 stefanje (552), (Santee) San Diego, California, USA
Jan 25, 2008 Updated: Jan 27, 2008
650 ml bottle from Bevmo. This is the Jan 2008 batch. Pours a rich copper color with one-finger, off-white color, head quickly fades to a thin covering. The aroma is strong and complex with oranges, roasted barley, sweet caramels, and berries. The flavor is unlike the aroma, in the forefront is that classic Stone biter hops taste that just wakes you and slams your head against the wall. God, I love it already. More flavors of roasted barley, walnuts and biter chocolate fill in nicely. The mouthfeel is full, smooth and satisfying with a big malt backing. The finish is long and glorious with more biter hops lingering. Overall: I absolutely love this beer. I suggest that if you rate this beer while drinking, make sure that you finish typing your rating before you finish drinking the beer cause the 11% abv will cause you to write gibberish. And, that would do this beer an injustice. I highly recommend this years old guardian.
jerohen (1466), Bussum, Netherlands
Sep 1, 2008 Updated: Sep 2, 2008Bottled from Cracked Kettle, Amsterdam. 2008 Release. Orange-amber coloured, small head. Very fruity notes, orange, grapefruit, hops and caramel too. Strong hopbitter flavour, very dry. Lasting finish. Powerful brew, perhaps a bit too harch, but very solid.
JamesD (156), Centreville, Virginia, USA
Aug 31, 2008 Bomber bottle poured into a snifter. The aroma isn’t as powerful as I would have expected given it’s assertive flavor. Some notes of orange, christmas spice, brown sugar. This barleywine has the right balance of hops and malt. The flavor is malty, with notes of candied fruit and some cinnamon hidden in there. The aftertaste finishes with hops in a flowery flourish. The alcohol is very well hidden, I wouldn’t have guessed this beer to be as high in alcohol as it is. The palate is very nice. Silky, gentle, and creamy. I might buy a few of these to cellar. Fans of barleywine should seek this out. This would also be a good intro barleywine for beginners.
polomagnifico (418), Saginaw, Michigan, USA
Aug 31, 2008 Bottle. Aroma caramel, dried dark fruits, honey, some flower hops. Murky orange amber hue with a small off-white head that mostly diminished. Flavor is sweet and finishes bitter. Palate is full bodied and oily flat. Very nice full bodied and sticky sweet. Still very young but should mellow quite nicely with age.
502Flavors (230), Kentucky, USA
Aug 27, 2008 bomber into wine glass for lack of a snifter. Pours a thick dark amber color with a good off-white head. Aromas of dough booze and hops. The flavor was boozy with strangely muted flavors. Medium to heavy bodied on the palate - soft carbonation. Overall: hot and worthy of age. Showed some serious promise though.
nearbeer (1235), Knoxville, Tennessee, USA
Aug 23, 2008 650 ml, early 2008 release. Clear orange-copper with a small, but enduring head that leaves a slight soapy lace behind. Aromas of resin, orange, earthy molasses and honeycomb. Flavor starts with orange and molasses, turns more to resin-citrus and shows flavors of oak, peppery evergreen, alcohol, cherries, berries and citrus-honeycomb. Medium-heavy body is smooth with a nice balance between thin and syrupy, and is warming and dryish. Quality and complexity are evident already, but a bit harsh with hops at this stage; probably should cellar a year or two.
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