Stone Old Guardian (Vintages 2004 and later)

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

Copper in colour with t a thin quickly discipating white head. Nose is first hoppy and crisp later kinda malty, the tastet is wow malty and sweet very vapourish alcohol too. Overall, just great.

Early 2007 Limited Release: This beer has been chillin in my fridge for quite some time now. Easter morning sounds like a good time to finally pop it. Pours amber/copper with a thin but lasting head. Slightly hazy. Aroma is sweet, big malt, big hops. Flavor is very powerful. It takes a few swigs for my taste buds to adapt to it. (Kinda like when you walk outside on a really bright day and it takes awhile for your eyes to adjust). Huge flavors but they blend so well together, this beer is incredibly balanced. Well well done Stone.

Fiery burnt orange body with a towering milky white head. Thick and syrupy...coats the inside of the glass and leaves tremendous sticky lacing. Aroma is brown sugar, toffee, and caramel with a hint of ripe citrus. Flavor follows; not overly sweet but does have a bit of an alcohol punch. Another solid brew from Stone.

Tap at Stone, ’05 vintage. Poured kind of light for barley wine, but it was quite a beer. Super dark fruity, malty beer. Taste was much the same, very smooth and easy to drink, this would be very dangerous. The alcohol was very well hidden, great stuff.

Not a lot of barley in the aroma, very very sweet, citrus and a smell you might expect form an american strong ale. Color is a copper orange with a lacking head. Now as far as the flavor, It doesnt fit too well for a barley wine for me. The barley could perhaps be a little more robust at first, but it does leave with an interesting mouthfeel that isnt quite what you would expect from the intial meeting.

2008 Bottle - All malt and fire at first. As it sat, the alcohol mellows, or maybe its just my brain going numb. One sip tells you its Stone, I’m guessing it will be better in a couple years...

22oz, winter ’04 release. Served in my NB worthy glass at 41.8°. Pours reddish orange with an off white, 1/4" head. The beer coats the glass as it is swirled. The aroma is malty with orangish, floral, and herbal hops. The flavor is pure maple syrup at first that are blindsided by the hops before they could get cloying. The hops are herbal and piney and somewhat bitter, but still fall short of harsh. The mouthfeel is good. The alcohol is there in the background and the hops are a big componet. I am scared that the hops and alcohol might jump from out behind a bush and kick my ass, but so far, the malt is keeping that from happening. Nice full body, I have another one that I will put some age on, I bet that will be awesome!

nice copper color with a little gold on the edges, little to no head (poured into a goblet). hop attack on two fronts - aroma and flavor! good carbonation and mouthfeel. super strong hop finish. not the malt or sweet I was hoping for. almost tastes like a triple IPA if you ask me. great beer but not what I'm looking for in a barley wine.