Stone Brewing Old Guardian Barley Wine (2004-)

Old Guardian Barley Wine (2004-)

 

Stone Brewing in Escondido, California, United States 🇺🇸

  Barley Wine - Barley Rotating
Score
7.66
ABV: 11.2% IBU: 80 Ticks: 218
Barley wines are traditionally hefty brews, but ours is downright excessive. The huge maltiness of this beer is only tamed by an equally prodigious addition of hops, creating a rich, slightly sweet, caramel-hued ale infused with assertive bitterness and bright hop notes, all culminating in a pleasing dryness. While it will evolve into an even more glorious brew with age, this beer's delicious onslaught of flavors will seriously challenge your ability to wait any longer to drink it.
 

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7

Tried from Bottle on 23 Jun 2018 at 20:27


8
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 8

2014 bottle cellared ruby brown minimal head nice lacing. Aroma is floral hops caramel light pine. Taste is fruity caramel not overly sweet light alcohol and a lingering floral bitterness throughout.

Tried from Bottle on 05 Apr 2018 at 23:32


8

Not bad. Aged well. Not overly sweet nice lingering bitterness in the finish.

Tried from Bottle on 05 Apr 2018 at 19:09


7.6
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 7.5

2009, Tap at Stone Berlin, 2015 bottle at home. Pours dark amber with beige head. 2015 sticky, resinous caramel. 2009 more burnt caramel, toffee, vanilla. 2009 wasn't very good at all with grainy, chewy, chalky bitterness. 2009: 6-4-4-3-10 2015: 8-4-7-4-15

Tried from Draft on 27 Dec 2017 at 17:12


7.6
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 8.5

From Nov 2007

This is the early release 2007

It pours from 22oz bottle a hazy copper colour with a 1 finger head of foam. The foam recedes to a fine broken layer and it has some nice lacing.

The smell is of caramel and roasted malt, citrus hops, and some fruit.

The taste has big notes of caramel malt, roasted malt, grapefruit hop bitterness, some molasses, some dark fruit: fig, toffee, a bit of plum...very complex and boy, it has an alcohol kick to it that really warms during and after the swallow. I like how the malt and hop character are nicely balanced and makes it, despite the agressive flavours, a smooth sipping BWSA. Really nice stuff! Oh, and the alcohol becomes less noticeable further into the session.

The mouthfeel is nice and thickish and the carbonation is on the light side. It finishes semi sweet.

Bottom line: A very tasty and enjoyable example of the style indeed. I wouldn't hesitate in buying more. Another great job by Stone Brewing!

Tried from Bottle on 31 Oct 2017 at 09:01


8.1
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 9 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 10 | Overall - 7.5

Vom Fass (Vintage 2007) im Stone Brewing Berlin 2017-09 getrunken. 9/4/7/5/15 Ein klasse Barley Wine mit schwachen Hopfeneinfluss. Leider haben die 10 Jahre Lagerung nun so gar keine Auswirkung gehabt was recht merkwürdig ist. Ein solches Bier sollte sich deutlich gereifter und nicht so frisch daher kommen. Schade! Aus dem Growler (Vintage 2009) im 2018-01 getrunken. 8/4/4/5/8 Dieses 2009er ist überraschend stark gehopft. Nein das hier gefällt mir gar nicht.

Tried from Growler on 22 Sep 2017 at 16:45


7.6
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 8.5

Draught sample at MBCC 2017, green session. Clear, amber colour with a thin, white head. Sweet aroma with rich caramel malts, resin, spruce, dark, dried fruits, some alcohol dense notes. Taste is sweet. Full bodied. Finishes slightly dry and fruity with rich caramel malts, toasted notes and citrus fruits. Big, fat, vulgar - American

Tried from Can on 14 May 2017 at 15:42


8.1
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 9 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 7.5

Poured into a snifter, the appearance was a soft dark muddy brown color with an eggshell white foamy finger’s worth of head. Solid sticky stringy lace.
The aroma had some dark fruits, sweet apples, caramel and toffee malts closes with a light tobacco quality. Grassy hops.
The flavor balances between a strong semi-malty sweetness to the dark and apple fruits. Nicely blended aftertaste. Dry semi-smooth sweet finish.
On the palate, this one sat about a medium on the body with a solid sipping quality about it. Fairly dry, hop bitterness hits appropriately. Carbonation seems to have died off a bit. ABV still feels on par.
Overall, very nicely done American styled barleywine that I would love to have again.

Tried from Can on 19 Mar 2017 at 14:09