Stone Old Guardian (Vintages 2004 and later)

Bottle 2008 - Pours dark brown with a mostly maintained tan head. Aroma of mango and citric hops, pine resins, and caramelized malt. Taste is sweet and hoppy with notes of caramelized wort, toffee, plums, and dark fruit. Mouthfeel is full bodied and resinous with soft carbonation. A good beer, but needs to be laid down for a few years.

Bomber. Rather antiseptic with hints of rubber bands. Alcohol isnt hidden at all. I expect this from Stone. About halfway through it isnt too bad with notes of dark fruit, hops and malt.I bought two, and Im thinking that aging will do this one wonders.

Bottle: for 09 new year party in el flor. with ramenen fruity sweet red ripe fruits with bread notes heavy and thick.

Bottle, 2008. Aroma of prunes, plums, raisins, rich malt, vanilla, alcohol. Flavor brings no surprises. Still a monster nearly a year into its life, and the malt could certainly develop (and eventually overtake the alcohol that remains) for quite a while longer. Although I dont believe this beer has reached its peak, still not bad at all right now.

22oz. bottle, 2006 vintage, with thanks to wetherel for this excellent bonus! Pours a clear orange golden with a one finger off-white head that lingers; moderate retention and lacing. Aroma is nice and malty, with candied dark fruits, caramel, toffee, and vanilla. Flavor is also tasty, with more malts, candied dark fruit and caramel, and a little trailing hops bite on the finish mingled in amongst everything. Nice stuff and quite enjoyable on a super cold Kansas night, thanks again John!

Courtesty of Tampa Tasting group. Pours a clear amber color with a thin head. Aroma is sweet malt, candy sugar, ripe dark fruit, some caramel and toffee notes. Flavor is vanilla, malt, cream, floral hops, some nuts and pine. Medium body with a slightly hoppy finish.

Bottle, ~Jan 2008. Pours a murky brown with a very small white head. Aroma of raisins, lots of raisins, and sweet caramel malt. Flavor is also quite malty with some brown sugar and iced tea. Tastes pretty much as I would expect from an aged barleywine. A decent beer, although to be honest this is not my favorite style of beer. Interesting though.

2008 Release from a 22oz bottle purchased locally at original time of release. Aroma is rich and malty with some hop spice. Color is amber with a small beige head, slightly hazy. Flavor is fairly bitter but balances with the malt. Not too sweet. Hops are piney. Some alcohol present. Thick but not too viscous. Finish lingers but dries in the end which is nice for a beer this big.