Stone Old Guardian (Vintages 2004 and later)

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

Name: Old Guardian
Date: April 19, 2004
Mode: Bottle
Source: Whole Foods Market, DC
Vintage: 2004
Appearance: clear dark amber, fine white head
Aroma: nice floral and citrus aroma
Body: incredable soft and creamy body
Flavor: big hop flavor well balanced on a nice sweet carmel base, long esb bitter finish
Overall: like a really big really nice esb

Name: Old Guardian
Date: April 17, 2005
Mode: bottle
Vintage: 2004
Appearance: big strong earthy hop aroma with lots of sweet fruity essence
Aroma: lots of sweet fruity malt flavor, nice bitterness, the fruity character is coming out really nice after only one year, the hops have backed off to aroma and nice bitterness
Overall: still a very nice creamy esb, but now with added fruity character

Name: Old Guardian
Date: January 06, 2007
Mode: bottle
Source: blind tasting
Vintage: 2004
Score: 3.2
Appearance: muddy orange, wispy white head
Aroma: sweet fruity bitter malt aroma
Flavor: nice fruity malt flavor balanced by earthy hops, light alcohol essence

Name: Old Guardian
Date: February 01, 2007
Mode: bottle
Source: Ale Atlanta
Vintage: 2004
Body: body is thining out
Flavor: picking up some oxidation in the malt flavor

Name: Old Guardian
Date: September 06, 2008
Mode: bottle
Source: vertical tasting
Vintage: 2004
Appearance: hazy amber, wispy beige head
Aroma: sweet caramel and crystal aroma
Flavor: sweet caramel and crystal flavor, touch of fruityness, plenty of balancing lo

Golden bronze, thin head. Chewy, resiny aroma with oatmeal cookie dough. Deep resiny hop palate with that tongue-scraping bitterness that extends past the taste threshold. Rich malts in the finish with alcoholic warmth. I’ve had too many beers like this.

Deep amber color; small but persistent head. Malty nose, and sweet caramel. Medium thickness, quite oily mouthfeel; round; malty, but with more caramel than other examples; the alcohol is too warming; some hop resins. At the end the bitterness is well blended with the malt. Solid and well brewed, without thrills.

Clear amber with large beige head. Sweet aroma with notes of toffee, caramel, toasted malt and hops. Sweet flavour with alcohol, caramel, citric hops and toasted malt. Bitter finish with warming alcohol.

(3/2/08, 22oz bottle, vintage 2007) Creamy off-white head that leaves nice lacing atop hazy amber body. Aroma is moderately sweet, caramel, raisin/plum, grapefruit/pine/earthy, some alcohol. Taste is moderately sweet, caramel, grapefruit, pine/earthy, some raisin, orange, alcohol, light vinous. Very smooth medium-full body with light chewiness. (7/4/8/4/16)

(12/6/05, draft) Never had this in draft before, and the biggest difference appears in the intensity of the nose. Clear deep amber body with off-white head. Aroma is moderately sweet, candied orange, prune, caramel, grapefruit, cherry, butterscotch, some alcohol. Taste is sweet, caramel, orange, grapefruit, pine, dark fruit, some alcohol. Smooth full body, great for sipping on a cold night. (9/4/8/4/16)

(4/5/04, bottle) Hazy amber body with large beige head. Aroma is relatively mild -- grapefruit, light caramel. Taste is sweet, grapefruit, caramel, pine, light vinous. Finishes with medium alcohol burn. Full body, some syrup and chewiness. (6/4/8/4/15)

Bottled. Dark amber color, small white head. Rye malty, alcoholic aroma. Malty, ryeish, alcoholic - American hops are there. Boring, yet another strong American beer.

Bottle and tap at The Rake Stone Tasting 09. Reddish amber in colour. Hoppy sweetish aroma.. Good sweetness in mouth, so kinda good balanced hop on end. But hops balance the sweetness well. Some heat from the alcohol. Better on tap, smoother even though heat is there. But hops and biscuit malt work really well. Lovely.

Bottle shared @ jbrus’s place. Aroma has mango, pineapple, red berries and citrus. Malty flavor with loads of earthy hops. Hints of pineapple and mango. A considerable dry out effect. The balance is lacking a bit.