Stone Old Guardian (Vintages 2004 and later)

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

Excellent. Wonderful aroma. Beautiful amber with a lacing head. Sweet start and bitter end. Where’s the alcohol. Oh there it is.

Bottle: Deep amber color with an off white head. Aroma is of grape, caramelized sugar, and alcohol. The taste is VERY full bodied. Vanilla, woody, dark fruit (grape, apricot, etc.), and brown sugar flavors are all coming through as well as a bitter hop flavor that lingers along. I really can’t say enough about this beer. Highly recommended for anyone who like barley wine.

08 release. pours ruby with a nice off white head. Give the glass a swirl and the head will come back in full force at any time. Nice! Aroma of sweet malt, citrus, and hops. Flavor is brown sugar, grapefruit, raisin, and other dark fruits. Not nearly as much hops as other people are getting in my bottle even when fresh. Finishes slightly carbonated. Medium mouth feel. 11.26%? I didn’t notice. Very nice.

Bottle 2007. My first attempt at aging. Pours clear amber with moderate off white head. Aroma is caramel sweetness with floral hops and grapefruit. The hops have mellowed nicely. The first flavor is caramel/port wine with raisins and plum. Very sweet and palatable. The hops come through at the back with a strong bite which mellows as you drink. Alcohol is well hidden. I was nervous that this wasn’t going to make it a year in less than ideal aging conditions, but it was great.

Hazy orange beer with a minimal head. Lacing isn’t anything to write home about. Aroma is of grapefruit hops. Flavor is cascade dominated as well, with the malt supplying a nice caramel note to it. Palate is almost perfect. Soft full body, with the right amount of carbonation. With the hops supplying a dry, bitter end, you wouldn’t think this is a 10%+ beer. Very good.

Bottle of limited early2009 fro m 3 Sons. Sweet with tobacco and grass notes, better as it warms, nice finish with plenty of hops and malt packed in for a great beer. Fair head and dark amber color.

Bomber, from Charles Street Liquors. Pours amber-brown with a small head. Aroma is of blended malts, sweet raisin, milk chocolate and fruit. Flavor was an extremely mature and balanced concoction of nuts, caramel malt, wood and come complementing hops. This was easily the most mature Barley Wine I’ve ever tasted. Just a fantastic beer to be enjoyed with friends possessing a discerning palate.

Early 2008 version poured into a Stone Old Guardian tulip glass for a perfect union of beer and serving container. Appearance is super clear bright orange hue, head is a good amount of white, condensed creamy foam, great swaths of lacing on the glass. Smell is fairly muted for a barleyiwine, some subtle caramel malts and a mix of pine/grassy/floral hops, tinges of alcohol. Taste is pure Stone, big pine resin hops and caramel malts mix together initially, transitions to some grassy sweet floral tones, finishes with sweet malt and alcohol warming. Mouthfeel is full-bodied, thick oily texture coats the mouth region, nice ample carbonation. Drinkability is good, this is a surprisingly sweet and mild barleywine and the 11+%abv is very subtle, a good candidate for aging- while it is solid now I can imagine that it may move into the exceptional range with a few years of aging as noted by some of the aged OGs at the most recent Stone Storm.