bomber. Thick amber pour with a thin tan head. Aroma of hops, sugar and some piney citrus fruit. Taste is acidic, nice lacing with a bitter finish.

{pours a cherry wood brown, clear. Tan Head. Good lacing. Smells of strong bitter hops and a significant amount of apricots. Delightful. Flavor is of bitter, sedimentary hops. Less apricots here, but an intense sweet nut finish. Another nice surprise from Stone Brewing Co. I have yet to be dissappointed by them. No... I have yet to not be amazed.

Bomber->snifter: pours a small, rocky, off-white head that exhibits spare lacing atop a murky, dark orange body. Aroma of roasted grain, herbs, sweat, and cheese. The body is medium, the texture sticky, with a bitter finish. The flavor’s duration is long, being lightly acidic, heavily bitter, very hoppy and a mouthfeel of minerals.

22 oz bottle, early 2007 vintage. Pours a slightly hazy dark copper with a one finger tight bubbled beige head. The nose is heavy resiny and citrusy hops with tons of caramel and toffee malts. Just a slight bit of oxidation creeping in. The flavor is still very harshly bitter with a thick almost syrupy caramel malt base. A little bit of oxidation on the finish, but nothing that I would call beneficial at this point. I’d like to see a bit more actually. The body is thick and viscous with a clingy resiny and sticky finish. Nice soft pinpoint carbonation. Overall, this is just a little bit too brash and bold for my tastes, I guess I’m more of an English Barleywine type of guy and this is about as far from that as possible.

Vintage 2009, bottle from Central Market Plano. Dark gold, thick lingering head & lacing. Fine brandy, alcohol & hops on the nose with caramel & sticky dark fruit. Bold blast of alcohol on the tongue, rum soaked raisins & cedar, nice bitterness. Smells sweeter than it tastes. A very sophisticated representative of barley wine. Gasp...after taste lingers with a nice brandy-like warming sensation. Would order again- a great beer for a special occassion or as a winter-food companion.