Stone Old Guardian (Vintages 2004 and later)

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

Peachy brown. Strong nose, sweet and quite hoppy, a bit of pine. Flavor is strong and hoppy, some woodiness. Richness is akin to maple syrup, maybe a bit of dry fruit like apricots in the background. Alcohol is a bit strong and overnoticeable. Tastes like it's trying to be Bigfoot's older brother, but doesn't have the malt heft to back up its strength. Certainly good, but still one of the least impressive things I've had from Stone (which, to be fair, is usually spectacular).

ruby/copper pour with a thin off white/cream head. nose is citrusy hops, thick syrupy mats and fruit. very nice on the palate with a heavy caramel malt flavor that finishes with citrusy, bitter hops. very delicious barley wine though.

After a long day at work I needed something to just finish the job fast... this was it. Orange body with a small head. Unique fruity aroma that cannot get away from the stone house character. Moderate hopping but overall this was syrupy sweet. Not bad, but it’s stone so it’s not really my thing.

Bomber of the ’06. Pours reddish copper with thin beige head. The aroma is light and smooth with raisins, some candy sweetness, some caramel, some leaves, and pine needles. The flavor is pine sap, sugar, and alcohol at first. Then wood, earth, and toasty malt. The finish is smoke and alcohol. The whole brew gets slightly spicy as it nears room temperature. It’s a little on the sugary sweet side for me, and the alcohol could be masked better, but still decent.

2005. Poured caramel brown with a thick tan head. Big malt, caramel aroma. Sweet smelling. Taste was very sweet. Nicely hopped and full bodied.

Early Spring 2006 bomber, courtesy of tpkenned.
Amber-hued garnet and translucent, with heavy, thickly spun saliva wisps for the head and cascading beady lace. Aromatic elixir strikes up brandy, bandaids, fusel alcohol, maraschinos pooling in an unmanned rail drink, pear & sherry flambé, and sweet cherry caramel cubes. Flavor is f’in hot hot hot. Bitterness generously spreads out. Buttered rum oiliness holds court with a sweet hop bitterness and flavor. Favorable diligence hides underneath the hotness. Peach skin wrapped around sun spoiled bing cherries. Pomegranate fig neutons. Whole mouth totality. Rubbery numbness and a suctioning hoppy hotness that pulls the taste buds upwards despite the relativity of gravity (such is the nature of this high gravity creation.) Finish instigates a hot flame like gasoline nipping at the tonsils, followed sweetly with amaretto cheesecake’s milky, syrupy bottom layer. An American barleywine on all accords, and one that will be quite beautiful in a couple years down the road.

Vintage 2004 22 oz. bottle pours an amber color with a white head that quickly fades to a sheen. Has a strong alcohol smell with breads, caramels, and a whiff of floral hops. The smell of this brew alone is intoxicating. Full bodied with a creamy mouthfeel. Strong, bittersweet taste of sweet plums and caramels folowed by a bitter hop and warming, raw alcohol finish. A great west coast Barleywine that should only get better with time.Sept 2004 VINTAGE 2007 tasted May ’07: Copper with a lasting head. Spicy malty alcohol aroma. Huge malt driven taste with spicys hops and a bittersweet alcohol tang to finish. tastes about the same to me as the fresh ’04 did.

The aroma is oak and some cherries. The apperance is copper colored with a nice lacing. The flavor is citrusy with some cherry and orange. It has a nice alcohol warming effect. The aftertaste leaves an almost buttery coat. Its like a Double Bastard Lite. Good stuff.