Stone Old Guardian (Vintages 2004 and later)

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

Early 2006 edition. Pours a beautiful light rosewood color. Doughy, complex nose with tropical fruits and flowers. Bright on the palate with a caressing, long finish.

Tons of hops, bridged by taffy-like sweetness, give this barley wine, released in early 2009, a tart and bitter taste. A frothy head forms over an amber colored, thickly rich, complexion. There is almost a muddy mouthfeel that wraps around the tongue. A citrus aftertaste highlights a premiere beer, in the style of barley wine, that boast a high alcohol ratio (over 11%). A fine brew, indeed.

22 oz bottle, Early 2009 release. Pours a lovely deep amber/orange with a thick creamy off white head that slowly recedes leaving a fair amount of lace behind. Aroma is a strong mix of hops and malt with a hint of the alcohol lurking within. Heavy, substantial palate with low level carbonation. Flavor is citrus hops, brown sugar, toffee, dark fruits with plenty of malt backbone. Nice combination of bitter and sweet. As with most barleywines I’ve had, the warmer it gets, the more flavors you experience.

Yay I finally reached 500 ratings! I figure this is a good one for such an occasion. Color is a very hazy brown and orange color. Aroma is malts, hops, chocolate, and alcohol. Flavor is of hops, chocolate, some fruit, and some booze. Leaves a sour aftertaste. This is good stuff!

Early 08 release. Pours an auburn/ orange color with a quickly dissapating head. The aroma is stale hops, candied sugar (rock candy), booze and vanilla. Flavor has definitely melowed out very well balanced and not overly sweet. The ABV shows through, but nowhere near as much as fresh.

I like it. Nice barleywine flavor, not too sweet or cloying. It’s slightly bitter, but that’s to be expected from a Stone beverage. It’s a bit pricey on the east coast but I think on the west coast it’d replace Clipper City’s barleywine as the default.

Bomber! Orange-amber pour, not much head. Great aroma of cherry and caramel, with a huge boozy background. Flavor is dominated by alcohol, which overwhelms the caramel sweetness and malt complexity. Hops bitterness in the finish along with a good amount of heat. Good overall, but there are many more American barley wines with more balance at comparable ABVs.

Bomber. Orange with some white head. Aroma is boozy...very boozy and berries and other fruits. Flavor is similar with some lighter caramels. Sweet as expected but comes back strong at the very end, going into the finish with huge hops. A better barley wine than most.