Stone Old Guardian (Vintages 2004 and later)

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

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.

22oz bottle, Winter 2004. Pours a hazy, ruby-amber color; off-white head with good retention and patchy lacing. Dense, dried red fruits and slightly warming alcohol in the aroma. Medium-to-full mouthfeel: dense, dried red fruits (much redder fruit than the 2003), warming toasty vanilla and alcohol; caramel, nougat, and alcohol; slightly hotter than the 2003 version. Lengthy, red fruit and caramel finish.

Bottle at Enniskillen’s tasting

Pours a thin but beautiful amber. Aroma is sweet and sour cotton candy. This is a barleywine??? More like a cotton-candy-infused amber with pineapple. Palate is slippery. A nice surprise; mellow, and the alcohol is hidden nicely.

Bottle, 65 cl, thanks deft. Hazy amber, medium tan head. Earthy malt aroma, some burnt sugar, spicy and citric hops. Full bodied, medium carbonation. Dry finish with a firm bitterness, and slightly metallic. Overrated.

On tap at the Blind Tiger Ale House, NYC - April 2004: Malty and hoppy- tart - big body. Malt and hops in the nose too. Smooth - very nice. Brown colored with a nice head leaving laces on the glass.

Sweet flowers and hops in the aroma - mouthwatering. All malt tastes are up at the front of the tongue - sweet candied fruit. A peppery hop comes in at the middle and obliterates all sugar (yeah, i like that!). After awhile, the palate gets rough - a little too much alcohol burn. I do like the lighter palate - keeps it from getting cloying. One to age and try again in 6 months.

Bottle (2005) pours a clear vibrant deep orangish amber, mediocre off-white foamy head, very light carbonation, with clingy lacing.   Heavy malts, biscuity, citrusy, with a hoppy background on the nose.   Taste is fairly sweet, thick, coats the mouth well... tiz a bit cloying tho until it warms.   Comes across as a bit green.   Age will do this one well I bet.   Body and mouthfeel are indeed full, and thick.   Finishes with a cloying sweetness that I hope subsides with time.   Lingering hop bitterness, malty, with a burnt caramel like sweetness.   I’d liike to try this in a few years from now.   Not bad, but definitely young.

Hazy orange amber, small lasting tan head.Alcoholic butterscotch nose.Taste is mostly alcohol and butterscotch, lots of hops. Thin and lacks body. The hoppiest,thinnest barleywine I have ever had. Don’t see what all the fuss is, the alcohol kills all the other tastes.6,3,5,2,11 Rerate Sept 14/06: Tap at the Archer. Wow what a difference!!.Hazy amber,lasting beige head.Toffee,brown sugar nose.Well blended and complex molasses.brown sugar flavor, decently hopped,with medium alcohol heat