Stone Old Guardian (Vintages 2004 and later)

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

Winter 2005 11.26% Alc. Vol. Pours a red-orange... with the sweet smell of brown sugar and maybe caramel... at a first taste reminds me of maple syrup... the alcohol makes it’s presence known... it has a bit of a bitter taste then becomes sweet again... with a lingering aftertaste... it’s like dessert only better... I’m loving it!

Opaque brown with a large head that laced the glass as it disappeared. Aroma of molasses, hops, malt, grain, and fruit. Flavor was wonderful; an amazing experience. Bitter on the palate, alcohol was apparent in the flavor and in the mouth. Before the aroma, I expected a standard "barley wine." Old Guardian, however, was much more rich, much more well balanced, much more provocative.

22oz bottle. Clear and ruby hue. Minimal white head. Sweet cinnamon nose. Syrupy. Full and lively. Smokey and dry with a slight alcohol nose. Flavors or notes of port, chocolate/cocoa, caramel, spices, piney hops and prunes. Sticky sweet with a cola like flavor and palate. Malt notes are sweet and pruny. Hops develope a citrus note to the finish. Fantastic! Prime example of a Barley Wine. Caramel sticky sweet with a ton of fruity notes.

drank this baby on my 21st birthday, yesterday. had no idea that it was 11.26% and blacked out a quick bit. pesky little guy snuck up on me. When I got to the last portion of the beer it tasted like I was drinking some str8 liquor or somethin. color was a magnifigant red. good brew.

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.

2006 bottle - This barley wine has a great malt, oak, and hop aroma. All three blend together nicely in the flavor with some alcohol presence, but not too much. I think a year of aging has been good for it. It’s another great brew from Stone.

2006 vintage - aged one year. Pours bright amber into a snifter. Head quiclkly subsides with no lacing. Caramel and alcohol armoas. Rum, creme caramel with a lasting bittersweet finish. Nice.

Limited early 2007 release poured form the 22 0z bomber. It has a warm rosy visual appeal, lightly carbonated with a stoic rocky head. The aroma is sweet and sugary, making me think of some rich dessert. As expected, it carries a big stick to the palate ... syrup, oak, cooked caramel, and resin. Would love to do a vertical comparison of this one; me thinks it will age grandly