Stone Old Guardian (Vintages 2004 and later)

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

07 release. light amber/orange in color with a small to medium off white head. Aroma is resiny citrus and caramel, hops very prevalent and almost in the front. Taste is heavy citrus and pine, pretty bitter up front and throughout the taste, with plenty of pale malt/caramel to back the hops. Alcohol is a bit biting in the finish, but the amount of hop bitterness and taste covers it a bit. Good for a really fresh barleywine.

(Bottle, Akkurat, Stockholm 14 Sep 2007) Amber colour with brief off-white head. Fruity nose with peaches, mandarin, orange and generous amounts of rubbery hops. Fruity taste with notes of orange, mandarin and loads of rubbery, floral hops in the finish. Slightly vinous, sweet with hints of marzipan. Massive, chewy beer, but still with balance. Magnificent!

Bottle. Trade with Baggio. Pours unclear orange amber with a small creamy lasting white head. Vinous, strong, sweet, matured, fruity, complex, smooth. Fine balance. Very nice and sippable.

On Tap @ O’Brien’s. 2004 vintage. Clear orange color with chunks of creamy tan head floating along the viscous barrier between air and elixir. Sweet malt and dark fruit aroma punctuated by some hop nose. Full Barleywine malt and fruitiness with thick smooth peanut butter mouthfeel. The hops have really evened out. Delicious. The 2005 I sampled next, here at O’Brien’s, had no head. The aroma was very light. The flavors are similar to the ’04 but a bit brighter. There was malt, molasses, a hint of toffee and a full dark fruitiness flavor. Wow, good stuff.

Bottle, "limited early 2006 release," whatever that means. Hazelnut color with a bubbly off-white head. Aroma of hops, vanilla, oak, citrus, caramely malts, bitter almond, alcohol, complex and nice. Big malts in the flavor, light hops, caramel, toffee, alcohol, vanilla again, sweet. Much thicker on the palate than I expected, nice carbonation. I love barley wines, and this is a nice take on one. Not as hoppy as an old horizontal, but much richer, I think I just found a new staple.

Bottle. Pours orange apricot gold with a white head that quickly dissipates. Aroma is caramel, toffee, and mango. Flavor is pretty complex and sticky: mango, caramel, wheat, apricot. Has a bitter kick, partially alcohol, partially hops? Wow.

#100!! Bottled 2007- pours fizzy amber golden color with fizzy and slightly foamy head. smells lemon, and berries, some molasses, some piney grassy hops. tastes absolutely gorgeous. light mouthfeel, a bit watery, tastes lemonwater, molasses, and a long lasting piney finish, with hints of berries. Really enjoyable.

On tap at the Blind Tiger in NYC. This beer is very thick and creamy, with a sweet and hoppy flavor that is in great balance. Its quite complex and has a long-lasting flavor profile. Earthy and alcohol finish. Great Barleywine.