Subsidiaries
6.6/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 6
Flavor 7
Texture 6
Overall 6.5
Light cherrywood colour. Chocolate, caramel and citrus aroma. Bitter, woody, earthy - simple American amber.
Tried
from Can
on 04 May 2003
at 11:03
5.9/10
—
Appearance 6
Aroma 7
Flavor 5
Texture 4
Overall 6.5
I am hoping I have the patience to get one of each of the V.E. beers to actually do the vertical tasting. This beers pours a solid amber color with a medium beige head. Aroma is spicey and malty at the same time. For some reason when I tasted it I was reminded of one of those god-awful "12 Greatest Brews of the World" monstrosities brewed by Gluek. Some kind of cardboard taste maybe? This wasn't a bad brew but I could not get the comparison out of my head. Finish is hoppy and toasty. Overall the cardboard flavor and general oilyness kind of ruined what is definitely a brew that will improve over time.
Tried
on 29 Apr 2003
at 07:14
6.5/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 6
Flavor 6
Texture 6
Overall 7
Deep amber. yellowish head, fairly stable. Nose gives... vanilla-and-raspberry icecream??? Eeuh...yes. And diacetyl. Taste: diacetyl, damn: too young. Stone? And then I read the text on the bottle. Right, it's all there. It's me who's been the culprit. Had to wait another 11 years, it seems. Aftertaste & mouthfeel is buttery (of course) and soupy. Why - blame it on me. If I ever find another bottle, I'll rerate; points are given with reservation.
Tried
from Bottle
on 27 Apr 2003
at 00:40
9/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 8
Flavor 10
Texture 10
Overall 9
Dark amber with red shine. White-yellow head, relatively stable. Nose gives alcohol, some chalk, dark ripe fruit, some ripe banana too. Gorgeous balance between noble hops and rich malts, alcohol, ripe fruit, dried fruit, Darjeeling tea, Armenian brandy,… WOW! THIS is what I call balance. This beer is an open invitation to start applying for a Green Card. I ought to take some 10-year old Framboise as antidote…
Tried
on 27 Apr 2003
at 00:23
8.4/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 9
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 8.5
Winter 2003 Release: This is a top-notch Barley Wine. Pours a ruddy dark orange color with a medium light beige head. Aroma is really nice, with sweet malt and a lot of caramel. Less alcohol in the aroma than in most Barley Wines I recall trying. Rich flavors of malt, caramel and hops that come out of nowhere. Finish is nice and tangy. One of the best Barley Wines out there.
Tried
on 22 Apr 2003
at 15:11
6.4/10
—
Appearance 6
Aroma 7
Flavor 6
Texture 6
Overall 6.5
Cloudy amber appearance with a little lacing - aroma of fruity candy and children's chewable vitamins - tastes like a dubbel, APA and wheat beer combined - alcohol burns the throat a bit - not as complex as I was expecting, and a bit out of balance as well - the hop bite in the finish seems incongruous with the rest of the flavor.
Tried
from Can
on 19 Apr 2003
at 19:32
7.5/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 8
Overall 8
an aggressively hopped barleywine, though not as much as some other California bw's like Bigfoot - tiny lacing - dark ruby with numerous fine floaties - big malt presence - lots of sweetness - alcohol leaves a tingling sensation on the lips - lots of fruit esters like cherry and raisin - not the greatest of barleywines, but hell, there are so many great ones out there even really good ones like this are easy to consider sub-par.
Tried
on 19 Apr 2003
at 19:08
7.9/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 7
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 8.5
Well, I bought it today, and I drank it today. Not exactly patience, but I had to let my liver absorb the $5.49 hit on its own terms, which were immediate. A very tasty ale, with a sweet, estery aroma. Pours red with a white head. Flavor is malty sweet, with banana-flavored esters and a bit of spice on the way down the throat. Another flavor-crammed offering from Stone.
Tried
on 29 Mar 2003
at 23:17
9/10
—
Appearance 10
Aroma 8
Flavor 10
Texture 8
Overall 9
A truly outstanding ale, the Old Guardian deserves a poem:
Old Guardian, poured in the night
Your aroma a sweet and malty delight
You come to me now in fine amber form
Not the same beer I swilled in the dorm!
A barleywine style, secret and strong
Fills my belly with warm alcohol song.
Nice hops I do taste at the sides of my tongue
I look to my glass, make sure all liquid is wrung.
The Old Guardian protects me and coaxes my heart
Slides down my throat a malt liquid tart
To regions where all flavor and aroma is no longer
Renewing my passion, making me stronger.
The bottle is empty, a tear in my eye
I tasted this beverage and gave it a try
And to my delight I discovered malt heaven
I'll purchase some more, 3, 9, or 11!
An excellent barleywine, my favorite in the style so far. The malts are outrageous, and the hops nicely balance their sweet complexity. I need to stockpile a few of these to age, but this beer is ridiculously good already. The poet retires to more earthly nectars...
Old Guardian, poured in the night
Your aroma a sweet and malty delight
You come to me now in fine amber form
Not the same beer I swilled in the dorm!
A barleywine style, secret and strong
Fills my belly with warm alcohol song.
Nice hops I do taste at the sides of my tongue
I look to my glass, make sure all liquid is wrung.
The Old Guardian protects me and coaxes my heart
Slides down my throat a malt liquid tart
To regions where all flavor and aroma is no longer
Renewing my passion, making me stronger.
The bottle is empty, a tear in my eye
I tasted this beverage and gave it a try
And to my delight I discovered malt heaven
I'll purchase some more, 3, 9, or 11!
An excellent barleywine, my favorite in the style so far. The malts are outrageous, and the hops nicely balance their sweet complexity. I need to stockpile a few of these to age, but this beer is ridiculously good already. The poet retires to more earthly nectars...
Tried
from Bottle
on 25 Mar 2003
at 00:13
6.6/10
—
Appearance 6
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 6
Overall 6.5
Not much of a porter. It's more like a very dark, well-hopped APA. Minimal head and no lacing. Very smokey aroma. The smoked aspect of the flavor is very evident, and is enjoyable. The body is pretty thin, especially for a porter. The hop bitterness in the finish is a bit unenjoyable, which surprised me considering stone seems to be great at creating the perfect hop finish.
Tried
on 19 Mar 2003
at 20:48