StoneWall Ale - Stone Brewing Co.

BigMcLargeHuge

Arizona

4.88/5  rDev +9.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

StoneWall? StoneWall? Are you shittin’ me?!? Damn! Another white whale is had at this send-off tasting. That’s like 3 in a row for me. Awesome! Like Bass No 1 and Bells 6000 this one has been a prized want for years and years. Thanks to everyone involved! Pours a bit murky with dark copper body and white head. The aroma is modest in strength and offers up smooth spicy hops, some sweet stale citrus and then near the end of the draw pummeling boozy pine hops. The taste is smooth to start and then quickly ramps up into firm levels of pine hop flavor. To midway it picks up more and more pine hops as well as lesser amounts of spicy hops and sweet maltiness. It maintains a fairly smooth body from front to back. This is tasting great with just some mildly blunted notes here and there!

Serving type: bottle

11-28-2011 05:52:32 | More by BigMcLargeHuge

baybassboy

California

4.25/5  rDev -4.3%

05-14-2013 04:21:52 | More by baybassboy

spycow

Illinois

4.5/5  rDev +1.4%

05-02-2013 04:49:31 | More by spycow

AlexChillton

Arizona

5/5  rDev +12.6%

04-02-2013 09:12:02 | More by AlexChillton

Callmecoon

California

4.5/5  rDev +1.4%

04-01-2013 19:19:32 | More by Callmecoon

jvillefan

California

4.74/5  rDev +6.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75

A: A murky hazy ruby tinged brown body with a half finger white head that becomes a halo of lace after about five minutes.

S: It has deep caramel and toffee aromas. There is surprisingly not alcohol bite in the nose.

T: Incredibly rich and not overly complex. It starts with a rich caramel flavor then transitions to a deep toffee. There are earthy and almost bourbon flavors present throughout.

M: Nice heavy silk body with perfect carbonation.

O: Amazing Barleywine. Well worth actively seeking out.

Serving type: bottle

03-15-2013 00:43:23 | More by jvillefan

portia99

Massachusetts

4.24/5  rDev -4.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

4oz pour at Stone Bistro poured into a stemmed glass.

A - Pours a coppery amber color with a small tan head. Creamy textured thick collar that leaves behind sparse lacing on the glass.

S - Caramel and toffee up front mixed with brown sugar...a bit nutty. Alcohol is noticeable but not overpowering. Smells super smoth.

T - Brown sugar...light molasses. Burnt sugar and lots of caramel. Mid level bitterness to balance things out. Mixed in is some mild orangey citrus.

M - Medium body with a tingly lower level carbonation. Really smooth...sweet but balanced well - the hops still hold up enough.

O - Overall holding up well. Very good...a 4oz pour is just about right - could be dangerous at higher volumes. Glad to have the opportunity to try this one - thought it wasn't possible.

Serving type: on-tap

03-03-2013 15:58:00 | More by portia99

leilo84

4.75/5  rDev +7%

02-26-2013 21:58:07 | More by leilo84

t0rin0

California

4.25/5  rDev -4.3%

02-25-2013 03:58:28 | More by t0rin0

fox227

California

4.5/5  rDev +1.4%

02-12-2013 17:56:11 | More by fox227

MarkIntihar

Michigan

4.5/5  rDev +1.4%

02-04-2013 16:47:10 | More by MarkIntihar

AgentZero

Illinois

4.25/5  rDev -4.3%

12-06-2012 16:06:57 | More by AgentZero

SpdKilz

Illinois

4/5  rDev -9.9%

11-27-2012 04:30:37 | More by SpdKilz

HopasaurusRex

New Hampshire

4.33/5  rDev -2.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

I held onto this beer for a special occasion and shared with several friends. The beer was monumental just like the birthday.

The color was a rich mahogany with a quickly disappearing head. Not quite opaque.

The flavor travelled south into the tobacco roads of North Carolina. Complex layers of caramel, toffee, and leathery vanillin combined into a lush smooth finish. It evoked whiskey barrel aging without the bourbony burn.

A rare treat. Cheers to my friend Mitch for hooking me up with this!

Serving type: bottle

11-17-2012 21:35:39 | More by HopasaurusRex

RyanSchwam

Florida

4.75/5  rDev +7%

11-09-2012 15:25:04 | More by RyanSchwam

CGMLS3

Florida

4.75/5  rDev +7%

11-09-2012 05:00:07 | More by CGMLS3

johnnnniee

New Hampshire

3.95/5  rDev -11%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Opened tonight with friends, thanks for the opportunity HopasaurusRex and hoppy birthday.
Pours a solid reddish brown with a smallish off white head that slowly dissipates to a cap. Smells of caramel and dark fruit mixed with a hint of leather and ethanol. The flavor follows the aroma quite well. Sweet sugary malts just a hint of earthy hop rolled up in sweet sugary fruits rolled in tobacco and dipped in ethanol. Medium body with a moderate level of carbonation and a sweet almost syrupy mouthfeel. This is a really nice barleywine, I'm glad I got to try it tonight. Being as old as this is I wonder what it was like fresh.

Serving type: bottle

10-27-2012 04:20:31 | More by johnnnniee

Alieniloquium

Florida

4.2/5  rDev -5.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

650 mL bottle poured into a snifter. No bottle info. Reviewed from notes. Thanks to biggsbowler for this impressive bottle.

Appearance - Small off-white head. Reddish. Bubbles cling to the beer and glass. Looks good after 6-ish years.

Smell - Nice caramel aroma. A touch oxidized, which I think really improves the nose and flavor of a barleywine. Vanilla. Very nice.

Taste - Again, oxidized caramel with adds to the complexity. Falls a touch flat after that. Vanilla isn't as strong at first. Hop bitterness comes through and it returns to life with some triumphant darker malts giving it a touch of chocolate.

Mouthfeel - Medium bodied for a barleywine. A little dry and astringent, probably from age. A trade off, I suppose.

Overall - Really nice. I imagine it was better young, if maybe a little less interesting.

Serving type: bottle

07-21-2012 15:39:44 | More by Alieniloquium

hanlonrn

4.5/5  rDev +1.4%

07-11-2012 19:13:05 | More by hanlonrn

trancesk8er

California

5/5  rDev +12.6%

06-09-2012 04:20:45 | More by trancesk8er

BraatenBrew

Washington

4.5/5  rDev +1.4%

04-11-2012 02:17:46 | More by BraatenBrew

mdfb79

New York

4.15/5  rDev -6.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

From 03/30/12 notes. Big thanks to drabmuh for sharing this one; thanks Matt. Poured into a tulip.

a - Pours a dark reddish brown color with a few off white bubbles and low carbonation evident.

s - Smells of caramel malts, sugar, sweet dark fruits, raisins, figs, toffee, bready malts, and toasted malts.

t - Tasted of caramel, toffee, toasted malts, bready malts, sugar, molasses, dark fruits, light alcohol. Sweet and a ton of caramel; very nice.

m - Medium body and low carbonation. Smooth, with a tin bit of alcohol but considering the ABV not bad at all. Easy to drink for over 12% ABV.

o - Overall I liked this one a lot. I liked it better then any of the OG vintages I've had and would put it on par with the 2010 Bourbon BA OG as the best barleywine I've had from them. Very nice, very glad to try and would love to have it again.

Serving type: bottle

04-04-2012 20:13:23 | More by mdfb79

Thorpe429

Illinois

4.05/5  rDev -8.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Huge thanks to drabmuh for sharing this one. Served in a Stone goblet.

Pours a light copper color with a short head to start, fading quickly to a thin collar. The aroma has some nice cookie qualities with sweet malt and some nice sherry-like oxidation notes. A bit of caramel and toffee in the background.

The taste continues down the same path -- lots of malt here and oxidation has done good things to this one. Nice caramel and toffee notes along with some sweet candy and a hint of fruit. Malty and good.

Feel is medium with lowish carbonation; really smooth with almost no alcohol presence.

Really nice. I'm thrilled to finally get to try this one. Thanks again, Matt.

Serving type: bottle

04-03-2012 10:54:56 | More by Thorpe429

drabmuh

Maryland

4.5/5  rDev +1.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

I don't have a Stonewall glass so I served this in a Old Guardian glass. Long time personal "whale" of mine, glad I got to share it with people.

Beer is brownish, mostly clear with a thin cap on it, low retention, low carbonation, low lacing, looks OK.

Aroma is sweet, mild oak, a little sherry, signs of oxidation present, smells good but I think it is starting to turn a little papery.

Beer is medium in body, sweet like syrup but the alcohol cuts it nicely. The finish is a little bitter but hardly so, nice sherry and raisin flavors with a mild sense of plums. I'd have this again, I really enjoyed it but it is probably a bit over.

Serving type: bottle

04-02-2012 16:17:38 | More by drabmuh

Huhzubendah

District of Columbia

4.48/5  rDev +0.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Shared by drabmuh. Whales baby, whales.

The beer is orange with a small, off white head. Some sediment floating around. The aroma offers butterscotch, malt, age. The beer tastes old, but quite good. Really smooth, especially given the high abv. Definitely the best barleywine I have had from Stone. Thanks Matt!

Serving type: bottle

03-30-2012 23:55:56 | More by Huhzubendah