Stone Old Guardian (Vintages 2004 and later)

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

Finally had a chance to open my 22oz ’04 bottle. Well worth the wait. This is my favorite barleywine. Small head, light color with a very bitter dominant profile. Very dense - it has an underlying dark cherry undertoe that meets a malty, burnt, cognac edge. Large beer that starts out very smooth and ends not as warming as one might expect. However its perfect in a snifter while watching a fire. Don’t forget to match it with a strong blue cheese. Take your time with this one.

BANG! *Thud* My head just exploded of flavour overload. This is a big BIG beer. Orange amber in the glass with a beige head which persists surprisingly well for such a high abv beer. The aroma is an assault but a pleasant one. Hard to know where the malt ends and the hops begin, as the hops are woody and spicy rather than the usual USA citrus attack. Similar on the palate, with a ton of woody and vanilla notes - almost like a bourbon. Tasty resinous hops cut through the massive malt with a surgical precision, leaving a streak of bitterness which prevents this hugely malty beast becoming cloying. Not a bad achievement. Warming alcohol makes itself felt but doesn’t stick out at all. An excellent beer and a great one to bring up the 150 ratings.

Thanks to Brewfiend for sharing. Pours a dirty earthy brownish color.Nice deep sweet nose with hints of floral hoppiness. Great full ripe fruit sweetness with hints of toffee, smoke, and a nice tofffe like sugar finish. Great beer that will be unbelievable in some time.

Limited early 2009 release bomber bottle. Orange, copper brown in color, small amount of white head. Smell is citrus, fruit, and malt. This beer smells wonderful. The taste is initially sweet and malty followed by a bitter hop finish that lingers on your palate for 10-15 seconds after each sip. This is my first barley wine and I have to say I really enjoyed it. It tastes a lot like a good IPA and I would rank it up there with my favorite IPA’s. Overall excellent.

(22oz btl for $5.62)

lct-cpr, oily-full-body, med-co2(more than i like in BW).

aroma: sweet rich hop-wine dark-fruit.

flavor: sweet-malt hop-juice T1, dark-fruit-wine ^alchl T2, bitter-hop shorter-than-expected T3.

Another thanks to BillVanE and dra19. Some hops taste at least. Very well hidden in the taste. Very filling beer and almost firey with the alcohol. I dont think I could drink more than 2 of these in a row, which is a good thing. Great beer.

Bold and beautiful. Very strong hoppy taste, medium roast, big on the alcohol. Tons of malt, caramel taste. Medium body. Great.

The 2008 iteration of Old Guardian is a clear winner. Let it sit for a while to air out and add to the complexity. Very hoppy nose but mellows as it sits. Rich and buttery it’s like a fine cognac. Make sure you are already home when enjoyng this one because like a good creeper weed, it will sneak up behind you and will knock your dick in the dirt. I rate this highly and my recliner, which my wife woke me up in this morning at 5am, rates it even higher.