Stone Old Guardian Barley Wine Style Ale 2010 - Stone Brewing Co.

Lunch

Maryland

4.03/5  rDev -2.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Served on-tap at Victoria Gastro Pub in Columbia, MD into a 12oz.snifter at the appropriate temperature (03/26/10).

A: Pours a brilliant shade of dark copper, with a rich ruby hue capped with one finger of an almost white head. Decent retention and some patchy lace.

S: Strong and powerful aroma of pine, caramel malt, along with quite a bit of alcohol. Notes of citrus and hints of toffee and burnt malt are there as well.

T: The flavor profile mirrors the aroma with layers of pine, caramel malt, alcohol, burnt malt, and some citrus. Not as complex as I remember, but I could be wrong.

M: Medium to full-bodied with smooth carbonation and a pleasant tinge of alcohol.

D: For a 11% American Barleywine, this one has good drinkability.

Overall this was nice American Barleywine, but I was less impressed with this year's version compared to last year's.

Serving type: on-tap

04-01-2010 19:38:54 | More by Lunch

BretSikkink

Mexico

4.35/5  rDev +5.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Another winner for Old Guardian. Great copper-brown look with a nice tanned head served about an inch high. Great stick and legs. The nose is strong, even through the foam. Caramelly sweet malt with a ton of citric hops backed up by a wall of alcohol. No surprises, and no punches pulled.

The flavor is in your face, with a huge amount of hops doing battle with fiercely sticky malts. Sweet, with notes of caramel, toffee, slightly roasted barley, toast, and bubblegum. The hops are fruity, especially grapefruit pith, with a hint of pine. Will age like a champion, no doubt. Firm, thick mouthfeel that plays nicely with the high hopping and spot-on carbonation. Superb.

Serving type: on-tap

03-01-2010 23:31:19 | More by BretSikkink