Stone Old Guardian (Vintages 2004 and later)

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

bottle. Red, slowly fading white head. Fruity aroma of faint apples layered with pungent bitterness, some burned caramel and dry leafy notes. This is robust on the palate: earthy, thick caramel, burning leaves, pear peels. The alcohol is certainly there but mixes well with the acidic notes.

bottle, one aquaried from cbkschubert. Very odd appearance. Very pale/amber looking with thin head. Nice aroma with malt being present and slight cherry scent. First taste reminded me of burton baton and did not taste like a barley wine. Very heavy cherry taste and hardley enough character. As it warmed it changed a few times. Ending up as a decent barley wine. The problem was that I had to let it warm up for atleast a half an hour. Pretty good barley wine but not one of Stones best. I got another bottle that I’m aging for another 3 years at least. Update: Smoother and a nice malty flavor to it. Long legs in the appearance. Hides the alcohol well. Another 2 years could really make this shine. Old rating - 3.1

Bottled from Cracked Kettle, Amsterdam. 2008 Release. Orange-amber coloured, small head. Very fruity notes, orange, grapefruit, hops and caramel too. Strong hopbitter flavour, very dry. Lasting finish. Powerful brew, perhaps a bit too harch, but very solid.

2004 Old Guardian from a growler (yeah baby) bought at Stone ($7 growler fill). 3 years old. No head, but a little carbonation. Nice background oxidation smell, a perfect amount. The beer is cloudy. I didn’t know aging made the beer cloudy. It was interesting to see the guy gingerly filling the bottle of aged old Guardian, while the next growler was overflowing with some other stuff. Very well balanced hops and sweetness. I should probably rerate with a fresh batch, this one is too good!

On tap 2008 vintage. Pours a light golden with a great blond head. The aroma is light hops and citrus. The taste was heavy on the citrus and hops, but was also really hot. The bite was significant, but not a negative, given time it will cool perhaps. Overall, what I expect from Stone; quality.

2009 bomber. Pours a hazy amber with a dense 2 finger beige head that results in great lacing. The nose is floral hops and malt. The taste is sweet malt, brown sugar, ripe fruits and a bitter citrus/yellow grapefruit rind finish. Medium creamy body. My kind of BW, nice and hoppy.

Courtesty of Tampa Tasting group. Pours a clear amber color with a thin head. Aroma is sweet malt, candy sugar, ripe dark fruit, some caramel and toffee notes. Flavor is vanilla, malt, cream, floral hops, some nuts and pine. Medium body with a slightly hoppy finish.

Made a good appearance, poured a reddish orange hued amber with a foamy beige head that settled into a thin lacing, very minimal amount of sticking, good barley wine catbonation. Had a nose of caramel and toffee, herbal, pine resins and orange zesty with whiffs of alcohol, not in your face alcohol, but tamed and subdued. A crisp, hop slick, chewy and creamy smooth medium bodied mouth feel, very good sipping barley wine drinkability. Delicious tasting, caramel, toffee and bready malts, orange juicy with a little citric rind, herbal and pine resins, a smooth rolling bitterness, a nice, slow alcohol warmth in the palate, for 11.2 ABV, quite tamed, dangerously quaffable, and a sweetish caramel, bready and hop oily and resiny finish with a mixture of spicy alcohol, caramel and toffee lingering in the aftertaste. I’m a fan of IPA’s, but this is the best brew I’ve had so far from Stone Brewery, you can call it complex while at the same time simple, as in simply luscious and mouthwatering, just plain marvelous.