Stone Old Guardian Barley Wine Style Ale 2007 - Stone Brewing Co.

uberabr

California

4.72/5  rDev +14.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

Poured from the 22oz bottle into a pint glass.

Appearance is clear with just a slight haze. Color is a glowing golden amber with red hues. Off-white head is minimal with no real retention but decent lace. Loads of hop oil floating up top.

Aroma is mild and floral. Orange blossoms and a fresh, woodsy, beach. Cherries and some spiceyness, along with a fresh-cut grassy hop and candy sugar.

The taste starts with a bitter hop and quickly eases into a decadently sweet and sugary malt, then returns to a bitter pine aftertaste. Flavors are complex and extremely well rounded...so much so that it's hard to distinguish them all....plus they seem to "dance": just when I focus on the malt, the hop comes into play, and vice-versa.

A malt backbone of butter, honey, caramel and toffee combines with an Angelfood Candy quality, and plays off subtle esters- apple, orange rind, lemon juice, hints of strawberry, and a resiny hemp. The floral bouquet is subtle but definitely notable, lending a delicate orange and cherry blossom, along with a nosey potpourri. Very complex, very difficult to do it justice.

All in all a very enjoyable and extremely drinkable brew. Oh, and you can't taste the alcohol. At all. Very impressive for such a potent beer. I nearly downed the entire bomber just to get at the taste. The only downfall is the appearance...the head sucks. But, head is highly variable. This is a great brew.

Serving type: bottle

03-17-2007 06:53:04 | More by uberabr

mikeincharleston

South Carolina

4.25/5  rDev +2.9%

05-13-2013 22:30:19 | More by mikeincharleston

cadaugherty

Illinois

4.5/5  rDev +9%

05-07-2013 23:21:56 | More by cadaugherty

thetastywort

California

4.64/5  rDev +12.3%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75

Fortunate to grab a growler and a glass at the company store. Served in a 10oz. Glass.

A: A golden copper color. Very cloudy/opaque, such that I cannot see through the glass. Thin white head retention.

S: Very malty and strong flavors of carmel. A beautiful and complex aroma. you can tell its aged well. Reminds me a little of a dry 18-year old scotch.

T: immediately, the sweet carmel and toffee hits me. Next, is a nice, smooth malt backbone, followed by a bitter, hoppy finish that lingers. I feel like I'm going to taste this for hours (but in a good way). It's amazing how the flavors are so bold after almost six years. It's definitely one of the best barleywines I've had.

M: Definitely thick and chewy. It completely coats my mouth.

Overall, fantastic! 'Nuff said.

07-22-2011 21:47:43 | More by akorsak

Serving type: on-tap

04-09-2013 18:31:01 | More by thetastywort

EyePeeAyBryan

Arizona

4.5/5  rDev +9%

03-05-2013 04:55:39 | More by EyePeeAyBryan

t0rin0

California

4/5  rDev -3.1%

02-25-2013 02:21:03 | More by t0rin0

Budinetz

Pennsylvania

4.75/5  rDev +15%

02-02-2013 18:58:57 | More by Budinetz

btesta

Pennsylvania

4.5/5  rDev +9%

01-08-2013 20:35:50 | More by btesta

Nickfellow007

Rhode Island

5/5  rDev +21.1%

08-14-2012 20:38:41 | More by Nickfellow007

Jmac91

New Jersey

4/5  rDev -3.1%

08-06-2012 20:43:06 | More by Jmac91

trancesk8er

California

4.5/5  rDev +9%

06-09-2012 04:25:48 | More by trancesk8er

drabmuh

Maryland

3.68/5  rDev -10.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Beer served in an Old Guardian glass, because I can.

Beer is ruby in color and clear with an off white head of small bubbles with low retention, some lacing and moderate carbonation.

Aroma is bready, yeasty, nice esters, a little fruity with plums or other stone fruits.

Beer is medium in body and sweet, very sweet, mildly bitter from the grains in the back and the midpalate is estery with some nice fruits or grape skins. Not my favorite series of beers from Stone but this one is pretty decent.

Serving type: bottle

04-06-2012 18:41:03 | More by drabmuh

muchloveforhops3

Oregon

4.5/5  rDev +9%

04-04-2012 22:23:47 | More by muchloveforhops3

Thorpe429

Illinois

3.13/5  rDev -24.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Bottle courtesy of drabmuh at last weekend's Stone tasting. Served in a Stone goblet.

Pours a semi-hazy golden-caramel color with a bit of an orange hue. Short head without much in the way of retention or lacing.

The nose brings some caramel and brown sugar, as well as some older hops. Faint fruits in the background. This is the hoppiest of the bunch when compared with the 2005 and 2006, though still not super hoppy. The flavor has a good deal of sweetness and still just a touch of lingering bitterness. Some alcohol. Medium body with low carbonation and a mixture of sugar and alcohol. There's some fullness to it.

This was okay, but it's not something I'd really plan to age all that much of in the future.

Serving type: bottle

04-03-2012 11:28:11 | More by Thorpe429

PavementBlues

4.75/5  rDev +15%

03-26-2012 20:51:49 | More by PavementBlues

ScottyC54

New Jersey

4/5  rDev -3.1%

03-17-2012 16:59:10 | More by ScottyC54

DefenCorps

Oregon

3.78/5  rDev -8.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bottle, 2007 vintage, 11.26%, that I picked up at the Whole Foods in Georgetown back in the day.

Pouring a clear barleywine-red-brown with a dense, beige head with rather excellent retention and lacing, this looks like a good barleywine. It smells like one too, with quite a bit of crystal and caramel malt character, along with a mostly faded pine hop character. QC at Stone is pretty good (IMO) and so, there's none of the deleterious oxidation here, with no cheesey hops or stale, papery malts. Brown sugar, toffee, creme brulee even, there's some wildflower honey with some floral aspects. Pretty nice!

The palate is mostly sweet with some alcohol. Medium-full in body with soft carbonation, this beer is all kinds of sweet. Caramel, toffee, a little brown sugar, some burnt sugar, a little vanilla, and some booze to round out the front and back-ends. A moderate bitterness is present, at a surprising level even, balancing some sweetness. Aggressively caramel-like, though the complexity really does tell me that this is kettle caramelization and someone playing fast and loose with crystal malt, this is growing on me. Bitter and sweet on the finish with honey and pine, this beer is pretty enjoyable, and from past experience, better than it was fresh. Recommended, and it ages well too. Hits all the right notes for a style that typically doesn't do much for me.

Serving type: bottle

03-17-2012 01:06:55 | More by DefenCorps

cynical1027

Ohio

4.5/5  rDev +9%

02-21-2012 00:52:57 | More by cynical1027

bearisprime

California

4/5  rDev -3.1%

02-08-2012 22:45:04 | More by bearisprime

Smurf2055

Washington

3.98/5  rDev -3.6%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

2007 vintage enjoyed at Bevridge Place in West Seattle. Aroma was amazing! Sweet yet balanced, malt and hops, aggressive yet friendly. Appearance was dark amber with about a finger of foam. Obviously at four years old, there’s very little carbonation on it. Taste was decent. Warming feeling and a bit of citrus. Lot’s of malt. There was a bit of an alcohol bite, and I sort of expected a bit more complexity at four years old. Palate was full and strong, all over and remains for a while. Overall, I’m not a big barleywine fan, but I still keep an eye out for them. As far as they go, this one was pretty good. It’s very Stone brewing; up front and aggressive, and it knows it.

Serving type: on-tap

01-29-2012 23:07:32 | More by Smurf2055

SLeffler27

New York

3.68/5  rDev -10.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Fills a tulip glass with clear, reddish copper, some carbonation and a thin, frothy almond head that puts a film on the glass and modest legs.

Well balanced caramel and pine -- almost pine tar. Some raisins and honey are detectible in the background.

Opens with a strong punch of alcohol, immediately followed by a jab of hop bitterness assaulting the tongue before the more subtle flavors can be appreciated. Raisins do come through along with caramel, but the long bitter finish overwhelms the flavor nuances.

A medium to full body beer with slick texture and abrasive carbonation. While some sweetness is present on entry, none remains for the dry finish and alcohol is assertive.

A difficult beer to drink as warmth brings out more alcohol, preventing the flavors from truly developing, especially after aging three years in the cellar. If this is intended to be overly aggressive, then, well done. However, I think Stone has pushed the envelope a bit too far and may have lost the beer in the process. For those who are seeking alcohol and assertive bitterness, Old Guardian is for you.

Serving type: bottle

01-29-2012 22:28:54 | More by SLeffler27

PhineasGage

Iowa

4/5  rDev -3.1%

01-27-2012 18:56:43 | More by PhineasGage

djaeon

California

4/5  rDev -3.1%

01-22-2012 23:27:32 | More by djaeon

DCon

Missouri

4.5/5  rDev +9%

01-08-2012 09:01:03 | More by DCon

buckyp

South Carolina

4.5/5  rDev +9%

12-31-2011 22:09:17 | More by buckyp