Stone Old Guardian (Vintages 2004 and later)

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

0.65 l bottle at Stockholm Beer Festival 2008. Hazy orange amber color. Thick sweet malt and tropical fruit hop aroma with orange, berries and grassy hops. Bittersweet berryish flavor with loads of orangey and mangoish hops as well as huge toffeish malt backbone. Very rich, full and warming, the flavors are even too concentrated. Needs some age I guess.

07, 08, 09 vintages sampled from the tap at same time as a vertical tasting at a local beer bar. All are an orange/amber with medium size off-white head. Aromas of 07, 08 are brown sugar, caramel , sweet malt with a hint of hops. 09 has the malt with much more hops in the aroma. Flavors of 07, 08 are very similar, 07 is softer and smoother - Brown sugar and caramel with slight hints of hops in the background at the finish, alcohol well hidden. 09 however is very different, much bolder flavor of sweet malt and lots of resiny hops present - quite enjoyable, though alcohol much more noticeable. 07 is my favorite now, but 09 I bet will beat it hands down cellared for a year.

Very bitter. Not as sweet and malty as some barley wines. Definetely boozy on the nose. Just a little too bitter and unbalanced.

2009. clear amber under a small off-white head. sweet strong fruity(apple, strawberry, mango) hop aroma. palate light-medium bodied, warming, and sticky. flavors of hops, alcohol, sweet malts, and a twist of citrus. slightly lingering boozy finish. could use some age.

Bottle. (2008 vintage). Powerful fruity malt aroma. Cloudy deep orange amber body, off-white head. Flavor is moderately sweet, fruity, malt and caramel, some alcohol presence. Not my favorite style, but overall the best barley wine I’ve sampled to date.

Nice translucent orange color. Little brown mixed in. I have seen darker, but this is fairly nice. Nice head sitting on top that doesn’t go away. Good looking beer. Nice hop and sweet malt aroma. This beer has an excellent balance as far as the aroma is concerned. Nice pine hop smell. Ah it smells delicious. Fairly pungent. Wow, nice bitter taste. The hops hit you immediately, and linger around. I am getting that bittering hop that is just all over my tongue. Nice sweet malt balance in the beer as well. I think there should be more of a malt profile to compliment the hops, but this beer is damn good. Alcohol is not in your face, as it is with some barley wines. A nice creamy texture, but nothing ridiculous. Overall, damn good barley wine.

Tap at Stone, ’05 vintage. Poured kind of light for barley wine, but it was quite a beer. Super dark fruity, malty beer. Taste was much the same, very smooth and easy to drink, this would be very dangerous. The alcohol was very well hidden, great stuff.

Bottle. 2008 vintage. Pours an amber color with a nice white head. Aroma of caramel, fruit candy, toffee and hops. Maybe a slight note of honey too. Flavour is quite sweet and malty. Notes of toffee, fruit candy, citrus and grapefruit. Warming alcohol in the finish. Smooth, filling on the palate. A nice sipper, though maybe not the best beer I’ve had from Stone. I’m going to try my next bottle next year or so, it will be interesting too see how it will mature.