Stone Old Guardian Barley Wine Style Ale 2009 - Stone Brewing Co.

charlzm

California

3.63/5  rDev -11.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Consumed Feb 7th, 2010 at Stone World Bistro.

Cloudy orange-yellow fluid with copious off-white foamy head. Remarkable amount of lacing.

The nose is sweet, slightly woody and spicy. Hops are present as a sappy, resiny note.

Herbal flavor, approaching tea. Within spitting distance of medicinal, though not quite that far. Bready and caramel malt notes are welcome, though not as strong as I would have anticipated. Aspirin-like bitterness on finish. Flavors are still quite strong; I guess a year isn't enough time to round off any of the edges here.

Finish is somewhat dry and a little on the thin side; odd for an Old Guardian. Alcohol heat felt plainly.

I didn't particularly enjoy this one a year into its life; according to previous tasting notes, the bottle I had a year ago was actually more drinkable.

Serving type: on-tap

03-03-2010 15:11:37 | More by charlzm

BDTyre

British Columbia (Canada)

3.45/5  rDev -15.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Not a bad barley wine from Stone. Orange-copper, very light and clear with a very thin off-white head.

Sweet, slightly vinous scent. Malts, brown sugar, raisins and hints of blackberry.

Somewhat bitter taste - hops, berries and raisin and wine hints. Suggestions of brown sugar, caramel, bread and even bananas. Rich flavour, but sometimes the complexity is lost.

Good carbonation though at times it seems a little too heavy on the fizz. Very enjoyable, but a dessert beer at 11.3%

Serving type: bottle

05-13-2010 04:42:57 | More by BDTyre

jwinship83

Illinois

4.03/5  rDev -1.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A- this one pours a murky dark orange/amber that has a finger of off white colored head. the head last a very long time and leaves a wall of lacing behind.

S- lots of caramel and toffee malts right off the bat. then comes some hops. mostly fruity and citrus. smells more balanced than i have come to expect from stone.

T- the caramel malt comes through pretty strong. the hops are much stronger than the nose would indicate. very resiny and full of citrus and to a lesser extent, tropical fruits. a touch of alcohol at the end, but its still pretty well hidden for something this big.

M- full bodied and thick. very mouth coating. a nice warming from the alcohol as it makes its way down my throat.

D- this comes off as a classic example of the american barley wine. nice and malty with a healthy dose of hops at the end. the bottle was easy enough to finish, but i dont think i could see myself reaching for another one. a great beer to split with someone on a colder night.

Serving type: bottle

05-08-2009 03:51:03 | More by jwinship83

CampusCrew

Florida

4.35/5  rDev +6.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

appearance: reddish dark brown

smell: large hop presence, very plesant for a hop fans. more than I expected and much more than bigfoot

taste: strong hops aroma, rich malty flavor

mouthfeel: high carbonation and very tasty

drinkability: smooth large beer. I was impressed. Never had a Barleywine other than Bigfoot. I liked both and they are completly different.

Serving type: bottle

06-07-2009 04:49:35 | More by CampusCrew

Wildman

Ohio

4.28/5  rDev +4.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

This beer poured a clear red amber color and formed a small foamy light tan head that left latticed lace as it quickly subsided. A small amount of carbonation is present. An aroma of malt, pine, grapefruit and caramel. The flavor was of malt, hops, caramel and citrus. The body is medium light and slightly creamy and the finish bittersweet.

Serving type: bottle

09-15-2009 01:56:48 | More by Wildman

Daniellobo

District of Columbia

3.45/5  rDev -15.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

A decent US barley wine that starts on a stimulating note and ends confusing hoppiness with bitterness and losing its character.

Presentation: 22 Oz bottle. Iconic Stone demon gargoyle holding a glass of beer in their classic design. Long and typical over the top Stone narrative on the back, somewhat tongue in cheek rambling about its illegibility and a variety of recent topics, some distantly related to the brew. Below a one liner gives a generic description of ingredients. Notes bottling date as "Limited Early 2009 Release". Lacks any other info other than Alc. by Vol (11.3%) and cellaring indications. Poured into a snifter.

A - Pale amber color with a head inch that fades relatively quickly leaving some lacing on its way down.

S - An assertive hoppy range emerges from a sweet malt base. Not too complex or memorable, citrusy whiffs within the grain nose.

T - Consistent with the smell, while the hops are aggressive as they typically are in US version they leave room for a sweet malt counterbalance. There is a distinct Stone taste to it but all things considered it offers a short range or complexities in particular in the caramel, malt, spectrum with heavy hops that are a bit monotonous and are always trying to take a front seat.

M - It's a medium to high body in part due to a generous carbonation for the style.

D - It's average, tending to be a bit dull as one progresses and hopes that it will pick up its richness a bit, but then it really doesn't.

Notes: Not a great barleywine in this incarnation but not an awful one either. Not sure if I had tried it before a few years back, I may give it a try in future year batches and see if it was a matter of a mediocre year. But for now and form me, surrounded with such great variety this is a pass.

Serving type: bottle

01-13-2010 20:53:04 | More by Daniellobo

cvstrickland

North Carolina

4.08/5  rDev -0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

The double-deuce bomber bottle adorned with the customary gargoyle is presented chilled and served in a snifter. The pouring unleashes a bright, richly copper-colored beer topped with a finger's thickness of creamy, semisolid ivory foam atop. The cap recedes very slowly and scatters a field of speckled lacing onto the sides of my glass.

The smell is loaded with citrusy, grassy hops and spicy, fruity alcohol. Brown sugary notes accent essences of leafy green grass, white grapefruit and orange zest, the dark sugars adding depth, warmth, and stickiness to the profile.

The taste is fruity and richly malty with a savory dark caramel backbone. Oily citrus rind bitterness accents the mellow dark toasted malt-sugariness, only to be rinsed clean by a splash of alcohol masquerading as dilute golden apple juice. A lingering earthy bitterness dawdles around in the aftertaste, wandering about upon an increasingly punch-drunk palate pummeled by Old Guardian's deadly one-two combination of flagrant West Coast-style hopping and blatant high gravity. The finish is grassier and drier as the drink progresses.

The drink is creamy and heavy-medium in body with perfect carbonation, but at 11.3% ABV, I'm not going to pretend that this excellent brew is anything but a sipper.

Serving type: bottle

04-16-2009 22:48:40 | More by cvstrickland

jdense

Oregon

3.9/5  rDev -4.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

22 oz bottle 'early 2009' release from Whole Foods Hollywood PDX poured into Delirium Tremens tulip.

One finger white head, relatively quick dissipation with minimal lacing. Amber semi-opaque body, a bit cloudy (not chill haze, served at 50-55 degrees). Nose is sweet and very boozy, molasses, hops hard to decipher. Taste is very, very boozy, sweet, a pretty good bitter hop kick on back end. Mouthfeel is fairly effervescent, not sticky. Not very drinkable at this high ABV, need to find a buddy to share a bottle with, but this was a good bargain at $5.99, will head back for another bottle and cellar, hope that will mellow out the overt booziness of this otherwise fine barleywine.

Serving type: bottle

02-27-2010 17:16:27 | More by jdense

hardy008

Minnesota

3.98/5  rDev -2.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Pours a dark orange color with an off white two finger head. The head has nice retention and leaves a nice lace. The smell is mostly grapefruit from the citrus hops. It smells like this will be a very hoppy bitter beer, but the taste is sweeter than I expected from the aroma. Yes, the flavor is mostly grapefruit and hops, but there is also a malt backbone which adds balance. This beer becomes sweeter as it warms.

The mouthfeel on this beer is between medium and full bodied and is sticky and oily. The carbonation is somewhat low, which is good, and this is a nice drinkable beer. I have not always liked Barleywines, but I do like this one. It would be nice if this beer was maltier, but it is still good as it is. I would buy this again if available.

Serving type: bottle

10-10-2009 19:56:29 | More by hardy008

jsh420

Illinois

4.15/5  rDev +1.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

why is there listing for every year?
in case of merge 2009 edition

pours carmel redish orange with a huge 3+finger head that had great retention and covers the glass in lacing

smell - you know this is a stone brew big grapefruit hops some pine that seems a bit faded - makes me want a stone dipa

taste is well balanced - most BW are heavy malt with no hops - the stone beers i have had are all about the hops but this BW backs it up with the needed malts - grapefruit hops candy malts - the beer is not complex but it tastes great

mouthfeel medium body a bit sticky very creamy and smooth

drinkability - @11%+abv this bomber is a one and done but this one bomber will put a smile on your face

Serving type: bottle

12-18-2009 04:10:30 | More by jsh420

jjanega08

Minnesota

3.98/5  rDev -2.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A= pours a nice orangish brown color with a thick creamy one finger head that has really nice retention. The lacing on the glass is pretty nice as well. The beer is super hazy not sure if its due to chill haze or not though. Really a pretty decent looking barleywine.
S= The first thing that comes to mind is pineapple. I think the pineapple smell is just a nice combo of the malts and hops. Really great toffee and caramel smell to it as well.
T= This was released in Feb. I believe and the hops are still holding strong in this one. The pineapple is still there but its well covered by blanket of intense flavors. Really bitter in the back but still really nice and malty. Alcohol isn't present in the taste too much its well covered by lots of sweet caramel malts. There is a ton of warmth going down the back of my throat though. There is some alcohol warmth as it was really really cold though and the malts come in more as it warms.
M= Pretty good but not great. Nothing too great here. Nice amount of carbonation and a good lasting finish.
D= Pretty good. I enjoyed this beer quite a bit. Really well done. Was perfect for what I needed tonight. Bad day at work and a nice little bit of hotness to it.

Serving type: bottle

11-02-2009 04:50:47 | More by jjanega08

rajendra82

Georgia

4.35/5  rDev +6.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Limited Early 2009 release in 22 oz. bombers, and it's in Georgia already, man how the times have changed. The pour was quite good to look at, as the body was deep reddish amber, and clear, and the head atop was somewhat small but durable. The smell was quite malty, with fruity aromas like fig, apricot, and pomegranate, but the hops were lurking right beneath when I inhaled deeper revealing pine and more pine. The taste was sweet at first as the malts seemed dominant, but mid sip it switched to a dry, hoppy, and boozy affair. The finish was bitter and chalky with hops driving the point across. Quite creamy in the mouth and satisfyingly dense. Glad to see an old favorite of mine locally, without having to put up with confiscatory shipping charges from the west coast.

Serving type: bottle

02-08-2009 05:55:51 | More by rajendra82

FtownThrowDown

Ohio

4.28/5  rDev +4.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

22oz bottle.
Pours a ruby brown in color. No head forms on the pour, but there is a bit of froth that appears. Smell is huge malts, some alcohol and just a hint of hops.
The flavor is big. The hops are more toned down in this years offering than in last years. Last years was too hoppy for me. This one is much more drinkable early on. Huge malts, and just a hint of alcohol. There are some hops in this beer, but they are very balanced and complimentary. I prefer this beer a lot more to last years bottling. Might have to pick up some of these bottles to put down for awhile.

Serving type: bottle

06-06-2009 02:11:53 | More by FtownThrowDown

froghop

Washington

3.98/5  rDev -2.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

pour is a cloudy brown-orange with a medium size beige head, and excellent lacing.

smell of sweet fruit (pear, apple) some roasted nuts, some caramel, spice, and grain in the back.

taste is thick, semi-tart, burnt caramel, roasted nuts, malt, some fruit, and a touch of citrus, ends a little dry and a little bitter, gets sweeter as it warms.

Serving type: bottle

05-23-2009 00:40:43 | More by froghop

farrago

New Jersey

3.8/5  rDev -7.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Big three finger head if you pour too aggressively, very slow to simmer down, more microscopic foam than bigger bubbles, semi-sticky lacing. Murky glow deepens the orange-brown color, fully opaque through to the slightly more orange rims. More hop presence in this than any other barleywine beer consumed before, the nose full of grapefruit, tangerine citrus, pine sap and green grass, sharply angular in texture, the tropicality in the pineapple, nectarine, guava, kumquat fruit scents contributes mightily, little cushioning from the rye bread, mocha, carob or scone notes. Full-bodied unto thick in the mouth, even the foaminess seems to add to its density. Not substantially different from the nose in that pink grapefruit, lemon citrus, pine and herbaceousness dominate. Around the mid-palate you might get some malty biscuit or bread but the malt presence drops a notch here, any chocolate comes only when you breathe out. The pineapple, guava, nectarine, peach fruit met by raisin and fig flavors which keep their distance. Keeps rubbing your palate until it starts to get raw. Selfish steamroller, doesn't consider your feelings at all.

Serving type: bottle

03-17-2009 01:45:14 | More by farrago

paco1029384756

Illinois

3.25/5  rDev -20.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Pours a clear copper color with one and a half fingers of sticky white head.

Scent of caramel, some hops, a bit of alcohol, and more caramel.

Taste of caramel, sugars, hops and some alcohol. Too much caramel, an unimpressive Barleywine.

Mouthfeel is smooth with good carbonation.

Serving type: bottle

06-26-2009 23:39:04 | More by paco1029384756

Docer

Washington

4.13/5  rDev +1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bought a bottle at The Beer Mongers on 12th and Division in SE Portland the other day... and just now read that it was an early release.. and the bastard is 11.3% Alc. WOW...

- Light caramel hazy brew with luscious lacing and subtle white head... looks like a nice bitter cream ale of sorts...

- Nice roasty caramel malt presence... light, with some brown sugar, maple... zesty spicy bitter hop balance... really nice.

- Zesty and spicy nostral opening liquor barley madness. What a complex and wonderful barleywine.. and yet so strong, and just right! My head shook after I took a small chug from a mug, that like a missing lug, made thee wanna hug! Great spice, hop forward bitter balance, with a perfect malt/burn combination... Stone is fantastic.

- Little sticky and oily... the burn is almost synthetic...

- Hugely drinkable if you like strong ales... and like trying to pick out all the flavors Stone puts in their brews. Shocked.

Serving type: bottle

09-24-2009 01:51:40 | More by Docer

Seanibus

California

4.75/5  rDev +16.1%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Pours hazy orangy with a slow rising, lazy burst of carbonation and a modest head that falls quickly. Smell is deep, sweet malt, with rich floral hops. Flavor is sweet and bitter, like a zingy orange rind. Floral hops, sweet, tangy malt and an absorbing bitterness on the end. Mouthfeel is rich and viscous.

The only block to drinkability is its intense alcohol content, which will set you back fairly quickly, particularly given how smooth and well balanced it is.

Serving type: bottle

04-21-2009 17:53:37 | More by Seanibus

bamadog

Kentucky

4.03/5  rDev -1.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

I picked up a bottle of this at The Main Stree Gourmet in Oxford, OH -- kind of a lucky find so if you're ever in that area, be sure to stop by and check it out. What was even better was that it was a bottle of '09 and kept pretty well in this store. I had a bottle of '09 when it was fresh and it was too big for me to get through too much, so with a year of age on it, it had definitely mellowed out and the hops had mellowed a bit, but were still really potent so I'd love to get a hold of another bottle of the '09 and let it set. Review is from notes taken on 6/1/2010 and poured from the bottle to a wine glass.

Appearance: Pours a rich and deep honey color and starts with a 1/2 finger white head that fades immediately to a thin and uneven spotty skim on the surface; body shows tremendous clarity and minimal carbonation -- just one thin strand of bubbles trickling up; only a couple of spots of lacing are left behind on the sides of the glass.

Smell: A lot of honey sweet malts and a faint whiff of grapefruit bitter hop presence; a faint presence of alcohol is detectable in the nose as well -- nose is ultimately quite potent and makes its presence known.

Taste: Tons of the honey sweet malts are up front, but as kind of expected in most anything from Stone, the hops are still very present and are grapefruit bitter -- these hops have not really faded much at all over the extra year in the bottle, but have managed to mellow just a bit and ultimately this has become much more drinkable; the aftertaste is initially like pure honey, but the sticky coating holds some of the bitter hop resins and end up rounding out the palate.

Mouthfeel: Body is a little thick and heavy, even starts a little slick and oily; carbonation is a little more potent than it looks, but really smooth; a thick dry coating is left all over the mouth and as mentioned above, it really holds the bitter aftertaste quite well.

Drinkability: It's big, but I'm digging on the flavors and balance for such a big beer from a real hop-forward brewery; the ABV is high and that decreases the score a bit, and I would love to get ahold of another bottle to give it another year and see where it's at. Perhaps a road trip is in order.

Serving type: bottle

06-03-2010 01:08:00 | More by bamadog

spointon

Illinois

3.58/5  rDev -12.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

I poured this one from a 22oz brown bomber into a stemmed globe glass.

A= This ale poured a hazed reddish orange color with a 1/4" white head that disappeared super fast. A few streaks of lace down my glass.

S= All of the expected Stone hop character in the aroma (big citrus and pine). Also some light caramel and a boozy alcohol note.

T= About what I would expect from the smell. Light caramel sweetness up front, followed by a fruity, estery, almost syrupy sweet middle. The hops were big and bitter and easily overpowered the sweetness. Probably a bit more piney than I like, but still within reason. Alcohol was all over this beer adding spicy and at times sweet notes. There was unfortunately a fair bit of oxidation in this beer. Finished dry and boozy.

MF= Medium bodied with a feel that leaned toward slick. Carbonation was on the lighter side of medium.

D= A good but not great barleywine. Stone needs to rework this a bit and get that oxidation out of the beer.

Serving type: bottle

02-04-2010 06:10:53 | More by spointon

ShogoKawada

Rhode Island

2.7/5  rDev -34%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

22oz into Newport Storm pint glass. Bought @ Chris Gassbaro's vast wasteland of beer.

A- Pale hazy orange with a bit of amber. Nice cascade in the pint glass.

S- Nose is of a wheatwine, actually. Sweet malts.

T- Taste is cotton candy, sweet sherry and undefined grape sugars and some heat from the alcohol.

M- Hot. Abrasive, not what I was expecting.

D- Moderate. I think this beer may be in a transitional period- I have another bottle and will give it some time and a re-review if needed.

Serving type: bottle

01-15-2011 06:34:58 | More by ShogoKawada

goblue3509

Pennsylvania

2.55/5  rDev -37.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

Pours an apple cider like color, a hazy brown color with very little head. The smell is of fruit and malts. No real hop presence. Fruit gives way to malts. The taste is malty but it can't mask an over bearig alcohol taste. The alcohol burn is present, there isn't enough notes to balance out this beer. The mouthfeel is a little rough, alcohol burn and harsh feel. Drinkability is below average, not enough going on to cancel out the alcohol taste, there are a lot of barelywines smoother and more balanced than this one.

Serving type: bottle

07-30-2009 23:55:19 | More by goblue3509

ThreeWiseMen

California

3.5/5  rDev -14.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Fresh 2009 bottle poured into a pint glass.

Appearance: A slow-forming, foamy, 2-finger, peachy-khaki-colored head sits atop a gritty, copper-colored body. Great retention and tremendous lacing given the ABV. Very inviting.

Smell: Resinous hops, doughy malts, pine, and some alcohol. Surprisingly faint, though it does seem to pick up strength as it warms. Smells sweeter and stickier toward the end of the session.

Taste: Doughy malts, caramel, loads of oily hops, and maybe some berries. Earth, pine, and spicy notes are also detected. Finishes full and dry. This is one MASSIVE beer!

Mouthfeel: Full-bodied, creamy, warm, and a little sticky. Carbonation is medium in strength and suits the beer well.

Drinkability: This one needs a little time to mature. I'll lay the next bottle down for a couple years before tasting. It's good fresh, but definitely beasty.

Serving type: bottle

02-17-2009 18:57:11 | More by ThreeWiseMen

pokesbeerdude

Colorado

4.05/5  rDev -1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Picked up a 22oz single from Arctic Liquors in Steamboat, CO. Around $6.

A: Dark copper/orange, with an off white head about half an inch or so, excellent lacing all the way around. Hazy. Dense bubbles, not a lot of carbonation moving around in the glass. Pretty nice looking beer.

S: Piney and citrus hops are really present with some huge caramel and doughy flavors too. Smells very sweet, but has some nice bitter hints as well. Almost honey like, smells pretty darn tasty. Faint hints of booze as it warms up.

T: Wow! Bitter hoppiness! If I didn't have any other knowledge of this beer, I would mistake it for a very potent DIPA. Damn. Hops are very citrus like, almost like biting into a grapefruit rind. As it warms, the hops mellow out a little bit, and the malt starts to shine, quite similar to the nose, caramel, and honey. This is a strong beer. No doubt about it. An interesting barley wine that will age nicely, right now, its a bit overbearing on the hop end of the spectrum.

M: Thick, dry, and slightly spicy from all the hops, alcohol is pretty hot as it goes down, not so much in the mouth, but I can really feel it in my gut.

D: It is very intense, but drinkable if hops are your thing. Honestly, its hard for me to see this as a barleywine right now, give it a few more months and I think things will mellow out, but right now, this is a very malty DIPA. Really a tasty beer, I think the next bottle will be a little more mellow in...October? Good beer though, I'd recommend it to a hop head.

Serving type: bottle

03-21-2009 22:30:11 | More by pokesbeerdude

soupyman10

District of Columbia

4.35/5  rDev +6.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Wife got me a bottle of this, first one I've gotten my hands on in a couple of years. Look is solid - amber color, fairly light, with a smallish head that dissolves quickly down to a fairly fine film. Huge nose: strong on fruity hops, spice, and caramel malt. Really perfect, well-balanced aromas here. Definitely a hoppy nose, but not unnervingly so. Body is fruity sweet up front, then rolling into a more caramel malt before finishing with a strong, drying, syrupy hop conclusion. A really good example of a solid barley-wine, although this one obviously focuses on the hops side of the fence, leaning into DIPA range (but who's counting, really). Fruitiness, looking at some dried fruit - raisins and apricots. Don't get any alcohol out of this sucker, despite the 11% ABV. Body is fine, with a really busy carbonation that works with that strong hop presence. Overall, this is a really solid brew, much like I remember it.

Serving type: bottle

05-10-2009 21:03:51 | More by soupyman10