Stone Old Guardian (Vintages 2004 and later)

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

Bottle. Pours a rich amber color with a thin off-white head. Aroma is hoppy with caramel, fruit, light pine, and some citrus. Flavor is caramel malt, fruitness, warm alcohol and a hint of toffee with a medium bitter finish

Bottle sampled. Pours amber with a large off-white head. Aroma of fruit, citrus, caramel, and alcohol. The flavor is sweet, caramel, fruit, brown sugar, finishes bitter.

650 ml, early 2008 release. Clear orange-copper with a small, but enduring head that leaves a slight soapy lace behind. Aromas of resin, orange, earthy molasses and honeycomb. Flavor starts with orange and molasses, turns more to resin-citrus and shows flavors of oak, peppery evergreen, alcohol, cherries, berries and citrus-honeycomb. Medium-heavy body is smooth with a nice balance between thin and syrupy, and is warming and dryish. Quality and complexity are evident already, but a bit harsh with hops at this stage; probably should cellar a year or two.

Limited Early 2006 Release, 22oz. Pours a slightly hazy orange with a one finger light yellow head. Aroma of brown sugar, ETOH, light smoke, grain malts--though not the crappy pale lager type--some resiny and earthy hops. Some caramel malt and dark fruity notes, light tinge of leather noticeable. Most apparent flavors are the grains, fruits, and then caramel malts. Hops show up in the finish--resiny with moderate bitterness. Chewy. Full bodied, moderate smooth carbonation, alcohol well covered til the finish--isn’t necessarily bad, just is. I don’t think I have a bad thing to say about this, but nothing really stands out as fantastic to me.

Beautiful old brass door knob color. A big thick head and thick sheets of lace stick to the sides of the glass like cobwebs. In the nose, huge, rich caramel malts, slight grapefruit rind hop notes, distant baked apples and oak-barrelled alcohol. Bursts of flavor on the tongue and even the sides of my mouth and all the way down. Big doughy, caramel and fancy orange liquor flavors are immediate. Dry burning hops, more soft warming alcohol, and slight woodiness in the finish. caramel and alcohol warm on the way down and in the aftertaste. Side by side with the ’03, this is stronger in firey alcohol but a little lighter in malts and hops.

Big caramel/toffee malt bomb as expected, but some thiness of body detracts. Big ABV is pretty well undercover here, but more detectable in the nose than the flavor. Sweet dark fruits and a decent flowery hop bite in the finish. Thanks El Borracho!

Limited Early 2006 Release - 22 Oz. Bottle Crystal clear fiery amber, orange and fusion of ruddied sunsets, opposite the gray palor of today. Rimming this opulent liquid is a silky, lacing brown bag head, with nicely stacked micro bubble, champage carbonation and swirling lace. The aroma is subtle and deft, but not entirely exhilirating. It has a sultry sugar base, with floral explosions and rocketing rubbed herb savory touches. Definate bananas over plum sauce in a pot of ageing malt. Finish with a lightly medicinal curry of time. Flavor is an almost buttery mingling of cloying malts and hop residues. It’s quite enjoyable. At first I find myself melting a black cherry compote on the roof of my mouth, before it’s swept away into a sea of orange and pine cream, with delicious glowing florals. The hops are really elequently done in this beer, with the better half showing and the harshness backed off. The malt plays here too, with supple candied sugars and a touch of light milk chocolate. In the end, there’s an amalgamation of vegetal lemongrass on my tounge and a wistful smack of plums and cocktail sauce. I think succulent well describes this beer. Needless to say the palate is totally enjoyable, with heavy balance and gracefull movements. Alcohol is amazingly subdued, adding only appreciated quality and heightened awareness to the profile of the beer. Thanks for this awesome experience Andy!

Courtesy SoLan. Pours a hazy orange amber with a light white head. Alot of toffee malts and molasses in the smell. Very rich. Tastes of citrus hops and caramel. Slight bitterness in the finish. Hops pretty present in the finish as well. Alcohol is definitely present in the taste and I believe its 11 %. Another solid brew from a great brewery. Cant wait to bring some back to Fla from Cali!