Stone Old Guardian Barley Wine (Red Wine Barrel)

On tap at Stone Bistro. Pours dark amber with a thin beige head. The nose is caramel, grapes, vanilla and hops. The taste is citrus hops, brown sugar, vanilla, light wine and pine. The wine barrel character is muted by the hops compared to the 070707, but it’s still good.

On tap at Stone. Pours a hazy brown with a small white head. Aroma is faded hops, malt, grains, red wine, oak. Flavor is faded hops, oak, red wine is apparent but overshadowed by the base beer. Finish lingers with hop bitterness and a touch of the wine barrel. Good experiment.

Sampled at the Denver rare beer tasting at Wynkoop. Red/orange color with a small white head. Nose is very hoppy, piney, winey. Taste is very thick, hoppy, with a nice barrel-wine flavor. Very strong but easily drinkable. Nice.

[Draft @ UJ’s Manatawny] Murky red brown color with a small, off white head that left nice lacing on the glass. Aroma of pine, floral hops, caramel malts, red wine, citrus fruits, sherry, vanilla oak, toast, and toffee. Taste of pine, tobacco, sherry, red wine, citrus, caramel malts, red grapes, grapefruit, dark fruits, and a good amount of hops left, finishing with a fair amount of alcohol.

Tap at U Jacks barrel event. Pours a hazy orange amber with a medium creamy off white head. Aroma of oak, dark fruits, caramel, vanilla, red wine, nuts, toasted malt and light citrusy hops. Flavor of dark fruits, caramel, red wine, oak, vanilla, grapes and moderate hop bitterness and flavor.

Pours amber/orange. Nose is vinous, grapey, malt sweetness, floral hops. Flavor is dry wine, oak, grapes, unripe fruit, mild tartness balanced nicely by sweet malts and sweet hops. Lovely!

2008 Draft sample poured by Mitch Steele at The Denver Rare Beer Tasting event during GABF week on 9/25/09. pours a deep orange with a white head... big body with the hops faded away... very smooth throughout... some light banana... some wood notes, light fruit and sweetness on the nose... finishes well with more barrel notes... really glad I got some of this.

got it at the brewery in a growler. agreed to smelling like cognac and being creamy. you can definitely tell it tastes more like wine than beer. pretty good